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Many centuries ago, God issued a strong warning to Israel about inquiring after and serving heathen gods. We repeat it here because of its importance. “Take heed to yourself that you do not become ensnared by following them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not ask about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods that I may also do likewise?’ You shall not do so to the LORD your God, for every abomination to the LORD, which He hates, they have done to their gods.... Whatsoever things that I command you, be careful to do it. You shall not add to it, nor take away from it” (Deuteronomy 12:30-32). We would be foolish to ignore such an admonition!
Jesus told his apostles to go to the people of all nations “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). In John 13:15 Jesus tells us, “For I have given you an example, to show that you also should do exactly as I have done to you.” In Leviticus 23, we find the holy days that God commanded to be kept forever. Christ and his apostles observed these holy days, and so did the early New Testament Church. Christ kept the Passover with the apostles (John 13). He preached at the Feast of Tabernacles and on the Last Great Day (John 7).
Even after the death of Christ, the epistles of Paul showed us that the early church continued to observe these annual holy days. Check these examples: I Corinthians 5, “For this reason, let us keep the feast” (of Unleavened Bread); Acts 2:1, “Now when the day of Pentecost, the fiftieth day, was being fulfilled, they were all with one accord in the same place.” This is the record of the New Testament Church being founded on one of God’s holy days!; Acts 20:16, “[Paul] hastened in order to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, if possible.”; I Corinthians 16:8, “But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost.”; I Corinthians 11:26, gives directions concerning the true Passover. Jesus says, “You solemnly proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.”; Acts 27:9, Paul says, “the annual fast day had already passed,” speaking about Atonement; in Acts 18:21 he says, “I must by all means keep the feast that is coming at Jerusalem.” Nowhere in all the Scriptures will you find any command by Jesus to observe his birth, or Christmas. Actually, he commands us to observe his death, by keeping the Passover, as shown in Matthew 26:26-30, and John 13:1-17. Mankind has forgotten the holy days of God, choosing to worship with the ancient festivals of their former gods.
As history reveals, Catholicism gradually infiltrated what had been the true churches of God. A few realized they must flee from the doctrine of Balaam. (Acts 5:29); others thought it would be possible to remain within their congregations and privately keep the truth. They did try for a while—but, how can one sit at both the table of the Lord and the table of demons (I Corinthians 10:14-22)? In due time, most of them fell prey to the apostate teachers, forgetting the knowledge of the Lord and embracing the doctrine of doom (II Peter 2:15-22)! Those who had courageously followed the Lamb (Revelation 14:4), soon became a very small and persecuted minority. The church of Rome sought to exterminate the few who remained loyal to God, and succeeded in the martyrdom of many. People don’t like being told that their religion is wrong, especially those who have set themselves in exalted religious positions. But God’s promise is to those who repent and endure. You can read about that in God’s letters to the churches in the book of Revelation, chapters two and three.
Do We Honor God?
Once we put away the false practices and traditions of the Christian professing world, then we can learn about the true plan of God. His plan is wonderfully illustrated, through the knowledge of His true scriptural Holy Days and commandments, to bring us His spiritual knowledge. His true Holy Days are virtually unknown to those who think that they know the Lord and Savior. Remember, the only name by which we are saved is the name Jesus Christ! It is not realistic to think we can ignore what He says and still have the knowledge that comes from what He teaches.
Please reader, don’t be among those who, with all good intentions, come to Christ expecting his praise and eternal life, only to hear Christ declare (as God warns in Matthew 7:23), “I NEVER KNEW YOU. Depart from Me, you who work lawlessness!”
Let’s do the right thing and take Christ OUT of Christmas— actually .. in reality—Xmas! Xmas and a host of other holidays have come directly from paganism, but the annual Holy Days of Leviticus 23 have come directly from God. Let’s forsake the pagan holidays of the world and observe the true holy days laid out for us by God.
