Praying Scripture: Luke 8:48

It's been a while since our last praying Scripture post, but I think this one is too good not to share!

The story of the woman with the issue of blood is so encouraging. Twelve years of struggle, countless visits to doctors, spending her life savings to try and find a solution, nothing that helped, no beneficial remedy, so much frustration...and it's fixed as soon as she comes in contact with the Messiah.

Who doesn't need to be reminded of this story? Maybe what you need healing for isn't an issue with blood, or even a physical ailment. Maybe you've struggled with depression or anxiety. Perhaps there is addiction or an ongoing battle with a specific sin in your life. Have you been plagued by doubt or fear? Is there a family history of heart disease that worries you? No matter how resigned you may be feeling to whatever struggle you have, contact with the Messiah can bring healing and transformation to you!

I wonder about the rest of this woman's story. We know she was desperate for healing, to the point where she had spent everything she had trying to get help from doctors. Did the people in her life realize her desperation? When they learned of her plan to touch Yahusha, were they supportive or did they think it was yet another waste of time? Maybe they even tried to talk her out of going to see him that day. Did they tell her she just needed to accept this issue and get used to it? I'm sure they had a long list of reasons why the Messiah wouldn't help her. Nevertheless she persisted. And Yahusha healed her that day.

And he said to her, "Take courage, daughter. Your belief has healed you. Go in peace." -Luke 8:48

There can't be a lot of sentences more beautiful than that. When the Messiah calls you daughter and tells you that you can have peace and that you're healed...there's not a lot more you could ask. I find myself wanting that kind of faith, the kinds that heals. We all need that.

A prayer from Luke 8:48 (along with other Scripture):

YHWH, thank you for the incredible honor and gift of being called your child! Help me to live out of the courage that comes from knowing I belong to you. I ask that you would transform my mind by changing the way I think, so that I might have the kind of faith and beliefs that are healing - not only to myself but to those in my life as well. Thank you that all things are possible with you, and that just a touch from you is healing. Help me to be persistent in getting to you, no matter what anyone else says. Your word says that your garment fills the Temple. Thank you that it is plenty wide enough for each of us to grab onto for healing. Let your peace rule my heart and help me to live in the wholeness you have for me.

Shavuot Provision: Celebrating Enough

Count seven weeks for yourself. Begin to count seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the grain (First Fruits), and you shall perform the Festival of Weeks to YHWH your Elohim, according to the voluntary offering from your hand, which you give as YHWH your Elohim blesses you. -Deuteronomy 16:9-10

Shauvot. Pentecost. The Feast of Weeks. First Fruits of the Wheat Harvest. The fourth of YHWH's set apart times. Scripture instructs us to count fifty days after First Fruits (this one of the barley harvest) during the Week of Unleavened Bread to arrive at this set apart time. The fifty days is where the name 'Pentecost' comes from with the Greek root of the word being fifty. So if you're familiar with Pentecost in Scripture, just know that it is another name for Shavuot.

What is this holy day?

Shavuot is a party for physical provision. Since it happens in the late Spring, there is joy that winter is over and we made it through the dangerous cold and lack of resources. The wheat was just harvested and there is enough. This was no small thing with wheat taking up a large portion of the Israelite's diet. Since most of us are largely withdrawn from the worries of the harvest we miss what a relief and joy it is to see the provision for us and our families for the next year. Shavuot is about celebrating that YHWH meets our needs. No matter the time and place we can all agree that YHWH's gift of provision is worth celebrating. Give thanks and be glad that your needs are met.

Did you know that this set apart time was kept in the New Testament? Yes, even after the resurrection and ascension of the Messiah, we see the Disciples counting the days diligently to the arrival of Shavuot (Acts 2:1). Indeed, when they received the Holy Spirit they were gathered together celebrating this set apart time of YHWH. And why were they doing this? Don't miss that the Messiah expressly instructed them to wait in Jerusalem to receive the Holy Spirit before heading out of town and country to spread the good news (Acts 1:4-5). With this instruction, Yahusha upheld a commandment of YHWH found in Deuteronomy 16:16 which instructs Israelite men to appear before YHWH at his set apart place on Shavuot.

