Hallelujah! Hallelujah, to your response to each comment justifying the mixture. When we learn the truth, it is up to us, as believers, to enlighten others with the truth, hopefully, with love.

Most of us, who proclaim to be Christians, (I now refer to myself as a “gentile messianic”, ” a believer”, due to reasons discussed on this forum, etc.) grew up in church with this mixture. But, when we mature in our Abba and His son Yeshua, taking Yahweh’s Word as truth, we no longer wish to do the same as the majority, who don’t search the scriptures for the truth. I now commemorate Passover, with my Messianic Jew brothers and sisters moreso, than Christmas. I, also, enjoy the celebration of other holidays with them, as God has admonished us to do.

I am in agreement with you on due diligence and reverence to our Sovereign, Holy God. To Him be all the glory and honor. The money spent on the tree could be given as a mitzvah to missions. Psalm 41:1

One of my bible study sisters asked “what’s wrong if Christians choose to celebrate with a tree and lights”. I found your blog by seaching for that answer. After my comment, I will be printing this page.

Thank you, Steve, for your boldness. I desire to emulate that boldness in the territory that has been give to me. I pray to speak boldly as I ought to speak (Ephesians 6:20) and that you will continue to write and speak His Word in Spirit and in Truth.

Your sister in Him,

Gemstones to Jewels

I always appreciate any response I get on the articles I post here, so before I start my reply I want to say thanks, even if I disagree with you.

I’m not sure of the point you are trying to make. The argument stated here stands firm. Your comments do nothing to defeat the author’s purpose; it remains steadfast.

You say that the author’s description does not translate to your experience. Your experience is that “Easter is in Dutch called Pasen, a clear link with Pesach/Pascha.” Since I don’t know Dutch it is not a “clear link.” I have to only assume, with you, that Pasen is the Dutch word for Easter, and I will also assume that you are making the link that the Dutch Easter is the same as the Passover since Pascha Πάσχα, or Hebrew OT Pecach (peh’-sakh); from a pretermission, i.e. exemption is used only techically of the Jewish Passover (the festival or the victim). If that is the case then it still makes no difference, unless the Dutch Easter is celebrated on Nisan 14 or 15 (depending on the calendar you use) on the Jewish and Christian Passover. If your “Pasen” is celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox, in which case it would align perfectly with the pagan ritual in honor of Eastre (or Ostara) the Saxon fertility goddess; this would make the Dutch Pasen a pagan holiday, just like the English Easter.

If the Dutch Pasen is celebrated on the same day as the traditional Easter, then it is the celebration of a pagan holiday. We can give a holy name to a pagan holiday, but it is still pagan. We can call Easter, Passover, or Pasen, and we can call a bull a buffalo, but it is still a bull.

Our re-defining things change nothing regarding truth. Truth remains true, and the re-definition is just a lie, they give us privileges that are nothing but fiction, truth is still truth. Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples then offered Himself as the Passover lamb, and He said to celebrate the Passover in remembrance of Him. Men, to satisfy themselves, have taken liberties with His words that are not justified.

I hope this response helps clear up things for you.

Steve Blackwell

(there had to be a “but” of course )

Much of what the author describes does not translate to the situation i always experienced.
First Easter is in dutch called Pasen , a clear link with Pesach/Pascha.
So the saxon goddess link falls through,
I personally know no dutch songs about an easter hare or some such, the only song about a hare i know is a bit different
(in short: In a green beet field, there were two hares, then came the hunter, he shot one of them and the remaining one was sad, for those interested in the whole text search for “In een groen groen groen groen knolle-knolle land, daar zaten twee haasjes heel parmant).

The author does rightly point out that an increasingly prevalent pagan movement wishes to “liberate” festive days from its “christian shackles”. And use all kinds of irrelevant and irreverant arguments. That is one admonition for christians not to accept blindly tradition, nor yield to pressing pagans, but to investigate what the cause of remembrance is, and educate that (to their children)

I certainly meant to reply to your comment about your grandson and am sorry for the delay. He is so blessed to have you. What a process in letting go and letting God. But as you will know, once we do He is so wonderful — full of surprises. How I desire all His children to abide in the security of His love. My husband and I appreciate your many articles. They have been very challenging and always along the line of our Father’s dealings in our own lives. But I think it’s more your vulnerability we appreciate the most. Once we are secure in our Father’s love for us we are free to be vulnerable with Him and others.

My husband is a beautifully vulnerable man. The dealings of God in His life have been immense. We have both come to understand that true humility comes from the security of our Father’s love. Holy Spirit boldness to live and speak truth is rooted in this humility.

A few months back a dear brother emailed us and said, “God is so hard”. Our reply was, “Only on our flesh, because He knows this is our greatest enemy. This is His love for us.”

