CELEBRATING HOLIDAYS

We’ve spent a lot of time here discussing Holy Days.  

Then there are the other days called “holidays.”  

Holidays are the typical seasonal days of the year that fall on our calendars for one festive reason or another.  

HOLIDAYS ARE DIFFERENT FROM HOLY DAYS

Holidays are not sacred, but they are still special, yet man-made days for celebrating the different seasonal aspects of our lives.

Unlike most Hebraic thinkers; I am not opposed to holidays.

I actually love and adore them.

FOCUSING ON THE GOOD NOT THE BAD

Even when the world celebrates Christmas and Easter in the midst of all the other man-made days; I can manage to find a way to focus on the good that God has given us that DOES deserve to be recognized.

If you believe in the sacred Holy Days of God you will soon begin to see how prophecy has unfolded, and you will come to understand that Christ was actually born during the seventh holy day; The Feast of Tabernacles, which would put His Conception date very close to another man-made celebration called Hanukkah.  

The neat thing about this time is that a birth requires a conception.  God tricked Satan and allowed Christ to be CONCEIVED during the man-made time we have come to call Christmas.

So many Hebraic minded people think they can’t celebrate this season because everyone has the dates wrong; but guess what?  

I believe God played a funny joke on Satan when he tried to use men’s ignorance to change the day that God had appointed.  

Count nine months from late December (Conception) till late September (Birth) and you will get the picture.  

Christ was born in late September (during the Feast of Tabernacles) and conceived in late December, around the time we now celebrate as Hanukkah and Christmas.  

I can join in the celebrating with everyone else and still be true to the word of God because I celebrated Christ’s birth at The Feast of Tabernacles and now celebrate his Conception in late December.  They get it right when they say “Jesus is the reason for the season!”

LEAVING OUT THE PAGAN THINGS

I DO NOT celebrate the pagan things about the season, only the conception of Christ and the fact that He came to be The Light Of The World.  

When little kids with their modern-day fairy tales come and ask me about Santa Clause, I tell them about St. Nicholas; a real, kind-hearted man who truly loved and cared for children.  I only speak truth; because in the end the truth is all that matters.

It would be well if the whole world could learn the true definition of paganism.  

A pagan is a person who worships a false god.  

Who are you worshiping with your actions?

Paganism is religion that honors false gods.   

Who are you aspiring to honor with your actions of worship?

God looks at the intentions of our hearts.

True religion isn’t about the things you are doing in worship – it is about the deity that you are worshiping in the process.  

Are you worshiping the One True God?  Then you are not pagan.  

Are you worshiping a false god?  Then you are practicing paganism.  

The very same act of worship can be taking place and one be wrong and one be right according to who the deity is that is being worshiped.  

Let’s look at the example of prayer.  

A Christian believer or a Jewish believer prays to God.  

A pagan believer prays to a false god.  

Both parties are praying but one is praying to a true God and one is praying to a false god.  One party praying is practicing true religion and one party praying is practicing paganism.  The difference is in the deity; not the praying.

If you ever learn this and take it to heart,; you will always know the difference between true religion and false religion.  They can never be the same thing.

Keep all of your worship God-centered and you will always be okay.  We serve a merciful and graceful God who forgives mistakes; but He does not tolerate paganism.  He does not tolerate the worship of other false gods from His people.

LOVING GOD’S SENSE OF HUMOR

You can’t tell me God doesn’t have a sense of humor.  He made a way for the bases to be covered by believers even when Satan and plotting men tried to change the proper dates.  

He even made it possible for us to get along with people operating under a certain amount of deception.  We don’t have to go through life defending ourselves constantly in order to enjoy our days!  Just take a deep breath, relax and enjoy the peace.  Don’t let the enemy rob you of your peace.

CONCERNING THE TWISTING OF THE FACTS OF RESURRECTION DAY

I have even found a way to bring truth to the day that most Christian churches celebrate Easter, though I feel that Christ was resurrected on the second day of Passover Week on the day of early First Fruits, which doesn’t actually hit on the same calendar day of our now man-made calendars.  

I faithfully keep Passover Week, Early First Fruits and The Seven Days of Unleavened Bread.  I use God’s calendar.  He follows the phases of the moon which He hung into place and set into motion way back in the Creation of the world.

Yet, I see that some of those who haven’t realized this yet (some of my fellow human-beings made in the image of God) are celebrating resurrection on a day other than the one in which it first happened.  I can still join in with that too because I feel resurrection is such a joyful thing that it can be celebrated every day of our lives.