As a side note, while many of us have heard it was just the twelve disciples in an upper room, Scripture says the a rushing mighty wind filled the house where they were. What house could this be? The Temple of course. In Hebrew this was called the Beit Hamikdash and beit means house in Hebrew. The Disciples were in the house. There is no way this was a family home because we know there were over 3,000 people present! (Acts 2:41) So the Disciples were keeping the commandment found in Deuteronomy even after the Messiah ascended into Heaven.

It's significant that YHWH poured out the Holy Spirit at a time where people were celebrating physical provision. When you rely on wheat for survival, it's worth celebrating and praising YHWH that he provides enough. And what about our needs for spiritual sustenance? By likening the need for physical nourishment we see how desperate our need is for the Holy Spirit in our lives. As the Israelites would have been starved without wheat, what would happen to us without the Holy Spirit? How would your life be if it lacked love, and joy, and peace, and faithfulness? It's a reminder of Moses' words, "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of YHWH," (Deuteronomy 8:3) which is especially appropriate because the ten commandments were given at Shavuot as well.

Shavuot is a reminder that there is enough for our needs. Enough in the cupboard. Enough healing for all of us. Enough of the Holy Spirit to go around. Enough joy to overcome sorrow. Enough discernment to make good decisions. There is enough. And there is still more. He provides.

Who is Shavuot for?

Anyone who wants to give thanks for YHWH providing for them. Or anyone who thinks following the example of the Disciples and the instructions of Scripture to serve YHWH in this way. Or anyone looking to have more of the Holy Spirit in their life. While you can ask any day, there is certainly not a time more appropriate than Shavuot!

In Vayikra 23:17 we are instructed to wave two loaves of bread before YHWH. I like the symbolism of the two loaves because it signifies abundance and our needs being provided for. Not one but two. The two houses of Israel are also called to mind, and YHWH expects both the natural born Israelite and those grafted in to celebrate his set apart times. The animals coming two by two to Noah's ark and then multiplying to fill the earth is also symbolized by these two loaves, which YHWH will multiply to provide for us throughout the coming year. Of course the ten commandments were given on two tablets as well.

Shavuot is a time to not only celebrate the word of YHWH being given to us on tablets, but also having it written on our hearts. Once again, YHWH wants to pour out the Holy Spirit to give us a better understanding of his word, ability to walk in the gifts and the fruit of the Spirit, that many would come to him.

Verses to pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit:

I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away. Because if I don't go away the Holy Spirit will not come to you. -John 16:7

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my ways and obey my commandments. -Ezekiel 36:26-27

Where the Spirit of YHWH is there is freedom. -2 Corinthians 3:17

So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts, how much more will the Father keep giving the Holy Spirit from Heaven to those who keep asking him. -Luke 11:13

To each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for profiting, for to one is given a word of wisdom, to another a word of knowledge, to another belief, and to another gifts of healing, and to another operations of powers, and to another prophecy, to another discernment, to another kinds of tongues, to another interpretation of tongues. -1 Corinthians 12:7-10

I will pour out water on the thirsty land and streams will cover the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring and my blessings on your descendants. -Isaiah 44:3

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustworthiness, gentleness, and self control. -Galatians 5:22

I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. And your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. And also on the male servants and on the female servants I shall pour out my Spirit in those days. -Joel 2:28-29

I baptized you with water, but the Messiah will baptize you in the Holy Spirit. -Mark 1:8

Have a very happy Shavuot!

