Our Reasons For This Page
Christmas and Easter happen to be two of the hottest topics among believers who decided to follow a more Torah observant lifestyle.
First, let me explain that “following a more Torah Observant lifestyle” generally means nothing more than believers who follow all the Biblical teachings they followed in the past in their denominational lifestyles, such as the Ten Commandments and Biblical morality.
BUT, this also means they added more Biblical things which they discovered through study and reading, while subtracting other teachings and traditions which are man-made.
What they added is that they choose to follow the seventh-day Sabbath, which means they generally switch from Sunday worship and meetings to Saturday rest and meetings or study groups. It also means, quite often, that they have decided there are specific holidays of which they no longer want to be a part. These can often include Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, and Halloween. But the big ones that they forsake are the two which cause the most conflict in families and amongst friends: Easter and Christmas.
Because there are a lot of fallacies taught among believers on these traditional holidays, and a lot of differing doctrines, we have parked this page right here to include all of the teachings we have on the subject of Christmas. We are dissecting the holiday, piece by piece, to take you back to the Bible in determining if Christmas is Biblical, or not.
Blessings and Shalom.
First, let me explain that “following a more Torah Observant lifestyle” generally means nothing more than believers who follow all the Biblical teachings they followed in the past in their denominational lifestyles, such as the Ten Commandments and Biblical morality.
BUT, this also means they added more Biblical things which they discovered through study and reading, while subtracting other teachings and traditions which are man-made.
What they added is that they choose to follow the seventh-day Sabbath, which means they generally switch from Sunday worship and meetings to Saturday rest and meetings or study groups. It also means, quite often, that they have decided there are specific holidays of which they no longer want to be a part. These can often include Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, and Halloween. But the big ones that they forsake are the two which cause the most conflict in families and amongst friends: Easter and Christmas.
Because there are a lot of fallacies taught among believers on these traditional holidays, and a lot of differing doctrines, we have parked this page right here to include all of the teachings we have on the subject of Christmas. We are dissecting the holiday, piece by piece, to take you back to the Bible in determining if Christmas is Biblical, or not.
Blessings and Shalom.
The Error of ANE-Only-ism (ANE-O)
The topic of paganism is common amongst Torah observant friends and families. It comes up often. Usually in conjunction with specific holidays. One direction we have seen some go in recent months is to claim that paganism can "only" be defined with an ancient, Biblical mindset and within the region of the Ancient Near East (ANE).
Another way to explain this might be: since the scriptures speak against paganism during a certain time period in history and are directed to certain people, we are then boxed-in to believing that only something specifically "pagan" back then can be seen as pagan now. Therefore, "paganism," especially in holiday celebrations, is to be judged by that standard alone. The proponents of this misguided conclusion take the error further by claiming that any cultures which practiced pagan traditions AFTER the writing of the scriptures, are not necessarily pagan either. What this leaves us with is cultures and ungodly practices that can no longer be defined as "pagan."
{For clarity and brevity in this article, the proponents of these claims will be referred to as Ancient Near East Only-ists (ANE-O), similar to King James Only proponents (KJV-Only-ism).}
An example of this error was a claim made by ANE-O during the recent holiday season regarding the Christmas tree. The ANE-O believed that there are two major reasons why the Christmas tree cannot be considered pagan. The first was that Christmas trees were not invented until many centuries after the biblical commandments against paganism were given. The second reason has to do with the claims many make regarding Jeremiah 10:3-5a. Many believe these verses are specifically talking about Christmas trees:
“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:” Jeremiah 10:3-5a KJV
But because the Christmas tree was invented LONG after these words in Jeremiah, the ANE-O definition would state that a Christmas tree can never be considered a pagan element. Their definition being that only those things that were pagan when the Biblical words were written can be considered pagan today.
Now, let’s apply this same ANE-O thinking about strict time periods, people, and regions to a more modern example like Communism. Communism, developed out of the socialist movement of the 1800s. Communism rose up out of Russia back in the early 1900’s. The origins of Communism involved a different time (era), people, and culture from today.
So, by the Ancient Near East Onlyist (ANE-O) reasoning, we can only judge communism by that past standard. Therefore, any form of communism that is remotely varied from that original OR that appears after that original era, would not be considered communism. Chinese communism, for example. Or Korean, Cuban, Vietnamese, American, or any communists around the world today. These would not be actual “Communism." They must be something else. Yet, this would be ridiculous, wouldn’t it? However, this is exactly what we see happening regarding the topic of paganism – items or ceremonies which are clearly pagan are said to not be so, simply because they could not have been pagan when the commandments were given.
This is unnerving, and we have to ask, where will it end?
Take the Ten Commandments for example. They were written during a different era, for a different people. Let’s pick one out that could easily be compared to our modern times. How about the big M? Murder. Does the commandment against murder only apply to the forms of murder that existed back in Biblical times? Guns did not exist back then, so if someone is killed with a gun, using ANE-O definitions, it is not truly murder?
That is what the ANE-O want us to believe. Can you see how dangerous this type of doctrine is?
Evidence shows us that historically and archaeologically many cultures developed their own pagan belief systems: Vikings, Celts, Norse, Native Americans, African tribes, Aborigines, Satanists, Wiccans, and more. Many of these cultures were very proud of their pagan ways. Some continue today. If we teach children, youth, or even adults that these modern customs are no longer "pagan" because they didn’t exist when Yahweh gave the commandment against paganism, under what instruction can we place these dangerous practices? If we water down God's word by putting parenthesis around the commandments, making His word vague or optional, we will be responsible for the consequences of the fall or compromise of those we lead astray.
Paganism is paganism and can be unmistakably defined, even in these modern times. Worshiping false Gods or dedicating pagan items to His name puts us under the category of living out paganistic practices. When Yahweh commanded His people to not do as the pagans were doing, did He only mean His people during the biblical era and only those pagans or practices of that time period? No.
