Vesteen hates to disappoint all her American Christian friends, but contrary to the activities people think we will being doing in the afterlife, we will not be celebrating Christmas in Heaven. Read your Bible. There is no such celebration that is sanctioned or even accepted. Similar practices in the Bible to today's cultural practices, such as cutting down a tree, adorning it with silver and gold, are actually condemned practices in the Bible (see Jeremiah 10). It is considered idolatry. (For more info on the roots of Christmas and what scripture has to say about it, please read Part 1 of Christmas- A Holy Controversy).
The God of the Bible (sorry- Allah and Buddah do not qualify)- is so very different from us. It says so in Isaiah 55:8, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts nor are your ways my ways". We either want to get to know God for who He is, on His terms, or we do not. His ways are made plain in the holy scriptures. For all scripture is God-breathed and is good for reproof and instruction in righteousness... Many people who say they have a relationship with Jesus the Christ (Messiah), do not really know Him at all. They take the idea of a greasy grace God who has no standards, which their religious leaders have handed down to them, and do not learn to think or relate to God for themselves.
I hear a lot of people talk about Heaven and mention Chrsitmas in the same context. This is erroneous. For example, "I had a dream we were in Heaven and it was Christmas and the trees were decorated beautifully..." etc. There will not be a Christmas celebration in Heaven. If you want to celebrate something in Heaven, or better yet "On earth as it is in Heaven", then celebrate the feasts of the Lord as outlined in Leviticus 23. Those are actually celebrations and observances that were mandated by God Himself (no, they are not 'Jewish' feasts, as some call them- they did not originate with the Jewish people, but with God Himself). You might have the excuse that you are celebrating Jesus' birthday when you celebrate Christmas. However well-meaning this may be, it does not please Him. As my friend Stephanie VanderWal Zlab has pointed out in her article, "I Sat Not With Those Who Make Merry", to celebrate the birthday of a deity is a pagan practice. If it is pagan rooted, it will not be blessed by God. Where do we get the idea that whatever we do is ok with God? It is a lie. Jeremiah says the nations will come to the God of the universe and say, "Truly we have inherited lies from our fathers". Undoubtedly, this is talking about, at least in part, of idolatrous practices in violation of the first and second commandments.
Did you know that the modern day celebration of Christmas has only been celebrated in it's current recognizable form for around 100 years? The pilgrims did not celebrate it, in fact it was shunned as a practice to take off Dec 25 from work. They recognized it for what it is: idolatry- and they abhorred it. The practice of the Christmas tree was revived from an ancient practice honoring the god Tammuz and only became popular again when Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria introduced it to English society at the turn of the last century. The tree is supposed to commemorate the rebirth of the sun god Tammuz and it is a fertility symbol. And yet it is instilled as a nostaligic, warm, and happy tradition in our children...and without repentance and or God's intervention, will undoubtedly be passed on to their children's children.
When I first met my husband, I told him during one of the first phone conversations we had that I was going to raise my children to know who they are and to know who their God is. My children would be Jewish. And I would raise them to know the God of Israel. The Sabbath would be honored in my home. We would celebrate the feasts of the Lord, not pagan holidays. The scriptures would be upheld as the standard of truth in our home. That's how strong my convictions were regarding the matter. They are that strong today.
I, in a sense, left "Moab" when I made the transformation from being a gentile pagan Christian to a Messianic Jewish follower of Yeshua the Messiah. When I stood at the altar and took the vow of Ruth during my wedding ceremony...it was not for show. It was a vow to the God of all creation that I was leaving once and for all, my pagan roots and acknowledging that He had grafted me into the olive tree (Romans 11) that is the commonwealth of Israel. Like Ruth, I left behind all that I knew- all that I grew up with and that was familiar to me. I left, in a sense, my allegiances to my parents, (as one is supposed to do anyway when they marry), my grandparents, and my culture. Included in that, like the Ruth of the Bible, I was vowing to leave behind my pagan gods. But much like Ruth as well as the children of Israel who came out of Egypt, I was not merely coming out of something to just languish in a barren desert, but like them, I was coming into something...the promised Land of my faith in the Messiah. He always brings us out of something on order to bring us in. He brought me into the root that is Israel...a more intimate knowledge of God through the scriptures. A life of obedience to His Torah, His Word and His ways, rather than passivity, rebellion and chains, complacency and compromise which always leads to bondage~and never leads to freedom. I left the practices of Christmas, Halloween, and Easter, severed roots with the Catholic church and anti-semitic forefathers' doctrines of demons and instead embraced the Feasts of Almighty God of the Bible. I even embraced some feasts which are considered "man made" all for the sake of identifying with my Messiah and His people, the Jews. I will explain what I mean further, for not all man-made traditions are abominations unto the Lord of Glory.