Related posts:

The Beginner's Guide to Shavuot
Seven Ways to Celebrate Shavuot
Shavuot Dessert Ideas

Things the Messiah Said at Passover

Chag sameach! I hope you are enjoying this special and set apart time of year during the festival of Unleavened Bread, when we celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of the Messiah. All of the festivals of YHWH must have been significant to Yahusha, and so many of his words recorded in Scripture were spoken during this time. Having some idea of the setting and context for his words can transform our understanding of them. Much weight and significance is added to his words when we realize he spoke them at the Passover table keeping YHWH's instructions from Leviticus 23. Here are a few things he said during this time.

Things the Messiah Said at Passover:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." -John 14:6
Many people who have this verse memorized overlook an obvious implication of it. The way is literally seated at the Passover table when he said this. If you want to get to the Messiah and the Father, you might think about heading to Passover.

"Whoever trusts in me does what I do and will even do greater works." -John 14:12
The Messiah clearly expects his followers to have the same lifestyle as he did. The feast days and honoring Shabbat are a great place so start to live like him. This verse also tells us that once we are living like he did we will see even greater things happen in and through us.

"If you love me, keep my commands." -John 14:15
If you love the Messiah his desire is that you would be obedient to his instructions. Picture him seated with matzah and wine, keeping the set apart time that was also celebrated by Abraham and Moses, while he speaks the word of YHWH to those at the table, and it's easier to remember that some of his commands are to celebrate his festivals.

"I am the vine, you are the branches." -John 15:5
This analogy is probably the parable that the Messiah spent the most time explaining. And it's significant that the chose to talk about pruning - when his Father, the gardener, cuts off part of a healthy tree in order that it can grow more - at Passover. While we are rooted in Yahusha, he expects his people to grow. Growth looks different each season, and for many of us significant growth is pruning off man made holidays and choosing YHWH's instead.

"Watch and pray." -Matthew 26:41
Yahusha wants us to watch and pray at this time of year but if we aren't observing his holy days how can we do that?

"If the world hates you, know that it hated me before you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, for that reason the world hates you." -John 15:18-19
The Messiah shares at Passover that he does not expect his followers to fit in with the world. And he's okay with that. He understood completely what it was like to be hated for the things he said and the lifestyle he chose to live. So if you're keeping Passover instead of the mainstream Easter holiday of course people are going to be upset, but it's really not about you; it's about them rejecting the ways of YHWH.

"In the world you have pressure, but take courage, I have overcome the world." -John 16:33
Passover is a beautiful time to remember that the Messiah overcame all the difficulties and injustices that we face. 

"This is my body which is given for you, do this in remembrance of me." -Luke 22:19
Do what to remember the Messiah? Eat bread at Passover.

"Go and prepare the Passover for us." -Luke 22:8
Here is the Messiah literally commanding his followers to take time to celebrate Passover. This is absolutely still worth doing today.

"The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." -Matthew 26:41
This verse describes how many of us as believers genuinely want to follow and serve the Messiah, but our flesh often is our biggest hurdle. The spirit is willing...but the flesh likes chocolate Easter rabbits. The spirit is willing...but the flesh has too many good Christmas memories to let go of. It takes intention and training to get your flesh under control of your spirit. Participating in YHWH's set apart times is an opportunity to strengthen your faith.

"You shall deny me three times." -Mark 14:30
Yahusha obviously knew what it was like to have people intentionally disassociate with him. When Peter denied him later that night, he wasn't just saying that he didn't know Yahusha. He was saying that he hadn't just partook in the Passover meal with him. How many people do you know that claim to love and honor the Messiah but adamantly deny his invitation to the Passover celebration? Let's not deny that as the Passover lamb, the feasts of YHWH are very near to the Messiah's heart.

"You do not know what I am doing now, but you shall know after this." -John 13:7
I love this verse because it tells me that I don't have to have all of the instructions figured out or to be able to fully see how YHWH is working in my life. Eventually all of these things will become clear but in the meantime all we have to do is walk in faith. I love the promise that even if keeping YHWH's feasts, honoring Shabbat, and so on don't make sense right now we will be able to see the Messiah in them someday.

