Transcript of Sabbath Meeting - 11/26/99

Tonite I would like to talk about something that is going on in the world right now

And whether or not it is scriptural

This is a good time of year to have on the armor of Yahweh

And be prepared with His sword, His word to defend His truth

So tonite, I would like to talk about the celebration of Christmas..

This is similar to the study on the website..but with more scriptures and additions

Christmas is a 'tradition'.

It is something that we have inheritied

Sometimes tradition is acceptable and perhaps even pleasing in the sight of Yahweh

Sometimes it is not acceptable and is even hated by Him.

The evil of traditions that transgress the commmandment of Yahweh was a key teaching of Yahshua the Messiah.

Matthew 15:1 - Then came to Yahushua scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,

Matthew 15:2 - Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

for you don't observe the Christmas holiday

My answer would be the same as Yahshua's except I would apply it to Christmas

Matthew 15:3 - But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of YAHWEH by your tradition?

This was an example of how the scribes and pharisees forsook the commandment of Yahweh in favor of their tradition..

As I will share, Christmas is transgressing the commandment of Yahweh in favor of tradition!

What does Yahshua think about this?

Matthew 15:7 - Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,

Matthew 15:8 - This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

Matthew 15:9 - But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Clearly, doctrines and commandments of men is vain worship. Yahweh never commanded it

There is not a single scripture in the bible that tells us that we are to celebrate the birth nor the resurrection of Yahshua the Messiah. Let alone in a pagan way

So yes, we must question these traditions that have been handed down to this generation even though few dare to

Many Christians speak against the Catholic traditions of Lent, Ash Wednesday, etc. but fail to recognize that the same types of pagan festivals exist in the celebration of Christmas and Easter

how did these festivals get their start?

The following is a quote from my 1991 Encyclopaedia Brittanica, Volume 11 ; page 390.

The following is a quote from my 1991 Encyclopaedia Brittanica, Volume 11 ; page 390.

"During the later periods of Roman history, sun worship gained in importance and ultimately led to what has been called a 'solar monotheism.' Nearly all the gods of the period were possessed of Solar qualities, and both Christ and Mithra acquired the traits of solar deities

...The feast of Sol and Victus (open unconquered Sun) on December 25th was celebrated with great joy, and eventually this date was taken over by the Christians as Christmas, the birthday of Christ."

The Christians were trying to get more converts. So they adapted a pagan holiday to their worship to appease the pagans in 336 AD

Now I ask..."Who converted who??"

Must we murder to bring a murderer to Yahshua?

Do we rape to bring a rapist to Yahshua?

The answer is that you should never take something that is a total abomination to Yahweh and then try to honor Him with it. He recieves no honor in doing such a thing!!

While the mainstream beliefs were far from the truth the apostles taught, it was still the idolators that taught the christians this custom. We ought to be teaching them!

Christmas means 'mass for christ', but the name of the holiday is much newer than the holiday itself.

The customs associated with christmas, in one form or another, have been celebrated for thousands of years

'Christmas' is just a new name for an old holiday.

It is historical fact that even though the same festival that is the origin of Christmas was celebrated by pagans during the first 300+ years, it was not celebrated by believers.

The celebration of this holiday was started later. Does this not reek of apostasy?

Why then would a true believer celebrate it today? They should have heeded the scripture:

Romans 12:2 - And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of YAHWEH.

Nearly all modern day preachers and ministers of Christianity admit this fact.

At issue is whether or not we should walk in these customs

So what is so bad about it?

Is it just for the children?

Truly, there is no commandment telling us to celebrate Yahshua's birth

In fact, the pagan customs are clearly condemned in the scriptures!

Paganism is something that is against Yahweh, paganism is idolatry and demon worship

If we know that the roots of christmas are of pagan origin, shouldn't the roots of our worship be in the scriptures, rather than paganism and demon worship?

December 25th is the birthday of nearly every pagan god ever invented!

Consider the scriptures quoted here that clearly proclaim the keeping of these festivals is sinful.

Jeremiah 10:1 - Hear ye the word which YAHWEH speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:

Jeremiah 10:2 - Thus saith YAHWEH, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

Don't even learn it, let alone do it

Don't even learn it, let alone do it and then apply it to Yahweh!