I hope you can see the ridiculous nature of this emerging ANE-O doctrine. Whether it is communism, the ten commandments, Ancient Near East paganism, or other Biblical commandments, we cannot box definitions, terms, moral principles, warnings, or biblical examples into a set era, region or period. Biblical examples, commandments, and terms can be applied to our modern times or to any era or people for that matter. We must be able to discern this so that we can be a watchman on the wall for ourselves and our families.
Shalom
NOTE: For those who are wondering about the scritpures from Jeremiah, we will be addressing this scripture more in depth in another blog in this series that will be specifically on the topic of the Christmas tree and its origins.
Another way to explain this might be: since the scriptures speak against paganism during a certain time period in history and are directed to certain people, we are then boxed-in to believing that only something specifically "pagan" back then can be seen as pagan now. Therefore, "paganism," especially in holiday celebrations, is to be judged by that standard alone. The proponents of this misguided conclusion take the error further by claiming that any cultures which practiced pagan traditions AFTER the writing of the scriptures, are not necessarily pagan either. What this leaves us with is cultures and ungodly practices that can no longer be defined as "pagan."
{For clarity and brevity in this article, the proponents of these claims will be referred to as Ancient Near East Only-ists (ANE-O), similar to King James Only proponents (KJV-Only-ism).}
An example of this error was a claim made by ANE-O during the recent holiday season regarding the Christmas tree. The ANE-O believed that there are two major reasons why the Christmas tree cannot be considered pagan. The first was that Christmas trees were not invented until many centuries after the biblical commandments against paganism were given. The second reason has to do with the claims many make regarding Jeremiah 10:3-5a. Many believe these verses are specifically talking about Christmas trees:
“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:” Jeremiah 10:3-5a KJV
But because the Christmas tree was invented LONG after these words in Jeremiah, the ANE-O definition would state that a Christmas tree can never be considered a pagan element. Their definition being that only those things that were pagan when the Biblical words were written can be considered pagan today.
Now, let’s apply this same ANE-O thinking about strict time periods, people, and regions to a more modern example like Communism. Communism, developed out of the socialist movement of the 1800s. Communism rose up out of Russia back in the early 1900’s. The origins of Communism involved a different time (era), people, and culture from today.
So, by the Ancient Near East Onlyist (ANE-O) reasoning, we can only judge communism by that past standard. Therefore, any form of communism that is remotely varied from that original OR that appears after that original era, would not be considered communism. Chinese communism, for example. Or Korean, Cuban, Vietnamese, American, or any communists around the world today. These would not be actual “Communism." They must be something else. Yet, this would be ridiculous, wouldn’t it? However, this is exactly what we see happening regarding the topic of paganism – items or ceremonies which are clearly pagan are said to not be so, simply because they could not have been pagan when the commandments were given.
This is unnerving, and we have to ask, where will it end?
Take the Ten Commandments for example. They were written during a different era, for a different people. Let’s pick one out that could easily be compared to our modern times. How about the big M? Murder. Does the commandment against murder only apply to the forms of murder that existed back in Biblical times? Guns did not exist back then, so if someone is killed with a gun, using ANE-O definitions, it is not truly murder?
That is what the ANE-O want us to believe. Can you see how dangerous this type of doctrine is?
Evidence shows us that historically and archaeologically many cultures developed their own pagan belief systems: Vikings, Celts, Norse, Native Americans, African tribes, Aborigines, Satanists, Wiccans, and more. Many of these cultures were very proud of their pagan ways. Some continue today. If we teach children, youth, or even adults that these modern customs are no longer "pagan" because they didn’t exist when Yahweh gave the commandment against paganism, under what instruction can we place these dangerous practices? If we water down God's word by putting parenthesis around the commandments, making His word vague or optional, we will be responsible for the consequences of the fall or compromise of those we lead astray.
Paganism is paganism and can be unmistakably defined, even in these modern times. Worshiping false Gods or dedicating pagan items to His name puts us under the category of living out paganistic practices. When Yahweh commanded His people to not do as the pagans were doing, did He only mean His people during the biblical era and only those pagans or practices of that time period? No.
I hope you can see the ridiculous nature of this emerging ANE-O doctrine. Whether it is communism, the ten commandments, Ancient Near East paganism, or other Biblical commandments, we cannot box definitions, terms, moral principles, warnings, or biblical examples into a set era, region or period. Biblical examples, commandments, and terms can be applied to our modern times or to any era or people for that matter. We must be able to discern this so that we can be a watchman on the wall for ourselves and our families.
Shalom
NOTE: For those who are wondering about the scritpures from Jeremiah, we will be addressing this scripture more in depth in another blog in this series that will be specifically on the topic of the Christmas tree and its origins.
On The Topic Of Paganism
Turkey Egg
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Goose Egg
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Goose Egg
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Tiny Quail Egg
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Ostrich Egg
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Two Quail Eggs
Another Small Bird Egg
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On The Topic Of Paganism
Let me share something I dealt with some years ago which required a lot of in-depth study and prayer for me. A “little something” about myself and my faith walk – something most don’t know.
I am an artist at heart. In my lifetime, I have created and sold more than 1500 pieces of art. These works have gone all around the world. North America to Malta, from England to Australia, and the Philippines to South America. I am not saying this to brag, be prideful, or touting my talent to bring attention to myself. I am not seeking praise or glory or reputation. It is merely to show you that for a time, this art was not a hobby, but it was a career I could do while I raised my children. One which I enjoyed very much.
This artwork I created is called Pysanky - some may know them as Ukrainian Easter Eggs. I learned then duplicated traditional styles plus created my own designs. I then applied these designs to the surfaces of eggs – everything from tiny quail eggs to large ostrich eggs. If you are not familiar with this art, it is a batik style where the wax-resist method (hot wax) is used to mark out designs and patterns on the egg with a special tool caled a kistka. Then the egg is put through a dye-dip method, progressing through colours - generally from lighter to darker.
Pysanky patterns and designs are FILLED with ancient symbolism. There are many books written on the topic which contain tables of symbols that have been passed down through the ages. Some of these symbols are regional, some familial, while others are cultural. Definitions or descriptions for these designs vary as well from people to people. Many symbols represent a message or pieces to a message that is conveyed through the design on the egg to a recipient. The colours, as well, often mean certain things. These explanations of symbols and colours are handed down through generations, so that the lore and tradition of the pysanky can be kept alive.