"You should do as I have done." -John 13:15
Don't miss that the Messiah challenged us to live the way he did during one of YHWH's set apart times. Yahusha kept the feasts and we should too.

Preparing Spiritually and Emotionally for Passover

With Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits coming up I think we should take a moment to talk about preparing spiritually for these set apart times.

Since Matzah Week calls for a cleaning out of the leaven in our homes it's easy to get focused on that, and end up neglecting emotional and spiritual care in the busyness. But the point of cleaning our homes serves as a picture of what we should be doing internally. Cleaning out the fridge or cupboard let's us find what has gone bad or gotten stale, so that we can remove it before it attracts bugs or spreads it's rottenness to anything else. To make room for something fresh and wonderful. Same thing with evaluating where we are emotionally and with our faith. Get rid of the bad stuff and make room for something better.

How can we do this? Take a few minutes to honestly assess where you are right now, where you came from, and where you would like to be. The Passover season brings us back to the Israelites leaving a place of less (Egypt) and journeying to the Promised Land. Where is YHWH inviting you to if you leave behind what you've settled for? What steps can you take to get there? This time is a celebration of freedom with slaves being set free and that the sacrifice of the Messiah makes this possible for us.

I also recommend reading the story of Exodus and the accounts of the Last Supper to see what jumps out at you. I have no doubt that YHWH has much to speak to you through these parts of Scripture. How does what he is saying fit with your own journey or what steps is he asking you to take to follow him more?

The following are a few simple questions for you to help evaluate yourself. The goal is just to be honest and say what your past year (or so, you can pick how long) was like, and what you're hoping for the upcoming year. You can also do this with your spouse or your family. Pray about the state of your spiritual and emotional health, and then come up with a few doable steps you can take for more positive change in your life. 

Questions to Evaluate Spiritual and Emotional Health:

How was this past year for you? What changes did you go through?

In what ways have you grown recently?

In what ways have you seen YHWH move or be faithful this past year?

Some of your favorite moments from the past year were:

What changes have you made in the past year for spiritual, physical, and emotional health?

Are there changes that YHWH is asking you to make now?

Is there an area you would like to be quicker to turn to prayer in?

The time you most often pray is:

Your favorite time to read Scripture is:

You feel closest to YHWH when:

How do you handle and cope with stress, anxiety, anger, sadness, etc.?

What are three things you do for self care?

What aspect of self care do you need to get better at?

Three things you do for joy are:

Verses you turn to for comfort include:

What are your goals and hopes for the upcoming year? Spiritual or otherwise.

I'm also including this link so you can download and print these questions, so you can contemplate them somewhere other than a device. Asking myself questions like these help me to to have a better sense of the path I have walked on and where I am headed. This is a special part of the Passover season, to remember our own personal exodus and to praise YHWH for the work he has done in our lives. I hope you find this a helpful way to prepare!

Related posts:
Six Things You Can Do Now to Get Ready for the Spring Feasts
The Beginner's Guide to Passover
Five Reasons Why Believers Should Keep Passover

Things the Messiah Said During Sukkot

Did you know the Messiah had a lot to say during the Biblical holiday of Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles? I believe this holiday is significant to the Messiah because at this time we remember that he dwelled with us and will once again come to live amongst us. This post takes a look at the words of Jesus during the festival of Sukkot. 

If we study Scripture we can see that the Messiah did keep the feasts, including Sukkot. He would have spent time in a temporary dwelling, he went to the Temple to celebrate with others, and he taught there. We have this special glimpse into his life, because everything he did was within the context of obedience to Scripture. There is added depth to the words of the Messiah when we realize where and when those statements were made. Think of what Sukkot looks like; the temporary dwellings, the four species, and imagine Yahusha in the midst of that speaking these words.

Things the Messiah Said During Sukkot:

"If anyone thirsts, let them come to me and drink." -John 7:37
This is a beautiful verse with added meaning: if you wanted to come to the Messiah then and there you would have to come to the feast of Sukkot. And by coming to Sukkot he would refresh and revive you.