Jeremiah 10:3 - For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

Jeremiah 10:4 - They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

When the sun began to go furthur away from the earth and the days grew shorter in the winter, the sun worshipping Gentiles feared that the sun would not return.

So they held certain festivals around the time of the Winter Solstice when it did begin to return...hence the birthday of their sun gods

One of the customs was to decorate an evergreen tree that they had cut down and fasten it so that would not topple.

Yahweh tells us not to learn the way of the heathen...let alone practice it ourselves..yet here He even describes a custom that IS a way of the heathen.

Yet, we see this same custom exist even today. It is called the Christmas tree.

In the new testament, learning and walking in the way of the Gentiles is also condemned:

Ephesians 4:17 - This I say, therefore, and testify in YAHWEH, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,

Ephesians 4:18 - having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of Elohim, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;

We should be walking as Yahshua walked!!

1John 2:6 - He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

It really is odd if you think about it!!

Not only is it odd, it is pagan. This custom, along with other pagan customs like it are clearly condemned in these scriptures

Other pagan customs include Mistletoe, the yule log and Santa Claus lie. If you seek, you will find that these things are pagan also

This time of year, Santa Claus is a god to the children of the world

The parents purposely lie to the children and tell them that they should fear Santa Claus because "he knows if you've been bad or good".

If they have been bad, they won't get all these wordly gifts

If they are good..they get these gifts

Oddly enough...I see spoiled brats getting gifts no matter what?

Anyway... This is clearly a total abomination to Yahweh

You don't have to look very far in the word of Yahweh to find out how much he loathes idolatry

Yahweh is the only true Mighty One.

How abominable for a believer to teach their children to fear Santa Claus and creep an idol into the conscience of a child!!

Now it is true that Christmas is a very popular holiday. However, as is often the case, what is popular is not always right and what is right is not always popular

Should we really just follow the 'path of the least resistance'? Surely not

Nearly the entire world celebrates Christmas. If the world did not do this, would you?

Again:

Romans 12:2 - And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of YAHWEH.

Now let's take this a step furthur. Not only is it sinful in the eyes of Yahweh to practice these traditions...It is also a sin to take idolatrous traditions of the pagans and apply them to the worship of Yahweh!

Let's take a look into the word of Yahweh to find out how He feels about applying pagan and idolotrous customs to His worship:

Deuteronomy 12:29 - When YAHWEH thy Elohim shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land;

Deuteronomy 12:30 - Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their elohim, saying, How did these nations serve their elohim? even so will I do likewise.

Deuteronomy 12:31 - Thou shalt not do so unto YAHWEH thy Elohim: for every abomination to YAHWEH, which he hateth, have they done unto their elohim; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their elohim.

"Thou shalt not do so unto YAHWEH thy Elohim"!!!

He loathes their traditions! Their roots are from doctrines of demons! The very heart of putting a tree into your house comes directly from those who worship demons!

For instance, when the idolators sacrificed to their gods they were really sacrificing to demons:

1Corinthians 10:19 - What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?

1Corinthians 10:20 - But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to Elohim: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.

Do not add to His commandments and do not take away from His commandments

Deuteronomy 12:32 - What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

An abomination..any way you look at it

Both Christmas and Easter take pagan festivals and traditions and apply them to the worship of Yahweh. Scripture clearly condemns this practice.

Would it be right to take a Satanic holiday that Satanists have invented and then apply that holiday to Yahweh's worship?

All paganism is satanism. Satan is behind all pagan worship.

And whatever god the pagans worship, little do they know they are worshipping satan

You cannot mix religions and still remain pure!

We need to return to the pure worship!!

Let's set aside all these vain traditions

Let's set aside our desire to please man

Let's set aside our desire to conform to the world

And let's conform ourselves to the image of Yahshua the Messiah

For there is no doubt that He not only hates these things, but he hates them being applied to HIM

Therefore, may these words sink into your soul...

1Corinthians 10:21 - Ye cannot drink the cup of YAHWEH, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of YAHWEH's table, and of the table of devils.

May Yahweh bless you all!