Do not worship as the heathen do

Most "christians" defend their pagan practices while claiming those practices are not pagan.  This is especially true with the holidays (holy days) that originated in paganism and was "christianized" by the pagan catholic "church" around AD 400.

The holiday coming up known as 'christmas' is entirely pagan in origin.  Every aspect of the celebration came from pagan celebrations that originated before Yeshua's birth. The pagan celebration was "christianized" by constantine and it became a pagan/christian celebration known as "Christ's Mass" and shortened to christmas which it is known by to this day.

The real christmas story is one of ba-al tammuz, his birth, and his deification and has nothing to do with Messiah Yeshua (Jesus') birthday.  http://www.sabbathcovenant.com/book2MysteryReligionOfBabylon/Chapter5.htm

There are many sites on the internet where you can find "pastors" defending celebrating christmas.  One pastor,  the popular youtube "pastor" JD Farag who tickles the masses ears with "bible prophecy"  every week stated in a video that "the origins of christmas are entirely pagan" and goes on to explain that all the customs are pagan and the holiday was originally pagan - then he goes on to explain that "now it is a celebration of Christ's birth and we can use it as a witnessing tool", etc.  An admittance it is pagan but justifying celebrating it because it "has a good meaning to it now".  Yet he, as well as other "pastors", condemn those who try and do the same thing with other pagan celebrations such as halloween.

It does not matter where its origin is or what meaning people give to it - if it is not how Yahweh said to worship, we are to not worship Him that way.  When Aaron made the golden calf for Ancient Israel to 'worship Yahweh', Yahweh became so angry with them He nearly wiped them out.

Exodus 32
2  And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.
3  And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.
4  And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
5  And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD.
6  And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
7  And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:
8  They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
9  And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:
10  Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

Throughout the old testament, Ancient Israel worship the pagan deities - including tammuz - and Yahweh was angry at them.  At times Ancient Israel denied they were worshiping false "gods" and thought they could use the pagan worship for the worship of Yahweh and Yahweh called it an abomination to Him.

Jeremiah 2:23  How canst thou say: 'I am not defiled, I have not gone after the Baalim'? See thy way in the Valley, know what thou hast done; thou art a swift young camel traversing her ways;

Jeremiah 9
13  And the LORD saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein;
14  But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them: 
15  Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.
16  I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them.

Ezekiel 8
13  He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do.
14  Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.
15  Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.
16  And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.

As stated previously, the christmass celebration was incorporated into catholicism in about 400AD and was celebrated by the pagan "church" since then.  When the anti-semite Martin Luther penned the "95 Theses" attacking the catholic church for selling indulgences.  His theses was the start of the Protestant REFORMATION.  Understand that this was a reformation of a few doctrines Luther did not agree with and was not a restoration back to the worship and following Messiah of the early church.  Luther, and protestants, kept most of what the catholic church taught including pagan holidays of easter and christmas.  Even then, there were many churches that came out of the reformation and condemned both christmas and easter as pagan.  Holidays such as christmas were not celebrated by the Puritans and the colonies outlawed christmas as being pagan for many years:  http://www.livescience.com/32891-why-was-christmas-banned-in-america-.html    christmas did not gain popularity in the United States until anti-semite Charles Dickens wrote 'A Christmas Carol" and came to the United States to promote it and the celebration of christmas.  The holiday christmas became legal in the United States shortly after (1860)

Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) Stated "Those who follow the custom of observing christmas, follow not the bible but pagan ceremonies"

Today catholics have idols in their churches and they worship the idols even though they deny they do.  Protestants deny catholics are christians in part due the the idolatry of the catholic church yet most protestants also worship idols (which they also deny worshiping)

Idol worship is an abomination to Yahweh no matter what the justification is behind it

catholic idol                                              protestant "christmas" idols

worship of the cross by pagan protestant

Deuteronomy 7
25  The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God.
26  Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.

Nowhere does the bible say to celebrate Messiah Yeshua's birthday.  Nowhere does the bible say to "christianize" pagan holidays (and often gives examples of when Ancient Israel did and Yahweh calling it an abomination) and NOWHERE does the bible say we are to participate in pagan celebrations and then claim it is to "worship Yahweh / Yeshua".  The verse many rebellious people use to justify their pagan practices is where the apostle Paul said to not let anyone judge you for obeying Yahweh's Sabbath, feast days, or new moon, etc. and people twist it around to make it say to not let people judge them for their disobedient pagan practices - twisting it to their own destruction just as Peter said they would do:

Colossians 2
16  Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17  Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

2 Peter 3
14  Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
15  And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16  As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
17  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

The apostle Paul: Zealous for the law, but not traditions

Many "christians" use the book of Galatians to try and prove the apostle Paul was speaking against Yahweh's instructions and try and make a case that we are no longer to follow the Torah (or Law - better translated as instructions)  They use verses such as Galatians 1:13-16 to claim Paul was speaking against Yahweh's instructions - His Torah.