Over the centuries that Pysanky have existed, they have transitioned from pagan and mystical pieces to Christian legends having been born from the art. Some of these Christian legends even have Pysanky being attributed to Biblical people or events. One claim is that Mary, the mother of our Saviour, carried a basket of pysanky to the cross and bribed the soldiers with fancy eggs to keep them from being extra harsh on Yeshua. We know that to be untrue based solely on the Biblical records. But, additionally, the history of the eggs teaches that they have been around as pagan symbols for much longer than Christianity was in the area where the eggs originated. This makes clear there is no connection to the Bible, and only a connection to being a pagan art form, no matter how much it is “white-washed” as a Christian practice.
How did I get into this art? As a Christian homeschooling mom. Some twenty-plus years ago, I learned this art from an elderly Ukrainian woman who was teaching a homeschool workshop to a group my kids belonged to. Her hope was to pass on her family’s tradition because none of her own grand- or great grand- children wanted to carry on the tradition. For some reason, my kids weren’t terribly interested, yet I picked it up very easily. As weeks went on, I became very good at the art form. Plus, I LOVED it, and it brought me calm and relaxation. I could create designs and work on eggs for hours and hours while the kids were doing their school-work or during dead times while they took music or karate lessons. Sometimes I even worked on them late into the night.
I decided eventually, to start selling them online to help clear out some of my collection which was getting too large. Yet I couldn't stop creating them because I enjoyed it so much, and I was getting very good at the art. Being able to live out my artistic talents in such a simple art form was bringing me great pleasure.
THEN I got this beautiful idea that I should create three of each design I made. One would be for my collection if I wanted to keep it, one to sell, and one to give away as an anonymous gift to someone with a prayer and a blessing. That became my method of artistry from that day forward. Sometimes I gave away my own copy and the gift copy because I truly did have limited space to display them. I kept only my absolute favorites and sold or gave away the rest. I always sold at least one copy to keep myself in new supplies – that is how they have gone all around the world.
As my children grew, I had more and more time to create designs. Sometimes I would stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning trying to get a piece finished. I even created these pieces in the name of God – I often prayed for new ideas, and over my ideas, then dedicated my work to Him. If it seemed as though a symbol I was creating or using was leaning toward a pagan thought or idea, I would “translate” that into a Christian belief or application, repurposing the pagan definition to being one that was Biblical. As you can see, I believed it had become a beautiful part of my walk with Yahweh.
My designs included traditional, contemporary, Celtic, tribal, Native American, and unique patterns. Because I still celebrated Christmas at that time, I once designed an entire set of twelve eggs to hang on a small wrought iron tree – one each for the twelve days of Christmas.
I even created breast cancer awareness eggs as my mom fought her battle against that wicked disease.
When I became Torah Observant, strangely, creating my designs and just THINKING of making eggs became extremely difficult, uncomfortable. This was even before we had fully studied about Christmas and Easter. We hadn’t yet made any decision how we felt about those holidays. We had just recently started celebrating the Fall Feasts and Shabbat.
Jim and I talked about my artwork, and he suggested I stop making my eggs because he saw them for what they are - paganism. But he said the decision was up to me because it needed to be my choice, through prayer and study. I loved my art so very much that it took me over a year of prayer and study to come to the conclusion I came to. This art form was not of Yahweh. No matter how I tried to fit it into His path for my life, it was NOT of Him. I can say that my TALENT is from Yahweh, but how I executed that talent was not the right path to take.
Coming to that conclusion was a process for me. I KNEW the pagan history of pysanky because I had studied it many times in the past for classes that I taught on the art. Although many will claim, because pysanky are decorated around Easter and then blessed by the Orthodox Priests, they are a Christian art form, they truly are not. In fact, experts and scholars can easily date them back to pre-Christian times in
the Slavic areas.
I knew for years that these eggs originate in pagan roots, that they have a history of being used as blessings and to fight cursings on people. They are given as talisman and claims are made that they can either bring healing or bring death. They are given as blessings for marriages, of fertility, and for long life. Some state that these superstitions no longer apply since they have Christianized the art-form. Yet, some of the elderly sisters I met through the years still believed the eggs had "power." There are so many superstitions attached to pysanky that it is difficult to document them all, although many artists have tried to do so. Yet even these stories often vary by region, community, culture or family. Today many artists have moved away from the historical and religious meaning of these eggs, and it has simply become a beautiful art form for them.
As a part of my decision, I re-studied everything that I knew from the past. I dug for new information, talked with several of the elderly artists who had been doing pysanky for 40, 50, 60 years and who had learned from their own grandmothers. We talked of traditions that were passed down, word of mouth, as well as written documentation.
I wanted to ensure that nothing I learned when I was younger was unfounded. I wanted to ensure I made a very educated decision before giving up a talent which, until that day, I DEEPLY believed had been given to me by Yahweh. I had, years earlier, merged the two together – my God-given talent of being an artist with the application of art to eggs.
It took me a year, maybe even more, of study and prayer, prayer and study. Yet I can honestly say, looking back, some of that time was probably being used to find an excuse to still make my pysanky art! Yes, I said it. Don’t we all have this struggle inside us sometimes? Trying to justify personal desires. Yet, any time I tried to create something for eggs again, I was truly, truly convicted, sometimes to the point of stomachache! Finally, I could no longer deny what the Holy Spirit was testifying to me, and I gave in to Yahweh’s strong promptings to put away my own desires to follow Him.
So, you see, I understand the attachment a person can have to something they don’t wish to admit is pagan or the objects of paganism. I undertand how it can test you, challenge you, and even pull at your heart strings. I also understand the adversary’s attempts at luring you to stay with it or to, later on, return to what you know is sin. Over the years since, I have tried to create in other mediums, but nothing feels comfortable. . .yet. It will come, I know that. For now, I have set aside my artwork while Yahweh directs me in other ways which bring me new joy and great happiness.