Resurrection was the whole purpose of Christ’s living and dying for us.  It is the reason we have salvation.  I think it is okay to celebrate Resurrection every day of the year; so unlike many of my Hebraic thinking friends, I feel free to join in with my brothers and sisters who didn’t actually go through the Passover week with me in the same manner that I feel God has shown me.  

They don’t realize the Resurrection occurred on the day of Early First Fruits, but they DO believe there was a Resurrection of Christ.  That is the main point!  We can agree on Resurrection joy; and that is a good place to begin to communicate with one another about the whole gospel.  

GOD REMAINS IN CONTROL; NO MATTER WHAT PEOPLE DO OR THINK

After all, we all believe in God the Father, and Christ the Son and we are all filled with God’s Holy Spirit.  It is amazing how the Trinity can bring peace into things and allow God’s people to gently speak to one another in a loving way until they come into complete agreement and unity.  Sometimes it happens; when it doesn’t God remains in control of what I do.  I do not judge others.

But what about all the things that most Hebraic-thinking, Jewish Roots, Christian believers think are pagan about these and other “seasonal” celebrations; like; bunnies and eggs and decorating trees and the giving of presents?

BUNNIES, TREES AND PRESENTS

You have to understand when I say I am a Hebraic thinker, it doesn’t mean I’m a Jewish Roots thinker, though a lot of Hebraic thoughts and Jewish Roots thoughts are the same.

It simply means I believe in the things that the scriptures record which God taught the Hebrew people way back when He was first forming the Nation of Israel, which includes the Ten Commandments, the laws and statutes and the Holy Days (realizing that certain things were given only because the culture was still primitive and had no modern ways of sanitation and preservation.)

I’m not trying to be Jewish (in race or nationality) or even trying to be Hebrew.  I’m not a wannabe; I’m a Christian and I’m happy, proud and content to be what God has made me to be.

I think you have to follow God’s laws and ways if you claim to be a Christian.  I think all of the things that God gave to ancient Israel are about keeping His laws and ways; and they should be observed in the Church that has now evolved from these same people.

I think as long as you are not worshiping pagan gods, keeping pagan ways, or participating in pagan rituals with these “seasonal” things that they are simply just ordinary things that symbolize the different aspects of each season of the earth that God created.  

An egg is just an egg to me, but I can relate to how an egg is a form of new life, and I CAN see how new life is certainly an aspect of Christianity.  I do not worship eggs, but I have eggs in my home and don’t consider them to be pagan because I am not pagan.

A bunny is just a bunny to me; but they do represent springtime in that little baby bunnies ARE seen hopping around in the springtime, and older bunnies are seen seeking out the new green vegetation that now covers the land in the spring.  

So I see nothing wrong with associating spring with bunnies and other seasonal things.  It is normal and natural, as long as you remember that God created the bunnies and you do not worship the bunnies.

ALL KIDS HAVE FAIRY TALES UNTIL THEY GROW UP

The Easter bunny is a fairy tale.  All kids have fairy tales until they grow up.  I just feel it is important to put the main emphasis on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The fairy tales will eventually become fairy tales; but God must always be presented to children as absolute truth that never changes.  

If you  are careful to observe God’s Holy Days, children absorb the gospel through all the ritual that is so symbolic and beautiful.  They don’t even think they are learning; but they learn so much so fast that way, and it sticks with them through life.

TEACH CHILDREN THAT GOD IS THE CREATOR

God MADE all the seasons and all of the seasonal things, whether they are sacred or ordinary things; and it is important for us to teach children the difference.  

Christmas trees and stockings are ordinary things.   They are merely objects and material possessions.  Yet; the lights on the Christmas tree CAN represent the light of Christ which ties into the mystery of Hanukkah.  I CAN use my Christmas tree to worship God and not to worship a pagan deity.

Please don’t curse trees to me.  Do you not realize it was a tree that Christ hung upon in order that you can receive eternal life?  That tree was used of God.  (I wrote a whole other article about whether or not we should use Christmas trees – you may review it here:  https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/truth-about-christmas-trees/).  

Did God not create The Tree of Life?  There were several trees in the garden that God decorated and named.  God is still using trees to teach us lessons. 

There is a tree that speaks of Good and Evil.  We were not ready for that tree and that is where the trouble began.  Men meant it for evil; but God turned it to good.   Use every teachable moment you have; but make sure the children know what is important and what is REAL as you go along through life.

