Someone Has a Question – Here’s An Answer

Okay, well, I've gotten some good feedback from some. Some of my brothers, sisters and friends did not know some of the history behind the current holiday we know as Christmas. And some knew even more about what I had posted and were curious to know what we celebrate, and why. So, I emailed them :) ~ And then just finally realized that 'Hey! I'm guessing someone else would have that same question! I guess I'll post my reply to them too!' ~ So, here you go :) ~ By the way, if you any of this comes across as condemning, then you misunderstood my textual tone. If this is just confusing, then just message me with your question(s) and I'll be glad to answer more from there. If you like this, please stop by and say hi! :) ~ if you don't, you're just as welcome to post a gracious note of why :) Thanks! ~

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Hey sister, thanks so much for your question. I believe we see more eye-to-eye than you may think. Please allow me to explain.

What the typical American thinks of as 'Christmas' is as pagan a celebration as they get. But, not all Christians who celebrate around the 25th are caught up in the idolatry - to many, I have seen, they just celebrate Christ - no gifts, no snow, reindeer, Santa, saturnalia/santa-mass/Roman-catholic tree, etc... just Christ - our Messiah and Savior.

I and my family, really don't fit in either of those circles, but we recognize they exist. Our family is just starting to piece together the history we have learned enough to be able to explain it (including the paper my Dad and I put together - that I called 'a drifting Christmas').

With that said, we have not celebrated the pagan holiday since I was very young, because of all of the idolatry that's been added, etc. With that said, as a Bible teacher, I have to sort of keep up (to an extent) with the younger Christians who have not understood what is pagan and what is not, so that I might teach and disciple them to leave behind idols. So, with them (which is a majority of the Christians in the US, at the moment, I'm afraid) I'm consistently working to challenge/provoke and spur on those who have become conformed to the customs of this world. So, for them - so as to not harshly condemn some who are trying to worship Christ - though out of ignorance because their pastors aren't teaching them, I have been trying to help them differentiate between Christ-mas (simple meaning of 'a celebration of Christ' for us, and many others) and Santa-mas, which has all the paganism - trying to help them to start seeing how much paganism has become part of their celebrations and traditions. My long-term goal is to help them abandon the pagan-holiday completely, but I don't want to do so in a way that makes any of those who are trying to follow Christ to feel condemned and become discouraged and stop trying to grow in what they can see. So, I'm trying to consistently walk them forward (sharing what I'm growing in too), and (as often as I can) lead by example, teaching them what it means to follow Christ and come out from this world. In many ways, our family is teaching what most pastors do not teach at all - so, for many who read what I post, it's almost pioneering - completely new thoughts for them. Not new thoughts from God's Word, but going back to what God's Word actually says - which is a very solid foundation! :)

Now, on that Jesus-celebration card - I don't know if you looked at it or not, it had no reindeer, no Santa (same letters as Satan), no pagan-holiday-tradition anything - and I wrote a message that would remind people that if they are going to celebrate something, to make sure that it was only about Christ and not anything else. And, based on the feedback I got, many are trying to do just that. I wish we all could move and grow faster, but I do not see fit to condemn those who are confused, yet trying to grow.

Basically, the studies I'm posting are progressive, helping others to grow to what I believe and where I'm walking, in my relationship with Yeshua (Jesus), from where they are (and I'm at) - currently.

Xmas, Easter, and Halloween (as they are celebrated today) are the most pagan celebrations of the whole year, at least in the US. And I'm working to educate many who do not know this, and many are growing to agree with God's Word and leave behind the idolatry, slaveries, and useless traditions.

I can also tell you that, this is the first year we have been able to find when Christ was probably born, so next year, we will be able to celebrate at that time, for until our recent personal study - no one had taught us about Sukkot and how it was probably when Jesus was born. We live in FL, but almost all of the 'pastors' are so pagan that they are pretty much just smooth-talking, story-tellers and entertainers. And having no Bible college or seminary training of my own, my family and I have consistently been trying to study these things (between work, prayer, Bible teaching and life).

Did that make any sense? Did that answer your question(s)?

Thank you for your patience. I hope this makes sense. Please feel free to ask any more questions you think of, and I'll try to answer to the best of my abilities.

your growing bro, and

a servant/life-slave of Jesus, SH

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P.S. *She* replied that it did make sense, and was glad I explained it. I hope it makes sense to you too, but if it doesn't, please don't hesitate to ask! ~ ttfn, your bro/friend,and a growing servant/life-slave of Jesus, SH :)