From: heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
To: "Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup"<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
Date: Thu, 25 Dec 1997 03:51:52 +0000
Subject: Christmas Comments and Keeping the Festivals
From: Ken Jeffries
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: Christmas and family
Shalom Eddie and Mishpacha
I have read your emails and comments and have come to many of the
conclusions that you have.
I have just put up a Christmas tree, my wife is not a believer and she
wanted a tree, so I got her one and she asked me to decorate it which I
did. I wasn't happy about doing it, but as Eddie clearly states we must do
things in love, I do not want to put myself in a position of destroying the
love that Y'shua is putting into me and allowing that love to shine out
toward my wife.
On Christmas Day we will sit down to a meal. My wife and I are vegetarians
(I have had some grief about that from "christians") so we will eat a nut
roast, my mother, Joan's mother and my wifes uncle will eat turkey. I have
felt for the last couple of Christmas's that things were not right but I am
going to go along with hope that when I tell them about the real festivals
we should be celebrating they too will understand that there is an error, but
again I have to tread carefully IN LOVE because apart from my mother
(who became born again last year at the age of 83! thank You L-rd) the
rest including any family visitors we have will be un-believers.
Thank you Eddie that you are showing us what these festivals mean,
sometimes we read our bibles and do not really take everything in, thinking
that these festivals are for the Jews only...........THEY ARE NOT!!. They
are for all G-ds people, Jew and gentile. Thank you Eddie for being a
wonderful teacher through Rauch HaKodesh.
G-d bless you all, may our L-rd lead you all in the path of His Light.
B'shem Y'shua HaMassiach
Ken
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From: Bruce Barham
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: Re: December 25th as Yeshua Lord's birthday
Eddie,
Thank you soooo much for your excellent article about the pagan
origins of Christmas. I especially like the way you ended with the
question,
"Think about this for a minute, the roots of Christianity are either
in Rome or Jerusalem. The roots of Christianity are either Catholic or
Jewish. Where do you think the roots of Christianity are?"
As simple and obvious a questions as this is, I rarely think to ask
it. I appreciate you showing me this. I forwarded you email to
several "Christians" I am slowly trying to nudge towards the Hebraic
roots.
In Him,
Bruce...
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To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
From: pottersclay@mail.icnet.net (Randy Felton)
Subject: Re: Celebrating Christmas - Part II
Dear Eddie,
I have read with interest the comments on Christmas. I agree with all
of them. This is a hard subject to tackle in our society. My wife and
I are members of a Reformed Church....God told us several years we
were to join and help the congregation rebuild. I have asked the Lord
to be released from this task in recent years and He has seen fit to
deny the request. So, here we are stuck in a church that we don't
fully agree with (the aspect of replacement theology) and yet is full
of very special people.
For me, Christmas is not such an issue right now. I am struggling to
get a hearing about changing our celebration of our Lords death,
burial and ressurection to coincide with Passover. I see Easter as a
much larger issue and one where it seems logical to start. Unless God
does a mighty mass move in the hearts of those in the congregation,
this will be a long and slow process.
Bless you and your efforts to bring light to these subjects that are
hard to address. I appreciate your balance.
Shalom, Randy
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From: Mildred R Walden
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: Re: Celebrating Christmas - Part II
Eddie:
I would like very much to be able to write what I feel only
this comes hard for me, I want very much to be more involved and I am
hopping as I go along to over come this, When I read Pam Staley
message I had to repley She said what I feel in my heart, when I hear
this my heart seemes to sweel with love for HA SHEM to the point of
exploding, I dont know why I was spared the taunting maybe because I
did'nt care what any one thouht and they senced it & I thank HA SHem
for it for I know it was because of him,I know he brought me to this
web site and I am being feed again,
Shalom, (peace)
love Millie
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From: "Jon Foster"
To: <heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
Subject: Re: Celebrating Christmas
Dear Family,
For those who can find NO redeeming (or redeemable) qualities in
Christmas <PERIOD>, please consider that the very reasons to decree an
outright ban on its celebration would also necessitate a prohibition
of traditional Sunday worship.
