Or, did Yehovah command them to destroy the altars and NOT approach Him as the pagans approached their gods? Can we take pagan practices and “Christianize” them? If so, why don’t we use temple prostitutes? If not, why do we insist on evergreens, balls, wreaths, eggs and bunnies?
Please. Do the serious research. “Christmas” was around 1500 years before Messiah Yeshua was born…
http://bible.com/100/deu.12.30-31.NASB
11:3 Restoration 
Some powerful truths…yet still we are called to ‘redeem’ our times…(Ephesians 5:16)…I am grateful for those who celebrate Christmas in His Light…but I ‘hear you’…
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When you say “I am grateful for those who celebrate Christmas in His light” … wouldn’t it be similar to saying that you are thankful that some of those who were present at the golden calf incident in Exodus 32 were celebrating in His light? They said that this was their God, YHWH, who led them out of Egypt. Weren’t they taking a heathen practice and attributing the name of YHWH to it?
But what was YHWH’s response? Verse 7 says that they have corrupted themselves. Verse 8 says that they have turned away from what He commanded them. Basically, they were saying “We are celebrating this in your light”, but it was very clearly against his word.
I think that is the point that Pete is trying to make. We can choose to worship Him, the way that He tells us to … when He tells us to … or we can choose to turn away from what He has commanded, and take heathen practices and times and claim that we are worshiping Him. But in so doing, the scriptures say that we are corrupting ourselves.
Go one verse further in Ephesians chapter 5. Verse 7 says “Be not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is”. If we are to redeem the time because the days are evil, shouldn’t we redeem them in the way that He commands us to do so? Shalom to your hearts and home. Tom
P.S. There are some beautiful pictures on your blog!
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Really good points Tom. I would like to hear the thoughts of other’s too on this idea that pagan, occult things can be “redeemed”, or “reconciled by the blood of Jesus”. I hear this reasoning a fair amount, especially in regard to Christmas but also in regard to things like “Christian yoga”. If I understand LightWriters correctly, the premise seems to be that a “New Testament” believer can “do” pagan practices based on Colossians 1:20.
“…and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”
Shabbat Shalom!
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