Yikes! Chr-stmas?

[blessed2]

I've been reading some very disturbing info about "Chr-stmas" and want your thoughts and to hear how your deal with this time.
I read that it's a pagan holiday. The dec. 25 date is even the date of this pagan ritual and that the ritual involves decorating a tree.
I'm just really sick at heart about it.
Please open up some discussion about it.....I really want to serve the L-rd rightly, in truth and with my best...and pray never to offend Him...He deserves so much more from me.
Thank you.

 

[Toney]

I would suggest celebrating instead Epiphany with the Eastern Orthodox on January 19. Alternatively, for Shakespearean fans, substitute the Western date of January 6 and also celebrate Twelfth Night.

Christmas is rendered neo-pagan by our commercialization of it, IMO.

I also think G-d takes intentionality into consideration. If your intention is to celebrate the birth of Yeshua, Christmas trees make little difference. On the other hand, if ones intention is to celebrate Saturnalia, for instance, G-d is much offended, as He has told us.

Pagan is as pagan does, as FG said. I think.

 

[mythbuster]

I've been reading some very disturbing info about "Chr-stmas" and want your thoughts and to hear how your deal with this time.
I read that it's a pagan holiday. The dec. 25 date is even the date of this pagan ritual and that the ritual involves decorating a tree.
I'm just really sick at heart about it.
Please open up some discussion about it.....I really want to serve the L-rd rightly, in truth and with my best...and pray never to offend Him...He deserves so much more from me.
Thank you.

During the reformation there was not a complete break with the Roman church and some non christian practices remain.
May the Lord honor your desire serve Him.

 

[visionary]

I've been reading some very disturbing info about "Chr-stmas" and want your thoughts and to hear how your deal with this time.
I read that it's a pagan holiday. The dec. 25 date is even the date of this pagan ritual and that the ritual involves decorating a tree.
I'm just really sick at heart about it.
Please open up some discussion about it.....I really want to serve the L-rd rightly, in truth and with my best...and pray never to offend Him...He deserves so much more from me.
Thank you.

http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/sukkoth.htm

It may help you into learning more about Jesus's birth.

Visionary

 

[blessed2]

How do you guy's deal with december?
What do you celebrate and how do you celebrate it?
BTW: Thank you all so much.

 

[JewishHeart]

Blessed2,

Although most of my vision is to reach out to Israel, my latter vision is to reach out to the church with truth, and to reach out to see the One New Man. Christmas is pagan, at this revelation I stopped celebrating it a long time ago. Christmas is not only pagan, but its christian roots are antisimetic in that Constantine created this christian-pagan date to do away with the Jewish feasts from believers in Yeshua. This is truth. This is my conviction not to celebrate Christmas. I believe Yeshua was born on Sukkout and celebrate His birth accordingly.

I also believe that most evangelical believers who celebrate Christmas have good hearts and want to serve God. They have a genuine relationship with God and will only be held accountable to the truth they know and act on in relationship to these pagan days. Most evangelicals have no idea that it is pagan or antisimetic, even if they do know it had pagan roots they now celebrate it with clean hearts to celebrate the Messiah. I BELIEVE ONE DAY THESE EVANGELICAL BELIEVERS will COME TO THE CONCLUSION that the FEASTS are God's chosen days. I also believe that many genuine evangelicals have been turned off by us messianics because of our zeal. When I iternate in America my wife and I teach on the feasts and Shabbatt in evangelical churches in a gentle manner that is not threatening to their congregation/church. Many pastors are worried about splits. I think if us messianics would be more gentle and lead them to truth in love we would see the church heading in that direction and not just a fraction of people who leave or split a church. In Brazil there are already many christian churches who stopped doing the christian holidays and started doing the feasts. In Tennessee there are also many churches doing this. The thing I've noticed lead towards this goal is both Christian Zionism and the messianic community operating together with the Christian Zionists. I've seen other communities where the messinaic community turns the Christian Zionists off by their zeal. Many messianics may hold this as compromise, but I personally have seen the fruit. Inside I am very zealous about the feasts and truth, but I express it to my christian brothers and sisters in love. We should all work towards the goal of the One New Man. I believe messianics Jews have some things to learn from christians who have operated in New Testament lifestyle ( the fruits and gifts of the Spirit, character, evangelism, missions, etc) longer than the messianic community and the messianic community has things to offer to christians in that many christians miss things theologically not understanding Jewish roots and the precious Shabatt that the messianic community can offer.

Saying all this Blessed2, I encourage you to pray and ask the Holy Spirit for what to do with this truth. Be gentle with those genuine believers who haven't received this revelation and they will see your good works and glorify the God of Israel. I encourage you to establish your own convictions quietly before the Lord. Remember that the center of the gospel is that Yeshua paid the price for you to have a relationship with the G-d of Israel, not mainlyto celebrate the feasts. The feasts are great and help us in our relationship with God, but are only a small piece in the big puzzle and adventure of communion with God. The Shabbatt as well is a small piece. If we get the Shabbatt and feasts right and miss relationship we've missed it all. I trust God to reveal to His church that really do have relationships with God about the feasts and Shabbatt, but in the meantime God is also dealing with them about character, about the gifts of the Spirit, about the kingdom of God,etc. so be patient as God is in this being revealed to them as well in time.