Sometimes I think of how much fun it was making eggs, how selling them helped bring a small income in for me, and the adversary tempts me to think on them, almost long for them. That devil knows just where to plant those thoughts and bad seeds, doesn’t he? Taking beauty, talent, happiness, and Yahweh's creations (birds, flowers, stars, and such), then Satan uses them to try to distract or destroy us? The adversary uses what we know and are familiar with to lure us off the pathway Yahweh would have us follow and onto the road that will
lead us as far away as possible. He is a trickster, and we often allow him to get away with it. He knows just which emotional strings to pull.
Our emotions can betray us.
Yet Yahweh is stronger! And I want to follow Him.
Why have I never shared this before? Simply because I never felt led to.
When it comes to Easter and Christmas, there are many aspects of both holidays which are tied to paganism. This cannot be disputed. Those traditions have been kidnapped, so to speak, from their origins, white-washed, prettied up and given a new purpose, in the name of Yeshua or Yahweh. I have learned first-hand how easy it is to white-wash something in one’s life. I have also learned first-hand how we have to be ready, willing, and dedicated in following Abba in His leadings.
So, as we go on this Christmas journey together, I hope you will see, it is not something I take lightly. If you have read or listened to Quitting Christmas and other blogs or audio blogs on the holiday, I hope you understand how important it is to me to follow Yahweh myself, as well as help you in your walk.
One day I would love to create again, but I need to find a medium my talent is comfortable in and be ready to say that I know I will not offend my Abba, not just create something that brings me or others pleasure. I would like to bring pleasure to Yahweh with the talent He has gifted to me. For now, I am happy and filled with joy serving Him as He has led me to serve in ministry.
I would like to make a special note here because I still have many artist friends in this field who LOVE what they do. I understand their love for their work and do not condemn them for what they have chosen to do with their talents. If they ask, I share with them my reasons for leaving pysanky behind, and my conviction to a new path in life. I will share as I have here, what the Bible says about what I was doing while being an artist. My decision is just that: mine. It is not meant as an across the board judgement, but I will always be honest about pysanky origins and why I stopped.
This was a personal journey I was led down by Yahweh. Whatever His reasons are, I am comfortable with them, and I love Him for it because I have grown immensely. Some have asked if I stopped because I feel “guilt” or “shame” – no, there is nothing of the sort. It was just time to move on from something that did not honor Him in the way the Bible has taught me He desires to be honored.
I hope this brings some new understanding of my perspective on removing paganism from our lives.
Shalom.
Let me share something I dealt with some years ago which required a lot of in-depth study and prayer for me. A “little something” about myself and my faith walk – something most don’t know.
I am an artist at heart. In my lifetime, I have created and sold more than 1500 pieces of art. These works have gone all around the world. North America to Malta, from England to Australia, and the Philippines to South America. I am not saying this to brag, be prideful, or touting my talent to bring attention to myself. I am not seeking praise or glory or reputation. It is merely to show you that for a time, this art was not a hobby, but it was a career I could do while I raised my children. One which I enjoyed very much.
This artwork I created is called Pysanky - some may know them as Ukrainian Easter Eggs. I learned then duplicated traditional styles plus created my own designs. I then applied these designs to the surfaces of eggs – everything from tiny quail eggs to large ostrich eggs. If you are not familiar with this art, it is a batik style where the wax-resist method (hot wax) is used to mark out designs and patterns on the egg with a special tool caled a kistka. Then the egg is put through a dye-dip method, progressing through colours - generally from lighter to darker.
Pysanky patterns and designs are FILLED with ancient symbolism. There are many books written on the topic which contain tables of symbols that have been passed down through the ages. Some of these symbols are regional, some familial, while others are cultural. Definitions or descriptions for these designs vary as well from people to people. Many symbols represent a message or pieces to a message that is conveyed through the design on the egg to a recipient. The colours, as well, often mean certain things. These explanations of symbols and colours are handed down through generations, so that the lore and tradition of the pysanky can be kept alive.
Over the centuries that Pysanky have existed, they have transitioned from pagan and mystical pieces to Christian legends having been born from the art. Some of these Christian legends even have Pysanky being attributed to Biblical people or events. One claim is that Mary, the mother of our Saviour, carried a basket of pysanky to the cross and bribed the soldiers with fancy eggs to keep them from being extra harsh on Yeshua. We know that to be untrue based solely on the Biblical records. But, additionally, the history of the eggs teaches that they have been around as pagan symbols for much longer than Christianity was in the area where the eggs originated. This makes clear there is no connection to the Bible, and only a connection to being a pagan art form, no matter how much it is “white-washed” as a Christian practice.
How did I get into this art? As a Christian homeschooling mom. Some twenty-plus years ago, I learned this art from an elderly Ukrainian woman who was teaching a homeschool workshop to a group my kids belonged to. Her hope was to pass on her family’s tradition because none of her own grand- or great grand- children wanted to carry on the tradition. For some reason, my kids weren’t terribly interested, yet I picked it up very easily. As weeks went on, I became very good at the art form. Plus, I LOVED it, and it brought me calm and relaxation. I could create designs and work on eggs for hours and hours while the kids were doing their school-work or during dead times while they took music or karate lessons. Sometimes I even worked on them late into the night.
I decided eventually, to start selling them online to help clear out some of my collection which was getting too large. Yet I couldn't stop creating them because I enjoyed it so much, and I was getting very good at the art. Being able to live out my artistic talents in such a simple art form was bringing me great pleasure.
THEN I got this beautiful idea that I should create three of each design I made. One would be for my collection if I wanted to keep it, one to sell, and one to give away as an anonymous gift to someone with a prayer and a blessing. That became my method of artistry from that day forward. Sometimes I gave away my own copy and the gift copy because I truly did have limited space to display them. I kept only my absolute favorites and sold or gave away the rest. I always sold at least one copy to keep myself in new supplies – that is how they have gone all around the world.
As my children grew, I had more and more time to create designs. Sometimes I would stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning trying to get a piece finished. I even created these pieces in the name of God – I often prayed for new ideas, and over my ideas, then dedicated my work to Him. If it seemed as though a symbol I was creating or using was leaning toward a pagan thought or idea, I would “translate” that into a Christian belief or application, repurposing the pagan definition to being one that was Biblical. As you can see, I believed it had become a beautiful part of my walk with Yahweh.