Galatians 1
13  For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
14  And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
15  But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
16  To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

Paul was speaking against the TRADITIONS, not the law just like "christians" celebrate christmas and easter and claim it is "worship of God" or "celebrating Jesus' birthday and resurrection".  The holidays of christmas and easter have NOTHING to do with True Christianity just like the traditions Paul was keeping had NOTHING to do with worship of Yahweh or following Messiah Yeshua.  Notice Paul did NOT say that he was following Torah and  that was wrong - he said he was in the JEWS RELIGION and following TRADITION.  Torah is not tradition, it is Yahweh's instruction and is, like Yahweh, the 'same yesterday, today, and forever'.

Messiah Yeshua also spoke against TRADITION of the rabbis.  Since Yeshua NEVER sinned and sin is violation of Torah, He never spoke against the Torah but spoke against the traditions that the rabbis had added to their religion.  Yeshua said the pharisees were violating the law by their TRADITIONS.  This is the very same thing that "christians" are doing when they celebrate pagan holidays that are actually worshiping other [false] "gods" and when "christians" claim that "sunday is the christian Sabbath" where there is no such thing in scripture.

Matthew15:3  But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

1 John 3:4  Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

Many "christians" believe that "sunday is the christian sabbath" simply because the catholic church told them it was.  They use the reasoning that Paul spoke until midnight sunday and they congregation had a church service all day long because of this verse:

Acts 20:7  And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

1)  The day starts at sundown so this was saturday night after the TRUE Sabbath ended
2) Until 135 AD (because of the bar Kokhba revolt) the believing Jews and gentiles met with the unbelieving Jews in the synagogues to worship Yahweh and learn Torah

Acts 13
13 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.
14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.
15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.

Acts 15
19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:
20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.

3) sunday morning worship did not start until centuries later
4) the work week was six days with Sabbath being the only day off.  The work week and school week today in Israel is 5-1/2 days long (they end the day early on friday to prepare for Shabbat - the Sabbath)
5) After the Sabbath, the disciples met to have a meal to fellowship after having learned Torah in the synogogue in the morning and learning about Yeshua after the synagogue service ended.

When the apostle Paul taught in Berea, it was before he wrote any of the letters which became part of the new testament.  The only scripture Paul's teachings were compared with was the Torah, the prophets,  and the rest of the writings of the old testament,

Acts 17
10  And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11  These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
12  Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

Yeshua never broke Torah (which is what sin is) otherwise He would not have been qualified to be Messiah.  The apostle Paul never taught against Torah otherwise he would not have been a true apostle and the Bereans would have rejected him.

When Paul returned to Jerusalem, James told him there was a controversy in that the believing Jews who were ZEALOUS FOR THE LAW believed Paul had been speaking against the law.  James said he knew that Paul had not violated the law and asked him to show the believers in Jerusalem that he was still keeping the law.  NOTE:  it was IMPORTANT to James that Paul show that he was not a law breaker.  Obviously James was teaching the believers in Jerusalem that they were to obey the law!  Also note, this included sacrifices - obviously not sin sacrifices but those of purification and other vows (such as the Nazarite vow)

Acts 21
18  And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.
19  And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.
20  And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:
21  And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.
22  What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.
23  Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;
24  Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.
25  As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.
26  Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.

People love to twist Paul because, like Peter said, he is hard to understand.  Peter said those who twist the words of Paul fall from the error of the lawless.  

2 Peter 3
14  Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.
15  And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him,
16  as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.
17  You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.

If anything Paul said contradicted Messiah Yeshua, then Paul would be false so if a person  believes Paul said we no longer had to obey the Torah (the law) and Messiah Yeshua said we do - then that person is claiming Paul's words have a higher authority than the Messiah they claim to follow and are claiming Yeshua is not their Messiah but Paul is since that is the voice they are listening to.  The apostle Paul is a true apostle and most people do not understand him.  Most of "christianity" has made the Paul of their own imagination and is the "messiah" they are following.  Many of the  christians who now claim to follow Torah also do not understand Paul so they claim he is a false apostle.  This false assumption of Paul places 90% of the new testament into question which discredits the entire new testament cannon of scripture.

Those who claim to follow Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) need to obey what He said and follow HIM.  If something in the bible seems to contradict Torah which Yeshua never violated or spoke against (if He had spoken against it, it would have been rebellion against Yahweh) then the troublesome passage needs to be studied to see the true meaning of it.

1 John 3:4  Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

Matthew 7
21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. ^G458

Strong's number G458 iniquity (transliterated as anomia)   :
anomia
1) the condition of without law
     a) because ignorant of it
     b) because of violating it
2) contempt and violation of law, iniquity, wickedness

John14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

John15:10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

1 John 2
3  And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

1 John 5
2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

Revelation 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.