Many people say, "Well, Chanukah is a man made tradition and holiday". To this I say, true. But it does not go against God's word, His Torah. Furthermore, this particular holiday, also called the Feast of Dedication, which is to commemorate the restoration of the temple in Jerusalem after it was sacked by the Antiochus Epiphenes, an anti-christ figure, was actually observed by Jesus Himself! (John 10:22). Jesus took this opportunity to teach about the Kingdom of God, as well as to remember the restoration of the Temple in Jerusalem, which, like all of the things the Lord commanded the Israelites to do, was a type and a shadow of things to be fulfilled by Yeshua. It was a re-dedication. And He showed true miracles during the backdrop of this holiday called Chankah, during which the Israelities remembered the famous miracle of one day's supply of holy oil lasting 8 nights, thus keeping the menorah lit in the temple, as was commanded by God. Now, I, like Yeshua, keep this feast. However, I readily acknowledge that this is one of the very minor feasts, not on par with those of Leviticus 23 such as Yom Kippur and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles, also called the Great Feast). That is why most Jews to this day do not make a big hoopla out of Chanukah. But in the spirit of most of the feasts of Israel, we say, "They tried to kill us, we survived....Let's EAT!!"
My own personal transformation was gradual. However, there were certain milestones that I passed when I made a decision to repent. God blessed my repentance. The Bible says God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. Pride puffs up in insistent persistence in the things that are anti-God. It is also written that His goodness leads us toward repentance. But repentance is necessary in our relationship with the Lord. In the book of Acts, the Jews asked Peter and the apostles what they must do in order to be saved. He responded with a very Hebrew concept: Repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. Jesus was the blood covering for all the sins. But it did not mean a life of repentance was no longer necessary!!- that line of thinking is not in keeping with Torah- God's Word! I myself could not even begin to repent if it weren't for God's goodness and lovingkindness (mercy) toward me. But a response was required of me. My response came in the form of an active love for Israel and was followed by subsequent revelation of His ways.
To my friends who try to understand my passion for the Hebrew roots of my faith (which is also the roots of their faith if they put their trust in Jesus), I say it is like being so in love with your spouse. Remember in the courtship phase?- You were so in love with your intended that you wanted to know everything about that person? Where they grew up? How they grew up? What they thought about just about everything under the sun? How they perceived the world? Who their friends were? What their values are? Well, it's the same for me. Believers in Jesus are actually engaged to Him. Collectively and individually. We are waiting for His return so that we can be with Him forever, married to Him for all eternity. Well, you don't take a practice that you know offends your beloved and flaunt it in front of His face! That would not be good. That would not be loving. And after too long, your fiance may just want to call off the nuptials.
So it is with God. And yet every year, Christians are offending the very One who died in their place! -who purchased eternity for them! But you may say, "I didn't know!!" Well, now you do. At least you are starting to know. And we are accountable for the things that we do know. We will have no excuse.
For me, the process by which I started coming "out of Babylon" began after seeking God on my face and Him revealing Himself to me, as a Jew. A son of Israel. With a passionate love for His people. I took one step at a time (that's all it takes!)- and He was gracious to surround me with people who also were endeavoring to enter into His ways- which includes the feasts. These feasts in God's Word were never meant to be celebrated alone, but rather in community...Kehillah Kadosh...holy community. It is more enjoyable that way, and after all, that is how He called us, to be One Body...many parts. The dividing wall broken down... not "Those Jewish holidays"...but OUR holidays (which in fact are 'Holy Days'). By the way, that dividing wall was broken down so we gentiles may enter into the nourishing sap which is the root of the commonwealth of Israel, not to abolish believers' Jewish identity, which is often taught in the gentile church.
On the contrary, we were meant to celebrate in unity that is based on His truth. After all, that is the funnest and most fulfilling way to celebrate!!!! L'Chaim! (To Life!)
For confirming info, please read: http://from-thewall.blogspot.com/
**
No comments:
Post a Comment