"Go up to the festival." -John 7:8
Here is an example of Jesus verbally encouraging people to keep the feasts of YHWH. When he told his brothers to go up to keep Sukkot, it was not an abstract or simple idea. First of all, it's over 60 miles from the Galilee area to Jerusalem. And Sukkot is also an eight day festival. In essence he was telling them to take their time, money, and resources to honor YHWH. He didn't throw in, "if you want to," or "if it's convenient." The savior told them to celebrate Tabernacles.

"He that believes in me as the Scriptures have said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." -John 7:38
When Yahusha said this the only Scripture that existed is what we now call the Old Testament. He wants us to see that these writings - Genesis, Malachi, Chronicles, everything - are about him. They talk about him, they prophesy of him, they point to him. That includes the feasts. Why would we forgo a commandment of YHWH that points to the Messiah?

"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." - John 7:24
Usually only the first three words of this verse are quoted. The Messiah expects his followers to use discernment when evaluating circumstances and relationships. He expects us to look at an action and be able to tell if it is something that lines up with Scripture or not. As with traffic laws, it is not my responsibility to toll out penalties for violating the rules. But still I can see that running a stop sign is a breach of the law. In the same way, if my friend is driving I won't give them a ticket for speeding but I can suggest they slow down. Yahusha expects us to use righteous discernment in our lives.

"Are you angry that I made a man entirely well on the Sabbath?" -John 7:23
The Messiah asked this question in response to accusations that he was demonically possessed. This is similar to popular responses to those who are seeking to live righteously by keeping God's feasts and such. "You're crazy! You've been deceived into thinking observing the commandments is important." In John 5 he healed a man at another festival of YHWH (which was probably also Sukkot), on the Sabbath. This was not a violation of the Torah, but an offensive to rules made up by men. Going against status quo is nearly always upsetting to others.

"The world hates me because I bear witness that its works are wicked." -John 7:7
If you're a Tabernacles celebrator you might feel a little bit out of place at this time of year. What do the neighbors think of the sukkah? Stores are decorated for Halloween. Your coworkers don't quite get the importance of this week for you. Choosing to keep the Biblical holidays points out to others that the typical holidays are not okay.

"My teaching is from the one who sent me." -John 7:16
Here he pointed out that he is teaching is consistent with what YHWH had already commanded throughout Scripture. This is significant because it tells us that Yahusha's instructions line up with YHWH. YHWH wants Sukkot honored, so does the Messiah.

Scripture points to the Messiah's birth being during Sukkot as well. Math can be done to figure out when John the Baptist's father served in the Temple, shortly afterwards Elizabeth was pregnant with John. We know that John was six months older than Jesus, so the family likely had a Passover baby and a Sukkot baby that year. We also see that the Savior was literally born in a sukkah and that the wording of the angel's announcement to the shepherds was very Sukkot-centric.

Scripture also tell us that during Sukkot The Messiah:

-Went to the temple for Sukkot. -John 7:2

-Taught. -John 7:14

-Sent people to celebrate Sukkot. -John 7:8

-Went to the festival. -John 7:10

"The one who says he lives in him ought to walk as he did." -1 John 2:6

More on Sukkot:
Everything You Should Know about the Feast of Tabernacles
8 Things Scripture Says about Sukkot
Sukkot Bible Reading Plan

5 Things The Messiah Taught About the Sabbath

These are some of the things the Messiah said about the Sabbath day. Religious leaders were often upset with his actions on the Sabbath, not because he was breaking God's laws about the set apart day, but because he was setting aside the tedious manmade rules they had made up. Jesus was always in favor of going back to the simplicity of what Scripture instructs, so that keeping the Sabbath is doable for all of God's people.

The Messiah always kept and honored Shabbat. We see him eating in someone's home, instead of buying food in the marketplace. We see him teaching, in place of doing his carpentry work. We see him going to congregation, as opposed to working at home. He walks with his disciples, instead of saddling up a horse or hiring a chariot for transportation. All of those things he did to honor YHWH's set apart day. He also talked about the Sabbath.