B'Shem Yeshua Mashecheynu,

 

[mythbuster]

How do you guy's deal with december?
What do you celebrate and how do you celebrate it?
BTW: Thank you all so much.

First and formost I remain Pro-Christ, not anti-Christmas. We have been reconciled to God and live by and in the Spirit. When we meet as the church we do not celebrate Christmas. The church is pure. But at home my wife and family do celebrate. I would rather not but we do.

The incarnation, a great and wonderful mystery, is something to enjoy, savor, marvel, receive, and celebrate everyday, even every moment, and is included in the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

Paul spoke of an enlarged heart. A heart that includes many people. If some christians do not see the matter of christmas than that is the way it is. If you see it different, then go with what the Lord has shown you in meekness and humility.

Peace

 

[Sephania]

Blessed2 you have received a plethora of answers, and not all from Messianics, so now you will hear from one. I am a Jewish believer in Yeshua, I was brought up by an "assimilated mother" and a non-Jewish father both of who brought me up in a Catholic then Christian church. I celebrated all the Christian (protestant ) holidays until I went out on my own and could think for myself. Even then it took many years of searching, reading and praying to reach where I am today.

Now because of similar revelations like you had I do not celebrate any Christian holidays.

I remember Y'shua's birth in a most happy feast of the L-RD called Sukkot, which we celebrate for a whole week that culminates in Simchat Torah the rejoicing of the Torah, and Y'shua embodied that.

When I want to celebrate in the winter I do so for another week in the miricle of the lights for seven days, called Chanukah, at which a ceremony for this in Jerusalem, Y'shua told all who would listen that He was the light of the world.

And then there is Passover, which we have just celebrated, and this, this is not only a commandment of old to celebrate, but Y'shua tells his follows to do that feast now in rememberance of what he did for us. This commandment I follow as well.

Just right there you have 23 of celebrating the L-RD Y'shua! Isn't that wonderful?

 

[JewishHeart]

Zayit,

I am messianic and my wife is a messianic Jewish believer, did you forget about us? :-(

and not all from Messianics, so now you will hear from one

 

[ShirChadash]

Now because of similar revelations like you had I do not celebrate any Christian holidays.

I remember Y'shua's birth in a most happy feast of the L-RD called Sukkot, which we celebrate for a whole week that culminates in Simchat Torah the rejoicing of the Torah, and Y'shua embodied that.

When I want to celebrate in the winter I do so for another week in the miricle of the lights for seven days, called Chanukah, at which a ceremony for this in Jerusalem, Y'shua told all who would listen that He was the light of the world.

And then there is Passover, which we have just celebrated, and this, this is not only a commandment of old to celebrate, but Y'shua tells his follows to do that feast now in rememberance of what he did for us. This commandment I follow as well.

Just right there you have 23 of celebrating the L-RD Y'shua! Isn't that wonderful?

Ditto!

and also:

Although most of my vision is to reach out to Israel, my latter vision is to reach out to the church with truth, and to reach out to see the One New Man. Christmas is pagan, at this revelation I stopped celebrating it a long time ago. Christmas is not only pagan, but its christian roots are antisimetic in that Constantine created this christian-pagan date to do away with the Jewish feasts from believers in Yeshua. This is truth. This is my conviction not to celebrate Christmas. I believe Yeshua was born on Sukkout and celebrate His birth accordingly.

Ditto!

 

[ShirChadash]

Zayit,

I am messianic and my wife is a messianic Jewish believer, did you forget about us? :-(

I think she was rather making the point that not all of the replies were from Messianics so far, so here's one Messianic's thoughts... (IOW some of the replies were from non-Messianics at that point...)

 

[Sephania]

Zayit,

I am messianic and my wife is a messianic Jewish believer, did you forget about us? :-(

No, "not all" and "All" are not the same are they?

 

[josyau]

Blessed2,


I also do not celebrate none of the Christian holidays. As for XMas I found the same disturbing info. in my own researching of the topic. There's too many similar traits found in it and pagan practices from the past (a couple even in scripture that was warned against). Also the fact that the Apostles/Early Believers did not celebrate such a day. Three we're not commanded to. Four December more than likely is not even the correct month which unfortunately leads up to why is it that the day is tied up in the same time frame as special pagan days/festivals.

 

[blessed2]

Thank you all so much. You never cease to guide me with love and wisdom. Thankfully I have plenty of time to study and prepare for my new celebration and tradition. I'm oddly relieved now and joyful
in the opportunity to follow the better way.