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SABBATH BIBLE STUDY

9-15

(2018)

ReNEWed COVENANT Ministry

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Compiled by JS LOWTHER

renewedcovenantministry.com

servant@renewedcovenantministry.com

Below is the head
of the
idol of janusSays a lot about Christian society,

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways!

James 1:8

Keeping a Godly Christmas

Christmas is a compound word, and of Latin origin, of course as it is a holiday feast of the Roman Catholic or Papist church they at one time used the Latin language as the language of the liturgy of ‘high-mass’. You will notice the word ‘mass’, as I have just used it, we commonly do not take the time to see the origin of why Catholics refer to their Eucharist calibration, that is the trans-substantiation where it is believed that the bread and wine of their communion service literally becomes the body and blood of Christ sacrificed for the catholic church, this is called a mass as it is celebrated on sunday or any other canonized-day (canon- that means made legal) to be celebrated as such, seemingly because it is a time of ‘miss’, as it is derived from the Latin Word ‘missa’ or ‘mittus’, we still use the word this way in words like, ‘mission’ as in a missionary , or a ‘remission or emitting’. The word carries the meaning of ‘sending’ a thing, and this case the thing being sent is perhaps the prayers which are carried with the calibration of mass. Some have attempted to Protestantize the word into meaning a time of ‘miss’, in the sense of ‘missing’ work, like a day of rest for Christ, Christ’s remission…So nice we thought of that for him since he forgot to tell us.

We can choose to ignore it, and not look into the origins of things, and even polish up the non-biblical nature of Christmas, buy stating that it is a great time to focus on Christ, we could say that to make us feel better but the fact will remain that Christ-mass by definition, is a day of high mass established by the Papal church, the first remnants of its observation in some form is in the 5th to 6th century in Italy and happened in conjunction with pagan customs of the winter-solstice. It’s canon is entirely wrapped up in a Catholic mass, Christ’s Mass a time of sending prayers to Christ.
And as Westerners as Europeans are considered we often want something that is ours, part of our national Identity or better said our Ethnic Identity as Christians, and for 1500 years Christmas has been part of European Christian celebrations, it is part of our national identities as Christians often times, Papal or not this Mass has emitted far and wide, and it does cause many to reflect in remission upon Christ and his birth, just the last 2 Sabbaths our family morning reading has focused upon the birth of Christ and his early life.
Let us turn to a Chapter we referenced many times in the prior study:
Deu 4:1 Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you.
Deu 4:2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
Deu_4:3 Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baalpeor: for all the men that followed Baalpeor, the LORD thy God hath destroyed them from among you.
Deu 4:4 But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day.
So notice thus far we are told to listen to the statutes and judgments, 1. to live and 2. to possess the land
Next we are forbidden to 1. not add unto YHWH’s word of commandments or 2. take away from it, for the reason that we might keep the commandments of YHWH. This is somewhat repeated in the next verse:
Deu 4:5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.
Yet stepping back to verse 3, we are reminded of the incident of baal-peor, this is found particularly by name in Num_25:3. This is the incident where Balaam the Prophet who was an Aramite, or a Syrian, thus he by kindred was related to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob’s folk, even Laban uncle of Jacob was identified as a ‘Syrian’ or in Hebrew ‘ARAMI’, as well in Deu_26:5 Israelites Identify themselves with ‘A Syrian ready to perish was my father…’ , so Balaam was a kindred to Israel, is the point he was not a total stranger to this people who had left egypt, he to some point also knew the name of YHWH according to Num_23:3, now regardless of who Balaam’s people are one thing we know is certain and that is Balaam knew YHWH and he knew YHWH’s Law, and Balak king of Moab hired this well know prophet to curse Israel. But we know the sorry I hope, YHWH would not curse his people so Balaam had no power to do so, so Balaam couldn’t get paid. However, as Balaam must have thought about it he developed a plan which is found best in the words of Moses when speak of the women of Midian in: Num_31:16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.
So, you can go back and read for your self what had happened in depth, but the happening was that Balaam became desirous of gain, to make money and he used his knowledge of YHWH’s Law to make his bonus, he counseled Balak to get Midianite women, not Moabite women (because ethnicly, according to Deu_23:3 Israel had a prohibition from bearing children with Moab, and in Deu_23:4-5 it is cited as related to that reason, however Balak used woman through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against YHWH committing whoredom with the daughters of Moab.
Num_25:1-2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. Num_25:1-2
It is important to know what YHWH is mentioning here in the context of adding to or diminishing from his Word, as well as to the numbered points of why we are not to do so, thus in direct point of this adding to or diminishing from the word of GOD, he reminds our fathers:
Deu_4:3 Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baalpeor: for all the men that followed Baalpeor, the LORD thy God hath destroyed them from among you.