Here are five things the Messiah taught about the Sabbath day:

1. "Shabbat was made for mankind." -Mark 2:27
Yes, YHWH created Shabbat for us. not for his own benefit. Not for the angels. Not just for the sake of having rules. Not only for the people who lived 3,000 years ago. He made it for us, as a gift. A custom gift; this is not like trying to squeeze into your little sister's jeans. This is a tailor made jacket that fits perfectly. It suits us. Yahusha taught that the Sabbath was a gift from YHWH especially for us.

2. "The son of man is master of the Sabbath." -Luke 6:5

Yahusha chose to describe himself in relation to Shabbat, and that shows us part of his identity that he values. Mastering something doesn't make it null and void. On the contrary, when someone says they have mastered something - whether that's organic chemistry, croissant baking, or a second language - it means they have purposefully spent a lot of time on it and it's important to them. Why would we treat the Messiah's declaration of Shabbat differently? He was speaking of the Sabbath because it's something he cares about.

3. He made a practice of teaching people on the Sabbath. -Luke 4:31

Many of us have been told  that it doesn't matter what day of the week we worship YHWH, but isn't it worthwhile to see that our Savior made it a point to do this on the seventh day of the week? He didn't limit himself to teaching one day a week but his habit was teaching on Shabbat. Yahusha organized his life with respect to this day. We can also see that he expects his people to learn on Shabbat.

4. "It is permitted in Torah to do good deeds on Shabbat." -Matthew 12:12

Many have taken the accusations of the Pharisees to mean that the Messiah violated the Sabbath. Truthfully they were only accusing him of breaking their own traditions, not commandments of YHWH. Yahusha teaches that it's okay to disregard manmade rules or expectations for what the Sabbath day looks like, as long as we honor YHWH's instructions. He also tells us here that Shabbat contradicts nothing that YHWH has said because we are free to keep all of his commandments on this day.

5. People get healed on the Sabbath. -Mark 3:5
Whoa. The number of times Yahusha healed someone on Shabbat show that YHWH is trying to communicate something with us. While healing is certainly possible any day of the week it is worth noticing that the Messiah consistently healed those who came to him on Shabbat.

This list is not exhaustive but we can see that Shabbat was something important to both the Messiah and to the writers of the Gospels. Many teachings recorded in Scripture were spoken by the Messiah on the Sabbath and then reiterated by Paul and others on later Sabbath days. We can now make the same choice to honor YHWH's set apart day.

More on the Sabbath:
What to Do on the Sabbath
Sabbath in the New Testament
Why I'm Still Keeping the Sabbath

Why I Stopped Celebrating Christmas as a Believer in Messiah (Quitting Christmas Q+A)

For the first 20 years of my life I was an enthusiastic Christmas celebrator. Christmas was special to me and I felt it had spiritual significance. My family loved celebrating the birth of our Messiah. We never did much with Santa and our family emphasized that the point of this season was Yahusha. We meant well.

Of course, Scripture doesn't teach that we can do what we want as long as we have good intentions. As with Hanukkah, there are no passages of Scripture telling us to celebrate Christmas, or even the Messiah's birth. Most of us have heard of the paganism involved in this holiday, so I don't want to take the time to extrapolate the pagan connections to Christmas, but I would recommend this video if you are interested in learning more.

I stopped celebrating Christmas and I know that most people don't get that, especially at this time of year. It's not a subject that most people are willing to talk about. I get that because I used to get defensive about it as well. I thought I would address here some of the questions I've gotten over the years about deciding to no longer celebrate Christmas. Sometimes it's easier to learn when you're alone with an article than when you're confronted by a person you disagree with. :)

Why did you decide to quit Christmas? It started with a prayer, "Take away things in my life that don't honor you." This was at a point where we had already made some changes in our faith practice, like observing Shabbat. Soon after this prayer lots of things about the origins of Christmas came up, and we also heard of many others who stopped celebrating after a closer look at the origins of this day. We knew that YHWH was speaking to us.