HOW I DISCERN WHAT TO DO AND NOT TO DO

I think as long as you recognize that these things the world notices and displays of each passing season were created by God and you are worshiping God and not His creation; you are not doing anything wrong.

I LOVE WRITING ABOUT AND OBSERVING GOD’S SEASONS

You are simply celebrating the life and seasons that God put into place, and these are the thing I love writing about.  

 I think the tendency that we humans have to be creative with the seasons and enjoy them probably comes from Our Father’s love for seasonal things and activities.  

We imitate His ability to create things when we are creative.  It is a godly trait.

 In a way when we celebrate the innocent, harmless things of mankind’s world, we are trying to imitate our Father in Heaven.  I don’t think He would frown on that.  He definitely would frown on pagan activities and pagan worship though!  Just read Exodus and your mind will grasp that concept in a hurry.

SOME OF THE TYPICAL CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS TIE IN TO THEMES OF HANUKKAH

The same goes for the things that people traditionally do at Christmas time and I actually do love how some of the traditional Christmas themes bring out the truth of the post-Mosaic man-made celebration of Hanukkah.  

It isn’t spelled out in the scriptures as much as the seven designated Holy Days, but God did bring about the events that happened at Hanukkah; and they are true.  It is good to remember such a great miracle that happened to God’s people.   Perhaps there again; God was winking at us and laughing at Satan.

FEELINGS ABOUT PURIM

I feel the same way about the post-Mosaic celebration of Purim with the story of Esther.  

I truly think that many of the deepest flaws of mankind could be solved by men who have come to believe the truth of Purim in their hearts.  The holiday is all about destroying evil and turning to God for hope and deliverance.

Most people don’t understand that Hanukkah and Purim are not holy days; but they are man declared holidays.  The Holy Days were spelled out by God in the days of Moses; these days had not happened yet.  They are still significant and religious observances that recognize God; but they are holidays in that men declared that they would be celebrated.  

KEEPING BALANCE AND PERSPECTIVE

If you look at the true and biblical meanings of things and stick to worshiping the Creator and not the creation; your man-made holidays will always be fun and happy times too.  

There will be no need for false-guilt.  

These holiday and traditional days will never be as joyful as the sacred times that God has appointed though.  They will just be special days in which man has chosen to remember certain things and nothing more.  God’s things that He chose to remember will always be first, eternal and forever.  They will also be prophetic and help you in the days to come.  This is where the post-Mosaic holidays are gray; in that they do hold religious and prophetic significance; where the other traditional man-declared occasions do not.

When we leave our present times and go to live in eternity; we won’t have Independence Day or President’s Day or St. Patrick’s Day or Derby Day or Mother’s Day, etc.; but we will still have God’s Holy Days.  He instituted them for us as gifts that will last forever.  They are MUCH MORE IMPORTANT than any of the days that mankind has dreamed up on his own. When we get to that point in our spiritual lives; nothing else will matter.

LIVE IN THE WORLD; BUT DO NOT BE OF THE WORLD

In the meantime; I feel it is okay to go ahead and enjoy the national holidays and celebrations that men have come up with for good and logical reasons.  Just use good judgement and don’t do anything God would not approve of.  

I guess that is the difference between me and a lot of Jewish Roots believers.  I let a lot of things fall into the category of love and mercy and grace; and I am not judgmental and pointing my finger in my brother’s face when I know many of my sins might be worse in nature.  

Letting God do the judging, I simply try to follow His ways as close as possible in my own home and in my own life.  This is very freeing, and there is always another joyful celebration to look forward to!

CELEBRATIONS ARE FUN

I love celebrations!  

I love the changing seasons and I celebrate them with a joyful heart!

This is why I chose to write about all of the seasons of our lives!

So if I haven’t lost you yet; stay tuned for more articles on the sacred, holy, appointed times of God as well as how we, as Christians with Hebraic hearts can celebrate special times with our nation and our fellow-man.

I honestly try to bring the “seasons” into every facet of my life; and I hope you find it contagious and join in with me.

THIS IS ALL A HUGE PART OF LIVING THE LIFE OF THE IN SEASON LIFESTYLE  

Sometimes things will be inside out and upside down to the world; but they will be right with God.

I truly think that God gave us the concept of seasons and times; and I truly feel He wanted us to live into our own seasons and times for good reasons.  I wish to share them all with you here in the blog and on this journey we call life.

I hope this clears up a lot of the questions about holidays and that you will feel welcomed to come along with me as we go through The IN SEASON Lifestyle and joyfully share our SEASONS together.