My designs included traditional, contemporary, Celtic, tribal, Native American, and unique patterns. Because I still celebrated Christmas at that time, I once designed an entire set of twelve eggs to hang on a small wrought iron tree – one each for the twelve days of Christmas.
I even created breast cancer awareness eggs as my mom fought her battle against that wicked disease.
When I became Torah Observant, strangely, creating my designs and just THINKING of making eggs became extremely difficult, uncomfortable. This was even before we had fully studied about Christmas and Easter. We hadn’t yet made any decision how we felt about those holidays. We had just recently started celebrating the Fall Feasts and Shabbat.
Jim and I talked about my artwork, and he suggested I stop making my eggs because he saw them for what they are - paganism. But he said the decision was up to me because it needed to be my choice, through prayer and study. I loved my art so very much that it took me over a year of prayer and study to come to the conclusion I came to. This art form was not of Yahweh. No matter how I tried to fit it into His path for my life, it was NOT of Him. I can say that my TALENT is from Yahweh, but how I executed that talent was not the right path to take.
Coming to that conclusion was a process for me. I KNEW the pagan history of pysanky because I had studied it many times in the past for classes that I taught on the art. Although many will claim, because pysanky are decorated around Easter and then blessed by the Orthodox Priests, they are a Christian art form, they truly are not. In fact, experts and scholars can easily date them back to pre-Christian times in
the Slavic areas.
I knew for years that these eggs originate in pagan roots, that they have a history of being used as blessings and to fight cursings on people. They are given as talisman and claims are made that they can either bring healing or bring death. They are given as blessings for marriages, of fertility, and for long life. Some state that these superstitions no longer apply since they have Christianized the art-form. Yet, some of the elderly sisters I met through the years still believed the eggs had "power." There are so many superstitions attached to pysanky that it is difficult to document them all, although many artists have tried to do so. Yet even these stories often vary by region, community, culture or family. Today many artists have moved away from the historical and religious meaning of these eggs, and it has simply become a beautiful art form for them.
As a part of my decision, I re-studied everything that I knew from the past. I dug for new information, talked with several of the elderly artists who had been doing pysanky for 40, 50, 60 years and who had learned from their own grandmothers. We talked of traditions that were passed down, word of mouth, as well as written documentation.
I wanted to ensure that nothing I learned when I was younger was unfounded. I wanted to ensure I made a very educated decision before giving up a talent which, until that day, I DEEPLY believed had been given to me by Yahweh. I had, years earlier, merged the two together – my God-given talent of being an artist with the application of art to eggs.
It took me a year, maybe even more, of study and prayer, prayer and study. Yet I can honestly say, looking back, some of that time was probably being used to find an excuse to still make my pysanky art! Yes, I said it. Don’t we all have this struggle inside us sometimes? Trying to justify personal desires. Yet, any time I tried to create something for eggs again, I was truly, truly convicted, sometimes to the point of stomachache! Finally, I could no longer deny what the Holy Spirit was testifying to me, and I gave in to Yahweh’s strong promptings to put away my own desires to follow Him.
So, you see, I understand the attachment a person can have to something they don’t wish to admit is pagan or the objects of paganism. I undertand how it can test you, challenge you, and even pull at your heart strings. I also understand the adversary’s attempts at luring you to stay with it or to, later on, return to what you know is sin. Over the years since, I have tried to create in other mediums, but nothing feels comfortable. . .yet. It will come, I know that. For now, I have set aside my artwork while Yahweh directs me in other ways which bring me new joy and great happiness.
Sometimes I think of how much fun it was making eggs, how selling them helped bring a small income in for me, and the adversary tempts me to think on them, almost long for them. That devil knows just where to plant those thoughts and bad seeds, doesn’t he? Taking beauty, talent, happiness, and Yahweh's creations (birds, flowers, stars, and such), then Satan uses them to try to distract or destroy us? The adversary uses what we know and are familiar with to lure us off the pathway Yahweh would have us follow and onto the road that will
lead us as far away as possible. He is a trickster, and we often allow him to get away with it. He knows just which emotional strings to pull.
Our emotions can betray us.
Yet Yahweh is stronger! And I want to follow Him.
Why have I never shared this before? Simply because I never felt led to.
When it comes to Easter and Christmas, there are many aspects of both holidays which are tied to paganism. This cannot be disputed. Those traditions have been kidnapped, so to speak, from their origins, white-washed, prettied up and given a new purpose, in the name of Yeshua or Yahweh. I have learned first-hand how easy it is to white-wash something in one’s life. I have also learned first-hand how we have to be ready, willing, and dedicated in following Abba in His leadings.
So, as we go on this Christmas journey together, I hope you will see, it is not something I take lightly. If you have read or listened to Quitting Christmas and other blogs or audio blogs on the holiday, I hope you understand how important it is to me to follow Yahweh myself, as well as help you in your walk.
One day I would love to create again, but I need to find a medium my talent is comfortable in and be ready to say that I know I will not offend my Abba, not just create something that brings me or others pleasure. I would like to bring pleasure to Yahweh with the talent He has gifted to me. For now, I am happy and filled with joy serving Him as He has led me to serve in ministry.
I would like to make a special note here because I still have many artist friends in this field who LOVE what they do. I understand their love for their work and do not condemn them for what they have chosen to do with their talents. If they ask, I share with them my reasons for leaving pysanky behind, and my conviction to a new path in life. I will share as I have here, what the Bible says about what I was doing while being an artist. My decision is just that: mine. It is not meant as an across the board judgement, but I will always be honest about pysanky origins and why I stopped.
This was a personal journey I was led down by Yahweh. Whatever His reasons are, I am comfortable with them, and I love Him for it because I have grown immensely. Some have asked if I stopped because I feel “guilt” or “shame” – no, there is nothing of the sort. It was just time to move on from something that did not honor Him in the way the Bible has taught me He desires to be honored.
