Dear fellow believers:
Well, it's that pagan time of year. Christmas is celebrated this month. Americans will spend an estimated total of $586.1 billion dollars this holiday season according to the National Retail Federation.
Wouldn't it be nice if a significant portion of the $586.1 billion dollars is spent to help the poor and afflicted in this country?
$586.1
billion dollars is an incredible amount of money spent on getting merchandise. Of course, Christmas is associated with two major
lies:
- A potbellied man named Santa
Claus rides in the sky on reindeer and he wiggles his plump body inside a
chimney (I don't know how he is able to fit inside those chimneys) and gives
kids toys and gifts. Many parents, in the United States, and around the
world lie to their kids every year about Santa Claus. Unfortunately,
kids learn how to lie by their parents' example in reference to
Christmas.
- Yeshua (Jesus) was born on December 25th.
The 9th commandment plainly states:
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." (Exodus 20:16 NASB)
The world "false" in the above scripture in Hebrew means:
sheqer (sheh'-ker)
- From
H8266; an untruth; by implication a sham (often adverbially): - without
a cause, deceit (-ful), false (-hood, -ly), feignedly, liar, + lie,
lying, vain (thing), wrongfully. (Strong's Concordance of the Bible)
The ninth commandment involves lying-not telling the truth.
"There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers." (Proverbs 6:16-19 NASB)
The word "lying" in the original Hebrew is sheqer.
Christmas certainly qualifies as a celebration full
of lies and deception. Elohim knew the modern day House of Israel (United States, Britan, Canada, the countries in northwestern
Europe, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia [refer to Britam.org for
more details] plus those who worship and believe in the King of Israel -
Yeshua Messiah) would continue to celebrate this pagan day in the 21st
century. He inspired Jeremiah to write the following:
"Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. 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. They deck
it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with
hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak
not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good." (Jeremiah 10:1-5 KJV)
"When
Adonai your God has cut off ahead of you the nations you are entering
in order to dispossess, and when you have dispossessed them and are
living in their land; be careful, after they have been destroyed ahead
of you, not to be trapped into following them; so that you inquire after
their gods and ask, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I want to
do the same.' You must not do this to Adonai your God! For they have
done to their gods all the abominations that Adonai hates! They even
burn up their sons and daughters in the fire for their gods! "Everything
I am commanding you, you are to take care to do. Do not add to it or
subtract from it." (Deuteronomy 12:29-32 CJB)
The
above scriptures describe the concept of the Christmas tree and
Elohim's desire for us not to mix the ways of the heathen with His ways.
Elohim hates the observance of Christmas because it is associated with
lies and paganism. Christmas is a major "money making" event for many
retailers in the United States.
When I was 17 years old (1983) , with Elohim's help, I began to realize the deception of Christmas and starting in 1986, I stopped observing Christmas. For 26 years, I have not celebrated Christmas.
"Despite
the assumptions of many, Christmas was not a widespread holiday in
colonial America. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, settlers
in New England did not celebrate it. Shocking as it sounds, followers
of Jesus Christ in both America and England helped pass laws making it
illegal to observe Christmas, believing it was an insult to God to honor
a day associated with ancient paganism. Most Americans today are
unaware that Christmas was banned in Boston from 1659 to 1681.
"Additionally,
on December 25, 1789, the first Christmas under the new U.S.
Constitution, Congress was in session. Whether or not the politicians
were actually hard at work is another story. Christmas was not declared
a federal holiday until 1870." (Shocked By The Bible, pp. 9-10 by Joe Kovacs)
The
day is not really about Yeshua's birth. It is about influencing the
masses to spend their money on lots of merchandise. Yeshua plainly
stated, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
(Matthew 6:21 KJV)
"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
This seems to be a proverbial expression, and contains in it another
reason, dissuading from worldly mindedness; because of the danger the
heart is in of being ensnared and ruined thereby: and the sense of it
is, if your treasure
is on earth, and lies in earthly things, your hearts will be set upon
them, and be in them, in your bags, your coffers and storehouses; and so
your souls will be in danger of being lost; which loss will be an
irreparable one, though you should gain the whole world. But if your
treasure is put into the hands of God, your hearts will be with him, and
be settled on him; your desires will be after heavenly things; your
affections will be set on things above; your conversation will be in
heaven, whilst you are on earth; and that will be the place and seat of
your happiness, to all eternity." (John Gill Commentary)
- How do we effectively set our minds on heavenly things during the time of Christmas?
Elohim influenced Jews to create a positive time of worship with significant meaning around this pagan time of the year.
This time of worship is called Chanukkah or Hanukkah.
"The story of Chanukkah begins in the reign of Alexander the Great. Alexander conquered Syria, Egypt and Palestine, but allowed the lands under his control to continue observing their own religions and retain a certain degree of autonomy. Under this relatively benevolent rule, many Jews assimilated much of Hellenistic culture, adopting the language, the customs and the dress of the Greeks, in much the same way that Jews in America today blend into the secular American society.