Let’s just yield to His masterful hand. He is skillful in the circumcision of our flesh and can be completely trusted. Pain endures for the night, but joy comes in the morning.

I do not want to grieve Him anymore with my mistrust.

Maria.

I believe you are leaning toward too legalistic a view of these things. Paul said it was okay to eat meat offered to idols IF it didn’t offend another person’s conscience. He certainly makes it clear (1 Cor that eating food offered to pagan gods wasn’t the real issue. It was whether one regarded it as offered to gods that really existed. Sunday is a day that was originally observed as the “Sun’s day” so there is a pagan background to Sunday services. Maybe we should be worshipping on Saturday?

I am not teaching children about the Easter Bunny. I’m trying to teach them about kindness and concern for people one doesn’t even know that well. The candies are not good for their teeth, but does that make giving candy to a child an evil thing?

What God cares about is the attitude and intent of our heart. Cain and Abel are the earliest proofs of that. My conscience is clear on this. It would not be clear if I dressed up as the Easter Bunny while doing it.

Peace and grace brother!

I would have to differ with you, Easter IS about rabbits, colored eggs, and fertility, and Pagan to its core.

There is a religious word that applies quite well regarding “Easter” and it is called syncretism. def.: Syncretism consists of the attempt to reconcile disparate or contrary beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term may refer to attempts to merge and analogize several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, and thus assert an underlying unity allowing for an inclusive approach to other faiths.

The freedom we experience in the Lord does not include the freedom to celebrate pagan holidays (Deut. 12:30-31, Jer. 10:2). Freedom does not include the freedom to sin (Gal. 5:13, 1Pet. 2:16). Celebrating a pagan holiday in any of its transformation over the years is still celebrating a pagan holiday, and is a form of worship in honor of pagan deities, which is expressly forbidden (Exod. 23:13, 24, Deut. 13:6-8, 2Chr. 25:15). Institutional churches participate in this “syncretism” where they have attempted to Christianize certain pagan holidays, and this is incompatible with Scripture. You would never go as far as stating that you could Christianize Halloween but they still celebrate Christmas and Easter.

Christians who are walking in obedience to our Lord should give due diligence in their consideration in participation in these known pagan holidays. We serve a Holy God who will not share His Glory with another.

We should take heed how we worship The Most High God.

With Godly concern,

Steve Blackwell

I think my comments were a bit defensive and I apologize. But, I would like to say that we are doing the “easter” baskets in spite of, not so much because of the date. It’s a matter of seizing the opportunity I think, to show that Easter isn’t about rabbits and colored eggs, but about showing kindness without cost.

I just don’t want to become a strict legalist and start following a bunch of rules from either side of this issue. We are to seek peace with ALL men, so I don’t think we need to be contentious about the influence pagan religions have had on our own civilization. Akin to this is the idea that all humans have immortal souls, when that is a very Platonic notion and not at all what scripture implies. Scripture tells us that God alone has immortality and those who seek immortality do so by perseverance in good works (Romans 2:7). Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15, is talking about believers putting on immortality. He does not picture the unbelieving doing that also.

My point is, much of what we teach and hear in Christianity is not scripturally sound because much church tradition is of men. It’s not limited to Easter, Christmas, Good Friday, etc.

Grace and peace to you, brother!

Thank you very much. Your words were a special treat for me today. I say treat, but actually they were much more, they were a reminder of the very thing I try an instruct others in, they were the swift words of Abba, coming from one of His children. I will not ignore these words, unless His gentle treatment turns to discipline.

I raised three daughters and my first grandson was a special treasure. He is fifteen now and I have desired his company like a father would a son, but things are changing. Although he lives close by, and I could use his help in my business he elects to work for a neighbor instead. When I requested his help today, as a paid employee, earning a fair wage, he said he had to find out first whether the neighbor would require his services. My flesh was quick to respond that I wanted priority over the neighbor; much silence followed; now I must do the right thing. I enjoyed the wallowing in self pity. The feelings of rejection stirred all sorts evil emotions that I didn’t want to face. when I returned home I went to my office to search for some kind of divergence, and decide to check my e-mail. Your list of things we exchange for truth was just what I need to hear at that particular moment. Thank you. Now I must go and make a phone call, and say a prayer.

Steve Blackwell

Yes, so true. It is time to come back to a foundational relationship with Jesus and only eat from the “Tree of Life.” Our sufficiency in all things is in Him and Him alone.

Phillipians 3:
For what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ…..
….That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death……….

……but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 12: 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

We have left our first love and looked behind us.