When the apostles were confronted by the news that the Ruach HaKodesh
was at work even amongst the gentiles, they had the grace to accept
that maybe G-d's ways were larger than their scope of understanding.
We are all very much aware that His same Spirit has worked (and works)
powerfully for His glory in churches ... yes, on "Sundays" and even
during "Christmas" celebrations where His name is honored and Immanuel
is adored.
If G-d was neither able or willing to meet humans "where they
were/are" there would be no hope for any of us. After all, this is
what the incarnation is all about!
In Immanuel's Love!!!
Jon Foster
>From Eddie:
**************
Jon,
If it wasn't for the grace, goodness and mercy of God, we would
all be like Sodom and Gomorrah ... praise God for His goodness !!!
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From: "Jason T. Olivea"
To: heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
Subject: Re: Celebrating Christmas - Part II
Eddie,
In reading all of the discussions on Christmas I came away with these
thoughts.
The root of the problem is not Christmas! Christmas when taken
to the LIGHT of Scripture is demonic to its very root which you have
proven so from the Scriptures. The root of the Christmas problem is
the FLESH! Christmas feels good, mankind is happier during this time
of year, theres a sense of more love in the air, it looks good and
pretty, etc. We all need to remember how eve was decieved by satan in
the garden. It was known what God's commands were "don't eat of that
tree" but when mankind like eve relies on sense knowledge for
discernment "it looked good" we once again fall into the same tactics.
Yet we are very ignorant and perish for a lack of knowledge still
after thousands of years, NOBODY is excluded! satan is still using his
orginial tactics. And what was the result of mankind using the flesh
for discernment??? The fall of man which resulted in SIN &
DISOBEDIENCE!!! When Christians come against these teachings it is
their flesh that is screaming NO! When the flesh enjoys something and
then we come to Christ we cover things like Christmas with Christian
verbage so that we can keep the old-man intact. These are just my
thoughts and ideas.
Shalom,
Jason
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From: Jan Stephenson
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: Re: All about Hanukkah
Dear Eddie,
I have been a member of this group for a few months now. Some things
I read, some I do not, but as I was reading about Christmas and
Hanukkah, the Spirit within was moved. Last summer, God led me to buy
a book about Biblical Festivals and Holidays. Then He led me to this
group. I believe He is leading me to do something about all of this
information He has given me. As I write, I'm not sure what I am to
do, except to continue to search and study for Truth about what God
wants for me as one of His children.
Thank you for providing such an informative newsletter. I have learned
so much and know I will continue to learn. I'm even learning some
Hebrew in the process. When many of the members write, they use
words I do not know. Some I can figure out, but some I cannot. I
guess I just need to get a Hebrew dictionary.
Blessings In Him,
Jan
>From Eddie:
**************
Jan,
God bless you! You are taking the correct approach.
#1) STUDY and LEARN and UNDERSTAND your Hebraic Heritage
#2) Allow God to make the Biblical Festivals and the celebration
of them a REALITY in your HEART
#3) THEN, begin to celebrate them as HE leads, directs and guides
you in every step of the process
Be aware that this process usually does not happen
overnite. It takes time. The most important thing is continue to
STUDY and never quit being a STUDENT of God's Word and His Ways.
May God continue to bless you in your studies of the
Hebraic Roots of our faith in Yeshua/Jesus as Messiah.
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From: Pari Johnson
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: Re: Info on Hanukkah
To Ron & Jacqui:
It looks like you have had a good response to your request and have
the history of Hannukah. Now, if you want to have a little fun, may I
suggest doing an internet search, but spell it this way: CHANUKAH.
Visit http://www.holidays.net/chanukah. If you want to send some
e-mail cards, www.123Greetings.com has Hannukah cards, and its
easy to use.
Hannukah Samaiach,
Pari
--
Pari Johnson
http://www.localaccess.com/Pari/
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