I hope this brings some new understanding of my perspective on removing paganism from our lives.
Shalom.
Blog Articles Of Interest
- Christmas Conflict
- Quitting Christmas
- My Thoughts Of Christmas And Easter
- Why We No Longer Celebrate Easter (also Christmas)
- Tomorrow Night Is Rosh Chodesh: December 27, 2019
- Torah 101 Training
- Quitting Christmas
- My Thoughts Of Christmas And Easter
- Why We No Longer Celebrate Easter (also Christmas)
- Tomorrow Night Is Rosh Chodesh: December 27, 2019
- Torah 101 Training
Let's Get Started Dissecting
Jesus Is The Reason For The Season - Part 1
I want to start with a simple statement:
Torah For Women Ministries is a ministry that will state openly that there are many elements of Christmas which do come from pagan traditions and sources. This series will be exploring these different aspects of Christmas and dissecting the holiday back to the earliest points in
its history to show you where we stand on celebrating Christmas.
Sit back, make some hot cocoa, popcorn, and cookies. This process is going to take a while. . .
While waiting for my music to start playing this morning for prayer time, an ad came
on for a ministry. The young pastor was speaking about how he was struggling with
something. He spoke of praying and listening to God for answers. As he went on describing
his experience, he said that suddenly he was remembering walking through his neighborhood at Christmas time with his small child. Every neighbor's yard was aglow with lights and blowups. As they walked, and he saw all the inflatable Olaf the Snowman characters (from the Disney Movie Frozen), plus the Santas, the reindeer and such, he was reminded of
Jesus and all that he had done for us. His sacrifices, his scourging, his death – all for us.
I stood there staring at my device, speechless. Somehow, all these lawn blow-ups of American mythological and fairytale creatures reminded this young pastor of Christ, his savior? All I could think was HOW???
Suddenly I realized the great importance of our series on dissecting Christmas. Somehow, over time, all these imaginary creatures, characters, and elements have been twisted and turned around to symbolize Yeshua, His birth, and His death.
This last holiday season, it was mentioned to me that our teachings against celebrating the holiday were very unkind. Yet I have always tried to be as direct, yet kind, as is humanly possible on the topic while always teaching truth.
I believe we must be kind, not just because it is what Yeshua would want us to do, but also because, in the years since we started investigating Christmas, we have witnessed the most horrific behaviors when it comes to “quitting Christmas.” The worst part is that these actions come from people who claim to be Godly people. I am not talking about your typical “Pagan police” who go around proclaiming “THAT’S PAGAN!!!” about every little detail, then demand you drop everything & give up Christmas in one fell swoop.
No, I am talking of seeing a woman who claimed to be a sister of faith talk of how she burned in a fire the gifts the grandparents gave to her children. She then told the grandparents not only what she did, but that Christmas is pagan and demonic, and never to give them gifts for Christmas again. Another “believer” took all the antique ornaments given to her by her mother and grandmother over the decades, then smashed them into tiny pieces. Afterward, she told her mother what she had done and that she did it in Yeshua’s name. There are many more stories just like these which I have witnessed. But I can promise you there are many kinder options for both of these which we will go over in a future article.
There is a long list of poor examples I have seen to Yeshua’s commandment to love our neighbors, and I could share them all. Instead, I want to tell you that, on the topic of Christmas, we believe that we must all demonstrate the change of heart spoken of in Ezekiel, Psalms, and 2 Corinthians:
Ezekiel 36:26 “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.”
Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
We know we are commanded to do unto others as we would have done unto us (Matthew 7:12) – so for a moment, reverse those behaviors I described above, and imagine them done to YOU. There are countless suggestions on how to accept gifts without hurting those we love. I would recommend that you proceed with kindness. In later articles, we will be sharing some ideas on how to handle this if you decide to stop celebrating Christmas.
I will do my best to follow my own counsel with this message as well: proceed with kindness. Yet, at the same time, I will be direct.
Torah For Women Ministries is a ministry that will state openly that there are many elements of Christmas which do come from pagan traditions and sources. This series will be exploring these different aspects of Christmas and dissecting the holiday back to the earliest points in
its history to show you where we stand on celebrating Christmas.
Sit back, make some hot cocoa, popcorn, and cookies. This process is going to take a while. . .
While waiting for my music to start playing this morning for prayer time, an ad came
on for a ministry. The young pastor was speaking about how he was struggling with
something. He spoke of praying and listening to God for answers. As he went on describing
his experience, he said that suddenly he was remembering walking through his neighborhood at Christmas time with his small child. Every neighbor's yard was aglow with lights and blowups. As they walked, and he saw all the inflatable Olaf the Snowman characters (from the Disney Movie Frozen), plus the Santas, the reindeer and such, he was reminded of
Jesus and all that he had done for us. His sacrifices, his scourging, his death – all for us.
I stood there staring at my device, speechless. Somehow, all these lawn blow-ups of American mythological and fairytale creatures reminded this young pastor of Christ, his savior? All I could think was HOW???
Suddenly I realized the great importance of our series on dissecting Christmas. Somehow, over time, all these imaginary creatures, characters, and elements have been twisted and turned around to symbolize Yeshua, His birth, and His death.
This last holiday season, it was mentioned to me that our teachings against celebrating the holiday were very unkind. Yet I have always tried to be as direct, yet kind, as is humanly possible on the topic while always teaching truth.
I believe we must be kind, not just because it is what Yeshua would want us to do, but also because, in the years since we started investigating Christmas, we have witnessed the most horrific behaviors when it comes to “quitting Christmas.” The worst part is that these actions come from people who claim to be Godly people. I am not talking about your typical “Pagan police” who go around proclaiming “THAT’S PAGAN!!!” about every little detail, then demand you drop everything & give up Christmas in one fell swoop.
No, I am talking of seeing a woman who claimed to be a sister of faith talk of how she burned in a fire the gifts the grandparents gave to her children. She then told the grandparents not only what she did, but that Christmas is pagan and demonic, and never to give them gifts for Christmas again. Another “believer” took all the antique ornaments given to her by her mother and grandmother over the decades, then smashed them into tiny pieces. Afterward, she told her mother what she had done and that she did it in Yeshua’s name. There are many more stories just like these which I have witnessed. But I can promise you there are many kinder options for both of these which we will go over in a future article.