We have exchanged His comfort for the comfort of this world.
We have exchanged His wonderful work of Grace for own morality.
We have exchanged His love for the love of others.
We have exchanged His peace for the temporal peace of this world.
We have exchanged His faith for the works of our own hands.
We have exchanged His hope of a certain future for a place in this world.
We have exchanged His approval for the approval of men.
We have exchanged His righteousness for own filthy rags.
We have exchanged His Kingdom for our own kingdoms.
We have exchanged His praise for the praises of men.
We have exchanged His house for our panelled houses.
We have exchanged His friendship for friendship with the world.
We have exchanged His reward for our reward here on this earth.
We have exchanged His Life for death.

But He exchanged His life for ours.
What more could He have done for us?

We are no longer pilgrims and sojourners in a strange land. We have made our home in this world.

Dearest God, in the days of Noah, in your first judgment, we grieved you so much that you regretted even making man. Is it the same today? You sent your Son and we nailed Him to a tree. Then we shamefully turned Him into a tradition. We worship the image of your Son and not your Son Himself. Now your last judgment is fast approaching us. Dearest Lord, do you still have the same regret? We are a wicked and perverse generation!!

Oh merciful God, please have compassion on us. Do not turn your face from us. We have but a little time left, our time is so short. We also have little strength. As we look to your coming purify us. We put our trust in you. Please do this quick work of righteousness in us that you promised in these last days.

Genesis 6:17….. His first judgment.
Revelations 6:17 ….His last judgment.

In Christ,
Maria.

Jesus declares in the book of Revelation that we need to go back and do our “first works” over again, and Jude tells us to “hate even the garment tainted by the flesh.” The purpose of the article by Alan Bunning is to point out how, mostly through ignorance, we have drifted away from the purity of worship and service to God into forms of tradition and pagan practices that we are expressly told to put off, and return to a foundation that has been cleared of all the trash. So, what does this mean to the one who desires the true, pure, fruit that only comes from the Tree of Life? What does this mean to the one living in this day of decay? What does the true worshiper of the only Living God look like? What does it mean to separate ourselves from the world? What does a “peculiar people” resemble, the world, or something else? Do we hold out an example to the world, or are they our example? When we are given light, and our ignorant forms of worship and service are revealed, are we supposed to tweak them a little bit so that they now appear “Christian” without upsetting the apple cart, or are we to “come out from amongst them” and be separated and severed from any likeness of that dirty and false thing?

I say this in love for my brother. On our voyage out of the deep dark woods we must resist the urge to look back on those things that so easily beset us. Those things are calling us back into darkness and bondage. The light we think we see there is false. Our freedom exist in the “Light” and we must embrace Him and flee from the mere appearance of sin. If we have been given light, and we know it to be the truth, and we try to hold onto some fragment of darkness, for the sake of “flesh,” or family, or comfort, or accommodation, then it is truly sin.

I can certainly appreciate your desire to do good, and by all means do it, but let it be pure and not prompted by the remembrance of some Pagan tradition. We cannot sanctify evil by hanging some Christian ornament on it, it is still evil. Let your good be good, and undefiled. “Let not your good be evil spoken of.” Let there be no reason that our good, be thought to be, merely, motivated by a season or a tradition, and not by the Pure and Holy Spirit of the Eternal God, our Father. Jesus living inside of us compels us to boundless good deeds, to show forth His Goodness, of laying down His life, and taking it again, that we likewise lay down our lives, that He may give it again.

Our examples to follow, as Scripture dictates, are the Prophets, the Apostles, with Jesus being the corner stone. Where do we have the example of any of these incorporating Pagan holy days into the worship of God? Our Father, who gave us birth, deserves purity! Everything we see around us is un-pure, and interpreted through the knowledge gained by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and the devil now says “eat of any tree in my garden, except the tree in the middle of the garden, the tree of life. Consequently our vision is severely blurred and our reasoning faulty, and until we restrict our diet to the “Tree of Life” we cannot trust our ability reason things out, or see our way clear, and we live out life trying to adapt our thoughts to the little we think we know about Real Life, and we stumble over obstacles, that are apparent, and right before our eyes. Unfortunately, ignorance will be no excuse on a certain day in our near future. We compromise for fear of putting off too much, putting off more than necessary, and missing out on some treat that fills our empty lives. Holidays are those kinds of things, they come and they go, and we wait for the next relief, or we treat them as if they are some kind of bonus or windfall.

As far as Passover there is no need to remark. We both know what this represents; we know the reality of Passover.

There is no judgment here as to sabbaths or Holy days, as long as they are not a regurgitation of forms, traditions, or latent Satanic worship. The Church as The Church needs to get beyond these things to the spiritual realities we Christians claim we see.

In truth and love,

Steve Blackwell