And he opposes this with the obedient:
Deu 4:4 But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day.
So we will get back into this subject in the times to come, let us continue reading about Israel’s claim to National and Ethnic pride :

Deu 4:6 Keep therefore and do; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
Deu 4:7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?
Deu 4:8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?
Deu 4:9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons;
Deu 4:10 Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.
Deu 4:11 And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.
Deu 4:12 And the LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.
Deu 4:13 And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.
So notice that YHWH is glorifying his Word, his Covenant with Israel and his revealing of himself to them and making a great point to tell them this is how and why Israel will be deemed as Wise, and knowledgeable and an understanding people, it is because he has given Israel as the heirs of Abraham’s promise his WORD in the form of Law. This covenant spoken at Horeb reminds them of the 10 commandments specifically and all that is built upon it , it is YHWH’s Logic are Reasoning, it is perfect and everlasting righteousness, His word is truth, it is YHWH’s Word which we are not to add to or to diminish from, and in relationship to the 2 points: 1. to live and 2. to possess the land.
And to
Deu 4:14 And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it.
Deu 4:15 Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the LORD spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire:
Deu 4:16 Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
Deu 4:17 The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,
Deu 4:18 The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth:
Deu_4:19 And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
Deu 4:20 But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day.

Let us end in reading Deuteronomy 4 here to make the points to tie this to our subject matter, for which I have chosen to expose this text in relationship to non-biblical feasts such as Christmas.
Notice that YHWH says “…Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves…” that you do not make any similitude” anything that has form or ‘likeness’, anything! And so the point is yet again being added that nothing you can see deserves your worship more than the invisible God, nothing, not even the image of the invisible GOD in flesh, the man Jesus the Christ was worshiped beside or before YHWH GOD the invisible. So do not misunderstand me, I am not saying that the Jesus Christ in the flesh was not the WORD of YHWH,that he was not as 1Ti_3:16 says “God… manifest in the flesh”, but what I am saying is that the WORD was made in the likeness of sinful flesh when he came and accomplished the condemning of sin in the flesh he was not here for the purpose of worship Rom_8:3 , rather he was manifested to take away your sins (1_John3:5) according to the plan of YHWH.
Often times the in the flesh idolization of the likeness and image of Jesus Christ the son of man is the focus at this time of the year, papists often are allured, and by church authority allowed to indulge in image worship, the bowing and kissing of likenesses fashioned by the imagination and hands of men, and in many ways this error proceeds from placing a predisposed thought of man and his proclivities of worship upon the likeness of Christ as a man and a distraction from his pre-incarnate WORD, which is where our Worship should always be focused. Consider how by not worshiping the likeness or similitude of Jesus is in fact true worship of him by his own commands which are found in his revealed Word of biblical testimony.
After the mention of similitude’s and likenesses even of himself at Horeb:
YHWH includes in His warning this warning a worship of likenesses he made in the heaven including the sun, moon and stars and he says something David the psalmist sings of in Psa_19:3-4 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. And so YHWH’s point seems to be that ever nation in the world sees these lights of heaven, and they testify of YHWH the creator of Heaven and earth. And so of course this statement is seen rather in giving of the lights of heaven in Gen_1:14… Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years… This is function of YHWH’s organic law that every nation under heaven uses, Adamic or not, even the Cattle and aquatic life move and cycle according to the lights of heaven and it’s affect upon he whole earth. As well every nation and language under heaven worships their way by them also! Even though there is one GOD YHWH who created all things by the SPIRIT of his WORD and the lights of which we speak were made By Him and through Him, and that nothing was made that was made but by this one YHWH, ever nation under heaven including the Midianite (who are descendants of Abraham) and the Moabites (who are descendants of Abraham’s nephew Lot), worshiped their false deities according to the sun, moon and stars in some way.