There is a long list of poor examples I have seen to Yeshua’s commandment to love our neighbors, and I could share them all. Instead, I want to tell you that, on the topic of Christmas, we believe that we must all demonstrate the change of heart spoken of in Ezekiel, Psalms, and 2 Corinthians:
Ezekiel 36:26 “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.”
Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
We know we are commanded to do unto others as we would have done unto us (Matthew 7:12) – so for a moment, reverse those behaviors I described above, and imagine them done to YOU. There are countless suggestions on how to accept gifts without hurting those we love. I would recommend that you proceed with kindness. In later articles, we will be sharing some ideas on how to handle this if you decide to stop celebrating Christmas.
I will do my best to follow my own counsel with this message as well: proceed with kindness. Yet, at the same time, I will be direct.
After much prayer, I decided we would start with one of the biggest claims of all:
Jesus is the reason for the season.
This statement is what people will say whenever they feel that anyone is attacking the Christmas season. Whether it is mega-businesses who tell their employees to say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” or someone who says they don’t celebrate Christmas, the common phrase repeated back to them is, “Well, Jesus is the reason for the season.” We even did it ourselves some time ago before we stopped celebrating the holiday.
So, let’s explore whether it is justified.
These last few years, if you noticed, the Christmas “season” started in summer. Seriously, it did. Christmas things began popping up in stores before the school supplies and clothes started arriving. It got me thinking: I remember some time ago, someone coined the name “Christmahanakwanzika” to blend Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa all together into one holiday term. It’s even found now in the “Urban Dictionary” online.[1]
With everything now starting before Labor Day and, in some cases, even before Independence Day in the U.S., what will be the holiday “name” now??? IndeLaborHallowThankMasHanaKwanzika???
Jesus is the reason for the season.
This statement is what people will say whenever they feel that anyone is attacking the Christmas season. Whether it is mega-businesses who tell their employees to say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” or someone who says they don’t celebrate Christmas, the common phrase repeated back to them is, “Well, Jesus is the reason for the season.” We even did it ourselves some time ago before we stopped celebrating the holiday.
So, let’s explore whether it is justified.
These last few years, if you noticed, the Christmas “season” started in summer. Seriously, it did. Christmas things began popping up in stores before the school supplies and clothes started arriving. It got me thinking: I remember some time ago, someone coined the name “Christmahanakwanzika” to blend Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa all together into one holiday term. It’s even found now in the “Urban Dictionary” online.[1]
With everything now starting before Labor Day and, in some cases, even before Independence Day in the U.S., what will be the holiday “name” now??? IndeLaborHallowThankMasHanaKwanzika???
Why has the season been extended? Some will claim it a blessing because they believe people will be thinking of Yeshua for a longer period. Yet, this claim is not the bottom line. In fact, the bottom line is their bottom line. The reason why manufacturers, distributors, and merchants have started putting Christmas products on the market sooner is to increase their profits. This is simply what has become the economics of Christmas.
Businesses are trying to get from being in the red to being in the black as soon as possible by encouraging customers to shop for more items sooner. In 2019, the concern among many businesses was that the actual “shopping season” was even shorter than normal because Thanksgiving was later in the month than usual. If they did not extend their season to match this, they would lose a portion of what they were accustomed to gaining during the holiday season. Many businesses are made or broken by what happens during the holidays. So, merchants ensured they added additional extra time to make up for that “lost time.” Some will call this greed while others will say it is being materialistic. How does Yahweh feel about being worldly like this?
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 1 John 2:15-16 KJV
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. Luke 12:15 KJV
It is pretty clear that we need to guard ourselves against falling into this trap.
Now, take a moment and ask yourself, when you first saw those holiday items pop-up in the stores early, did you seriously think first about Jesus? Or did your thoughts go to all the gifts, food, stress, and expense coming up over the next few months? Very few can honestly say that Jesus was their first thought. We have felt that way, too in the past. I also know Yeshua being the reason for the season is not what is on the minds of children when they see all the colourful Christmas products arriving on shelves – their first thoughts run to the Elf on the Shelf spying on them or Santa Claus coming. More likely, too, they think of what they will be adding to their wish list.
Another question to ask yourself, too – what was the first thing you saw pertaining to Christmas that appeared in the stores? We first saw lawn blow-ups. These included Santa Claus, reindeer, snowmen, gingerbread houses, cartoon characters, penguins, and snow castles. Nothing about Yeshua in this menagerie. The Nativity blow-ups didn’t even hit the shelves until right around Thanksgiving.
Moreover, the early displays included other types of displays and décor items: Santas, carolers, Christmas trees, wreaths, ornaments, plus gift ideas such as gift sets for men and women, jewelry, trinkets, and more. The ads now begin long before the first of October for expensive gifts like tablets, computers, cell phones and even cars.
You have to stop and ask then, how do these things point to Jesus being the reason for the season?
Why all the materialism when Yeshua was NOT about being materialistic? Do you need proof text of how he felt? How about when he spoke to the rich young man and told him to sell all his belongings, give the money to the poor, and follow Yeshua? The rich young man was following all the commandments, according to his personal testimony. But when asked to sell all his belongings, what was the young man’s reaction?
“Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!” Mark 10:21-23
And what of Jesus’ words recorded in Matthew:
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:19-21
IF Jesus is the reason for the season, why is so much energy spent on ensuring that so many expensive gifts (treasures on earth) given at Christmas? And what of the amount of money spent on those gifts, not just the number of gifts? Many of those treasures costing thousands of dollars these days. The pressure to “keep up with the Joneses” is legitimate for both adults and children. The peer pressure to out-do your gifts from last year. It all adds up to the next issue: Debt.
The bible calls it usury. People take out loans, max out credit cards, borrow from retirement funds, and put additional burdens on themselves financially.