"More than a century later, a successor of Alexander, Antiochus IV was in control of the region. He began to oppress the Jews severely, placing a Hellenistic priest in the Temple, massacring Jews, prohibiting the practice of the Jewish religion, and desecrating the Temple by requiring the sacrifice of pigs (a non-kosher animal) on the altar. Two groups opposed Antiochus: a basically nationalistic group led by Mattathias the Hasmonean and his son Judah Maccabee, and a religious traditionalist group known as the Chasidim, the forerunners of the Pharisees (no direct connection to the modern movement known as Chasidism). They joined forces in a revolt against both the assimilation of the Hellenistic Jews and oppression by the Seleucid Greek government. The revolution succeeded and the Temple was rededicated.
"According to tradition as recorded in the Talmud, at the time of the rededication, there was very little oil left that had not been defiled by the Greeks. Oil was needed for the menorah (candelabrum) in the Temple, which was supposed to burn throughout the night every night. There was only enough oil to burn for one day, yet miraculously, it burned for eight days, the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of oil for the menorah. An eight day festival was declared to commemorate this miracle." (Judaism 101: Chanukkah)
The other miracle was the Jews overcoming the Seleucid Greek government.
Interestingly, the time of Chanukkah focuses on the following:
- Re-dedication of the Temple
- Light
- Abomination of Desolation
Chanukkah is a time to re-dedicate our bodies (temples-1 Corinthians 3:16-17 KJV) to Elohim by letting our lights of good works shine. "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16 KJV) Chanukkah is also a time to focus on the past abomination of desolation and the future one that will occur in the 21st century. "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." (Matthew 24:15-22 KJV) "For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant. And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate." (Daniel 11:30-31 KJV) "Now the fifteenth day of the month Casleu, in the hundred forty and fifth year, they set up the abomination of desolation upon the altar, and builded idol altars throughout the cities of Juda on every side; And burnt incense at the doors of their houses, and in the streets. And when they had rent in pieces the books of the law which they found, they burnt them with fire. And whosoever was found with any the book of the testament, or if any committed to the law, the king’s commandment was, that they should put him to death. Thus did they by their authority unto the Israelites every month, to as many as were found in the cities. Now the five and twentieth day of the month they did sacrifice upon the idol altar, which was upon the altar of God. At which time according to the commandment they put to death certain women, that had caused their children to be circumcised. And they hanged the infants about their necks, and rifled their houses, and slew them that had circumcised them. Howbeit many in Israel were fully resolved and confirmed in themselves not to eat any unclean thing. Wherefore the rather to die, that they might not be defiled with meats, and that they might not profane the holy covenant: so then they died. And there was very great wrath upon Israel." (1 Maccabees 1:54-64). The Apocrypha: King James Version. 1995 (1 Mac 1:54–64). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc. The future abomination of desolation description in the book of Daniel: "And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days." (Daniel 12:11 KJV) The future abomination of desolation will involve a Temple of Elohim and an altar (Revelation 11:1-2 KJV). Jews are already preparing to build the Temple according to TempleInstitute.org This future time will require power from Elohim to overcome ha-Satan (Satan) and the courage to sacrifice our lives if necessary. "Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, "Now have come God's victory, power and kingship, and the authority of his Messiah; because the Accuser of our brothers, who accuses them day and night before God, has been thrown out! "They defeated him because of the Lamb's blood and because of the message of their witness. Even when facing death they did not cling to life." (Revelation 12:10-11 CJB) "Then יהושע said to His taught ones, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his stake, and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. “For what is a man profited if he gains all the world, and loses his own life? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his life? “For the Son of Aḏam is going to come in the esteem of His Father with His messengers, and then He shall reward each according to his works." (Matthew 16:24-27 The Scriptures)
"I call upon you, therefore, brothers, through the compassion of Elohim, to present your bodies a living offering – set-apart, well-pleasing to Elohim – your reasonable worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you prove what is that good and well-pleasing and perfect desire of Elohim." (Romans 12:1-2 The Scriptures) "And let us be concerned for one another in order to stir up love and good works,
not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging, and so much more as you see the Day coming near. For if we sin purposely after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a slaughter offering for sins, but some fearsome anticipation of judgment, and a fierce fire which is about to consume the opponents. (Hebrews 10:24-26 The Scriptures)
"Through Him then, let us continually offer up a slaughter offering of praise to Elohim, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His Name. And do not forget to do good and to share, for with such slaughter offerings Elohim is well pleased." (Hebrews 13:15-16 The Scriptures) “To him who overcomes I shall give to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.” (Revelation 3:21-22 The Scriptures) "And I saw thrones – and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them – and the lives of those who had been beheaded because of the witness they bore to יהושע and because of the Word of Elohim, and who did not worship the beast, nor his image, and did not receive his mark upon their foreheads or upon their hands. And they lived and reigned with Messiah for a thousand years (and the rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended) – this is the first resurrection. Blessed and set-apart is the one having part in the first resurrection. The second death possesses no authority over these, but they shall be priests of Elohim and of Messiah, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4-6 The Scriptures)
Following the example of Mattathias the Hasmonean, Judah Maccabee, the Chasidim and the several Jews who gave their lives instead of disobeying the Torah, let's continue to learn how to be strong and courageous fighters for the Torah and for the Truth.
Warmest regards,
Kennard, Servant of Elohim (God) |