A big eye opener for me was realizing that most of the world, religious or not, believers in Messiah or not, celebrates Christmas. If other cultures and religions have no problem with joining in with our holidays, how 'faith based' can they be? Because outside western culture most people can see Christmas for what it really is, and that's not a celebration of the Messiah.

Was it hard to stop celebrating Christmas? Very! We didn't choose to walk away because we didn't enjoy it nor value it. It felt like something was missing when we didn't put stockings up or bake Christmas cookies, but we knew we wanted to follow YHWH. The first year or two is like working to lift a very heavy weight from your chest, definitely a difficult process and not fun at the time, but afterwards you feel so much better. Each year gets easier.

But I love Christmas! Yeah, I did too. The songs. Family gathering. Giving presents. Stockings. The classic stories. Favorite Christmas movies. Manger scenes. Me loving something doesn't equal YHWH's approval though.

But isn't Christmas in the Bible? Actually, many elements of traditional Christmas celebrations get a mention in Scripture, only in a very negative, don't-do-this sort of way. For instance Jeremiah 10 expressly tells us not to learn the ways of those who cut down trees and then deck them with silver and gold. The word Christmas, like Easter, does not appear in Scripture.

What about the 'Christmas' story? The Luke 2 story - angels appearing to Mary and Joseph, the shepherds in the field, Mary giving birth to Yahusha in a sukkah with animals - is absolutely a precious part of Scripture. It's unfortunate that many elements of this have been totally misconstrued. The wise men didn't arrive for a couple of years after his birth. The shepherds didn't have their sheep grazing on winter's snow. The date was certainly not December 25. And the name that the angel declared the Messiah would be called was not Jesus. And of course at the time of the Messiah's birth no one in Bethlehem had a tree up in their home or told their children stories of elves making toys on the North Pole.

Shouldn't we celebrate our Savior's birth though? Should we be grateful that Yahusha came to earth in the flesh to bring us correct understanding of the Word and ultimately to die for our sins? Of course! May we always be. That said, Scripture does not tell us we should and birthday celebrations aren't a Hebrew idea. The two or three birthdays Scripture mentions (Pharaoh, King Herod, possibly Job's son) all end in death. If you still find yourself wanting to celebrate his birth the appropriate time to do that would be when Yahusha was actually born, in the fall during Sukkot.

I know the Messiah really wasn't born in December but this tradition is important to me and I mean well. There is another story of a group of people that feared and loved YHWH who decided to throw a festival in his honor. Offerings were made. Time was spent making a beautiful decoration. They feasted on food and drink. They laughed and played games. How did YHWH respond to this? Was he appreciative? Did he say, "well it's the thought that counts"? He was ready to kill them. You can read about this incident in Exodus 32.

Can't God redeem pagan things? Reading through Scripture this doesn't seem to be his approach. He could have redeemed the golden calf (they did mean it as a celebration to YHWH after all - Exodus 32:5), but didn't and the people were punished. He could have used that temple of ba'al as a worship center for himself but instead had it turned into a public toilet (2 Kings 10:27). He could have re-purposed some of those asherah poles but always ordered them to be smashed. He could have told us to accept our culture but he said, "Come out of her and be clean."

What about the kids? Yes, making changes can be disappointing for children. Changing holidays is tough for all ages. But it's far better that children grow up learning truth and how to walk in YHWH's ways, than to be blinded by cultural lies in the name of fun. Not celebrating Christmas doesn't mean you have to be miserable though. Replacing pagan holidays with the seven festivals of YHWH can be tremendously joyful as you set apart his times. Plus, YHWH's feast days make up 19 days of the year, not to mention the weekly Shabbat. That's a lot more celebrating than the five or six days of cultural holidays.