The rich rule over the poor. The borrower is servant to the lender. Proverbs 22:7 WEB People complain the banks do nothing but “steal” their money and make rich people richer – but you are the borrower! The bank didn’t steal that money – you signed up for it! Now you have placed yourself to be ruled by “the rich” and servant to your lender.
Don't you be one of those who strike hands, of those who are collateral for debts. If you don't have means to pay, why should he take away your bed from under you? Proverbs 22:26-27 WEB In other words, don’t be someone who shakes hands and pledges collateral for money borrowed – which is what we do when we go into debt. We make a pledge to pay back, putting up our property and good name. When the verses go on to discuss your bed, if you don’t have money to begin with, do you want to lose your bed also?
Materialism, greed, debt, and mythical characters have all been discussed in this portion. IF Yeshua is the reason for the season, these would all need to be removed, and He should be center stage. These things are not of Him and they have nothing to do with him. Santa was NOT there in the manger when Yeshua was born; there were also no reindeer or penguins present either. He was not born in a gingerbread house, nor a snow castle.
Over the years, many have tried to take many Christmas traditions, fairytale characters, and in some cases, pagan articles, then whitewash them, applying biblical principles to them or attributing them to Biblical people and events. Or make them fit into symbols of Yeshua, his birth, the Magi, and such. Yet these are nothing more than traditions created and added little by little over the decades. Each of these items will be dealt with more specifically through the series.
Take a break, allow this all to sink in, and please understand we have “been here, done this” ourselves. We have asked ourselves these same questions. We are not asking you to ask or do anything more than we have already done.
In Part 2, I will go into more about whether or not Jesus is the reason for the season. . . .
Blessings and Shalom.
Businesses are trying to get from being in the red to being in the black as soon as possible by encouraging customers to shop for more items sooner. In 2019, the concern among many businesses was that the actual “shopping season” was even shorter than normal because Thanksgiving was later in the month than usual. If they did not extend their season to match this, they would lose a portion of what they were accustomed to gaining during the holiday season. Many businesses are made or broken by what happens during the holidays. So, merchants ensured they added additional extra time to make up for that “lost time.” Some will call this greed while others will say it is being materialistic. How does Yahweh feel about being worldly like this?
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 1 John 2:15-16 KJV
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. Luke 12:15 KJV
It is pretty clear that we need to guard ourselves against falling into this trap.
Now, take a moment and ask yourself, when you first saw those holiday items pop-up in the stores early, did you seriously think first about Jesus? Or did your thoughts go to all the gifts, food, stress, and expense coming up over the next few months? Very few can honestly say that Jesus was their first thought. We have felt that way, too in the past. I also know Yeshua being the reason for the season is not what is on the minds of children when they see all the colourful Christmas products arriving on shelves – their first thoughts run to the Elf on the Shelf spying on them or Santa Claus coming. More likely, too, they think of what they will be adding to their wish list.
Another question to ask yourself, too – what was the first thing you saw pertaining to Christmas that appeared in the stores? We first saw lawn blow-ups. These included Santa Claus, reindeer, snowmen, gingerbread houses, cartoon characters, penguins, and snow castles. Nothing about Yeshua in this menagerie. The Nativity blow-ups didn’t even hit the shelves until right around Thanksgiving.
Moreover, the early displays included other types of displays and décor items: Santas, carolers, Christmas trees, wreaths, ornaments, plus gift ideas such as gift sets for men and women, jewelry, trinkets, and more. The ads now begin long before the first of October for expensive gifts like tablets, computers, cell phones and even cars.
You have to stop and ask then, how do these things point to Jesus being the reason for the season?
Why all the materialism when Yeshua was NOT about being materialistic? Do you need proof text of how he felt? How about when he spoke to the rich young man and told him to sell all his belongings, give the money to the poor, and follow Yeshua? The rich young man was following all the commandments, according to his personal testimony. But when asked to sell all his belongings, what was the young man’s reaction?
“Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!” Mark 10:21-23
And what of Jesus’ words recorded in Matthew:
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:19-21
IF Jesus is the reason for the season, why is so much energy spent on ensuring that so many expensive gifts (treasures on earth) given at Christmas? And what of the amount of money spent on those gifts, not just the number of gifts? Many of those treasures costing thousands of dollars these days. The pressure to “keep up with the Joneses” is legitimate for both adults and children. The peer pressure to out-do your gifts from last year. It all adds up to the next issue: Debt.
The bible calls it usury. People take out loans, max out credit cards, borrow from retirement funds, and put additional burdens on themselves financially.
The rich rule over the poor. The borrower is servant to the lender. Proverbs 22:7 WEB People complain the banks do nothing but “steal” their money and make rich people richer – but you are the borrower! The bank didn’t steal that money – you signed up for it! Now you have placed yourself to be ruled by “the rich” and servant to your lender.
Don't you be one of those who strike hands, of those who are collateral for debts. If you don't have means to pay, why should he take away your bed from under you? Proverbs 22:26-27 WEB In other words, don’t be someone who shakes hands and pledges collateral for money borrowed – which is what we do when we go into debt. We make a pledge to pay back, putting up our property and good name. When the verses go on to discuss your bed, if you don’t have money to begin with, do you want to lose your bed also?
Materialism, greed, debt, and mythical characters have all been discussed in this portion. IF Yeshua is the reason for the season, these would all need to be removed, and He should be center stage. These things are not of Him and they have nothing to do with him. Santa was NOT there in the manger when Yeshua was born; there were also no reindeer or penguins present either. He was not born in a gingerbread house, nor a snow castle.
Over the years, many have tried to take many Christmas traditions, fairytale characters, and in some cases, pagan articles, then whitewash them, applying biblical principles to them or attributing them to Biblical people and events. Or make them fit into symbols of Yeshua, his birth, the Magi, and such. Yet these are nothing more than traditions created and added little by little over the decades. Each of these items will be dealt with more specifically through the series.
Take a break, allow this all to sink in, and please understand we have “been here, done this” ourselves. We have asked ourselves these same questions. We are not asking you to ask or do anything more than we have already done.
In Part 2, I will go into more about whether or not Jesus is the reason for the season. . . .
Blessings and Shalom.