http://www.fossilizedcustoms.com/christmasquestions.html
CHRISTMAS (CHRIST'S MASS) QUESTIONS Subject: Christmas - a few questions about it asked recently of Lew White Message from (name deleted): "This appears to be my year to break away from observing christmas. From what I have studied I believe that ceasing to observe christmas is part of "Coming out of her". I believe that I have been called to stop participating in this man-made holiday and to start observing the appointed times of Yahuah. I have already told my parents and grandmother and I can not say that this was an easy thing to do. It was met with sadness as I expected. I just now informed my wife's mother over the phone and she basically said that she "didn't feel her daughter should be with someone who doesn't want to be her family on christmas". She doesn't understand why I cannot at least be with the family on that day. Forsaking christmas has been a process over the past few years. I know that there is no way that I would be able to confront these people in my life if it were not for His strength and encouragement. If I were to ignore Yahuah's desire, I will live as a miserable coward not worthy of what He has called me to. I also believe that this is a test and that Yahuah can use my obedience to Spiritually benefit my family. I am assuming that you were brought up in a family that celebrated christmas. If this was the case, do you mind sharing with me a little about your experience with your family when you stopped participating in christmas?" 1) I believe that I am to cease from having anything to do with christmas, even if that means not even eating with my family. Would you say this is accurate? 2) Will you share with me some about your experience with your family when you stopped participating in christmas? Dear brother (name deleted), Like most people, I was raised celebrating Christmas as the "birthday of the Savior". This practice under other names has been observed by Pagans as the rebirth of the sun deity for approximately 3000 years. The last big shift in the meaning or application of the solstice festival occurred in about 525 CE (AD), when Dionysius Exiguous (a monk) was appalled at what he discovered being celebrated at Rome upon his visitation there. He saw the raw, Pagan festival of Saturnalia in full swing. He was from Scythia, north of the Black Sea, an area once occupied by the northern tribes of Israel that had fled there from the land of Samaria in 722 BCE, driven out by the Assyrians. He recognized Pagan behavior, but chose to simply divert the "meaning" of the practice toward the birth of Yahushua, instead of the sun. The worship of Baal and his consort Asherah was wrapped-up in the practice and symbols of this festival originally dedicated to the re-birth of the sun deity, being nine months from the springtime fertility festival of Ishtar (Easter), a time when the sun was believed to impregnate the Earth with the rays of the solar disc. As Christianity developed, these formerly Pagan festivals became reinvented so the idolatry would be concealed, down-played, or cloaked beneath new meanings - they essentially put lipstick on a pig and kissed it, believing it had changed into a beautiful woman. The Jesuit practice of "casuistry" (google that term) makes it possible to think about something in a completely new way, rationalizing and justifying it, so adapting a Pagan practice is thought to be "cleansed" as acceptable as long as the camouflage covers the old ideas well enough. The wreath is a symbol of a womb, the tree is a phallus, and the balls are testacles -- all liberally sprinkled with the tinsel which represents the semen of the solar deity. These symbols are only "seen" for what they really are by those initiated in the occult, yet Yahushua told us that what is whispered in secret will be shouted from the rooftops. To the Canaanites, the tree was worshipped as Asherah, and gifts were brought into the "groves" of trees and placed beneath them as offerings. Goliath of Gath (a Philistine/Palestinian) would have certainly used the tree, balls, Easter baskets, and Maypoles seen today. All of this is specifically against Dt. 12:28-32, but it is all well camouflaged and promoted to apply to the Messiah of Israel throughout the entire world. People can live in denial of the truth for their entire lives, but most never have the opportunity to learn there is anything wrong. My parents and other family thought I had come in contact with a "cult" or had lost my mind when I first stopped going to the Christmas Day family get-togethers around 1986. They still don't understand any better after over 20 years, but I always have hope they will come to understand my motivation for avoiding the Pagan practices specifically condemned by the Creator, Yahuah. All I can do is encourage you to avoid idolatry in all its forms (Acts 15:29), and embrace the faith once delivered to the saints, Yahuah's Torah (the Covenant), which Yahushua seeks to write upon a believer's heart. In answer to your first question, I'd say that Yahushua would not go to a party or gathering that people were having that had at one time been based on sun worship (Baal), or excuse it like the Jesuits with mental acrobatics (casuistry). So, completely ignoring the man-made "Christmas Day" is the best decision considering we're going to have to give an account to the Creator of the heavens and the Earth one day. We also have to warn those who engage in such things, otherwise their blood (on the day of judgment) will be upon our heads. Needless to say, those who practice Christmas Day, Sun-day, and Easter Day are not exactly thrilled to hear about the true origins of the days from people like us. They feel we are judgmental, harsh, and no fun to be around. What they don't see in us is the incredible freedom and clean-feeling we have because we have resisted the harlotry of idolatrous practices. We're strange to them, and probably have the stench of the Messiah upon us. Peter told the former Pagans not to fall back into their idolatry, as a pig that has been bathed would return to wallowing in the mud, or a dog would return to