Don't you miss celebrating it? My siblings both live out of state so I'm often nostalgic for days when my whole family is together, including at Christmas. There are a few Christmas songs that I really liked that I miss. Other than that, no. I don't find myself wishing my house was decked in red and green or anything like that.

Wait a minute, are you just trying to take Christ out of Christmas? Well, sort of. I think Christ should be removed from Christmas because, well, he doesn't have anything to do with it in the first place. I think it's sad and ironic one of the few causes Believers are willing to rally behind is this. Not the persecution of Believers in the Middle East, not the Ten Commandments being removed from public buildings, not the rights of students to be able to pray in schools, just that cups at Starbucks aren't plastered with the name of a holiday the Messiah didn't celebrate. I have yet to hear anyone who is upset about a "happy holidays" greeting complain that Starbucks doesn't go unleavened during Matzah Week or that no major retailer has a Shavuot section.

How do you feel when you see Christmas stuff? Okay, so no one has actually asked me about this but maybe it's something people wonder about? When I walk into an office with a tree up or visit a friend's fully decorated home or see manger scenes in the neighborhood my heart sighs. I think, there is so much more for you.

What's the best part of not keeping Christmas? My faith has grown so much by taking this tangible step to follow YHWH! It's nice to read through Scriptures like Jeremiah 10 and not make excuses for what I'm doing, and also to be able to relate to people like Ruth who left their culture to live YHWH's way.

Also, this sounds odd but seasonality has been something I've worked on lately. Things like eating the foods that are seasonally available, and adjusting sleep patterns with sunlight and so forth. And it always felt unnatural to me that during what is typically a cold and icy month we would travel so much, to stores and parties and so on. Having December as more of a low key time makes so much more sense to me. The lovely Spring and Fall weather of Passover and Sukkot is when I want to be out doing things. Does that make sense? It might not be something you can appreciate until you've been there.

What's weird about Christmas now? So many things, but mostly the Santa pictures I see on social media. Can we talk about how weird it is that suddenly handing your baby off to a random stranger is acceptable? Doesn't it seem unwise to teach your child it's okay to trust this man they don't know? Should college girls really be sitting on the lap of some guy in costume? The really bizarre thing is that my not-so-religious friends don't seem to care much about this but the ones on staff at a church or who went to seminary or Bible college? They are hunting Santa down! I don't get that, okay?!

How do family and friends feel about you not celebrating? Some have taken it better than others. But usually it's a range from confused to offended. And for that, I am sorry. The last thing I want is to hurt feelings. This change doesn't impact that I love the people in my life. I get why they enjoy Christmas, because I did for so long too. I just feel like YHWH has called us to better things.

How do you handle Christmas parties? On one hand, I definitely get wanting to avoid all connection to and appearance of celebrating Christmas. On the other, it does seem in John 10 that Yahusha was at the temple during Hanukkah festivities. Of course, he was not throwing the party or leading the songs or making the donuts. He was teaching truth. So I think a lot of this decision depends on what you would be doing at the party. Wearing an ugly sweater, giving a secret Santa gift, and just participating in whatever the Christmas party is doing is very different from the family reunion type of events where you can share with a pro-life cousin what is so horrific about a yule log. Obviously you need to pray and ask YHWH for direction on this, but chances are you will be less busy than normal.

How do you reconcile viewing Christmas as ungodly with good childhood memories of it? All I can say is that we did what we thought to be true at the time. 2 Peter 3:18 tells us that we should grow in the knowledge of Yahusha. Growth means changing. Just as a mature flower looks different than it did when it was a seedling, we can grow without resenting our past. My family celebrated what we believed to be was something that honored YHWH. Now that we know differently our lives should reflect that.

How about you? What kind of questions do you get asked? Is this something you're comfortable talking about?

Related posts:
Sharing Your Faith When Someone Wishes You a Merry Christmas
The Hebrew's Guide to Getting Through December
What C.S. Lewis Was Wrong About
Five Things Every Believer Should Know About Christmas