that which it had once vomited up: 2Pe 2:21, 22: "For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the set-apart common delivered to them. For them the proverb has proved true: 'A dog returns to his own vomit,' and, 'A washed sow returns to her rolling in the mud.'" Lew White For more details, see www.fossilizedcustoms.com/christmas.html ============================================= http://www.fossilizedcustoms.com/romans14.html IS ROMANS 14 ABOUT THE SABBATH, OR FASTING? The question: Hi Lew. I just spent Thanksgiving Day with family. I got into an interesting discussion with a nephew who pointed to Romans 14 as an "indication" that the Sabbath did not have to be observed on the seventh day. I THINK this passage was about judging others rather than what the Torah says. I would like your opinion. Lew responds concerning this "anti-Sabbath" stronghold: This is one of many "strongholds" (misunderstandings, mental reasonings) which people have accepted from constant exposure to false teachings. Romans 14 is often misapplied in numerous ways, since those who are "weak" don't have enough training in Torah to understand. The text is discussing the very people who are misapplying this section. Being "weak" in the "faith" means the new believer has not yet learned the details of how to "walk". This text is warning us to not "JUDGE" one another over food. But one important thing the reader is usually unaware of that is central to this section concerns FASTING. In the first century, the Pharisees made it a man-made "law" to FAST twice each week. This is the principle the people are misapplying, transforming the meaning from these two days of fasting and thinking it refers to the weekly SABBATH. Notice the Pharisee states that he fasts twice each week in the following text: "Two men went up to the Set-apart Place to pray - the one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. "The Pharisee stood and began to pray with himself this way, 'Elohim, I thank You that I am not like the rest of men, swindlers, unrighteous, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 'I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I possess.' "But the tax collector standing at a distance would not even raise his eyes to the heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'Elohim, show favor unto me, a sinner!' Luke 18:10-3 Now look closely at the text of Romans 14: Rom 14:1-23: "And receive him who is weak in the belief, not criticising his thoughts. One indeed believes to eat all food, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. He that eats, let him not despise him who does not eat, and he that does not eat, let him not judge him who eats, for Elohim received him. Who are you that judges another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. But he shall be made to stand, for Elohim is able to make him stand. One indeed judges one day above another, another judges every day alike. Let each one be completely persuaded in his own mind. He who minds the day (and fasts), minds it to ????. And he who does not mind the day (and does NOT FAST), to ???? he does not mind it. He who eats, eats to ????, for he gives Elohim thanks. And he who does not eat, to ???? he does not eat, and gives Elohim thanks. For not one of us lives to himself, and not one dies to himself. (these last two sentences reveal this discussion is about the "fast days" the Pharisees appointed). For both, if we live, we live unto the Master, and if we die, we die unto the Master. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Master's. For unto this Messiah died and rose and lived again, to rule over both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Messiah. For it has been written, "As I live, says ????, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to Elohim." Each one of us, therefore, shall give account of himself to Elohim. Therefore let us not judge one another any longer, but rather judge this, not to put an obstacle or a stumbling-block in our brother's way. I know and am persuaded in the Master ????? that none at all is common of itself. But to him who regards whatever to be common, to him it is common. And if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not by your food ruin the one for whom Messiah died. Do not then allow your good to be spoken of as evil. For the reign of Elohim is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Set-apart Spirit. For he who is serving Messiah in these matters is well-pleasing to Elohim and approved by men. So, then, let us pursue the matters of peace and the matters for building up one another. Do not destroy the work of Elohim for the sake of food. All indeed are clean, but evil to that man who eats so as to cause stumbling. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine, nor to do whatever by which your brother stumbles. Rom 14:22 Do you have belief? Have it to yourself before Elohim. Blessed is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. Rom 14:23 But he who doubts, if he eats, is condemned, because it is not of belief, and all that is not of belief is sin." If a person did not choose to FAST, then that's fine. If a person DID choose to FAST, that's fine too. If Paul (Shaul) knew that people would have interpreted this to concern the SABBATH, he'd faint from the shock of how incredibly untaught people could be, even with their doctorate degrees in "theology". Careful! Don't assume that this text written by brother Shaul (Paul) is granting anyone the ability to ignore Leviticus 11, assuming that "unclean" animals are included as "food". Unclean animals are not food to begin with, but every animal that Leviticus 11 declares to be for food is "clean", declared so by the Word. If the Word of Yahuah declares that an animal is not to be eaten, and you ignore His Word, then the prophecy at Isaiah/YeshaYahu 66:16,17 will befall you. Overcoming strongholds like this is done by simply accepting the Truth, and Yahushua releases you (makes you free) by guiding you into all Truth. He would not guide you into believing a lie, and annul the 4th Commandment, the sign of the everlasting Covenant. brother Lew