Consider how every people look up and see the same lights, and yet some worship them as a god, everyone looks up and can estimate time according to those lights, but not all worship in the same way. If this were not so there would be no law of God to explain the use of the lights of Genesis in a Godly or Holy fashion, thus the Sabbath, New Moons, Feasts and Years are all arranged in God’s law to describe His Worship and Service in opposition to ‘other god’s worship and service’.
The lights of heaven are given to everyone under heaven to be used, and it was to Israel YHWH GOD revealed his worship to as their inheritance, an inheritance they received from a Covenant Graced through Promise unto Abraham to be a Great Nation, Israel was the recipient of that Promise, and Christ was the one seed of Promise to receive it’s power and authority when he came in the flesh as the seed of the woman and that WORD made flesh, the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and the whole Logic of YHWH in this one seed the King of kings and the Lord of lords, born to a virgin under which told his birth according to the testament of GOD’s Word according to Mathew and Luke. Thus YHWH even chose since the cycles of the Astrological system was the time of His son’s birth on this earth under heaven, but it was not recorded, but it was not documented as clearly as any feast day of YHWH specified in Lev_23:1-44. Even if we trust the Star cycles concluded by the mathematics of man, and the star of Bethlehem is knowable to a certain date, if that were accurate it is not as clear as :
Exo_34:18-23 The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib… And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end. Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord YHWH, the God of Israel.
Or consider another way ‘Christ-mass is calculated’ by the course of the priest of Zechariah John the Baptist’s father who was said in Luk_1:5 and 1Ch_24:10 , a course which by calculation is very hard to pinpoint because it like the moon in relationship to the solar year slips by 11 to 12 days so the course of the priests would not be relative to the Gregorian year which is most closely linked to the solar based year. When you look at the scripture which tells us how this system worked, it was not intended to allow the priests to serve in the same exact lunar month every year, as well it was relative to the cycle kept by a dynastic period one could say, that is in starting with a new kingdom or temple period, such as the Davidic, or Macabeean, that is from the time a temple is arranged; in this case we are speaking of, which is called Herod’s temple, at it’s establishment and the priesthood set in order then the course of Abia / Abijah (John’s father’s course) could be found if the year of such a dynastic period also started in relationship to today, and then you can offer conjecture align Abia’s course with the 1st month of the first year of that dynastic period in relationship to the six months given between Elizabeth (John’s mother) and the Virgin Mary (the Mother of the Christ Jesu) and you might get in the right month to determine Christ’s month of birth, but if your calculation are off in your estimation of the dynastic period, not to mention which system of feast keeping you are starting the year with as it regards agriculture or equinox or star sign alignment in that location assuming the alignment of the heavens and earth are exactly the same, especially in connection with the agricultural year, then you might be sure that Christ was born in a specific month of this modern Gregorian year, which has no relationship to the lunar months; A lunar month system that was recognized as being used in the times of Christ as recorded by all legitimate historians and writings of that time. No not the Esseans who used a 91st day solar cycle that would not worship at the temple our lord and his disciples worshiped at as recorded in scripture, as Christ himself endorsed the use of that altar to the leper who was cleansed (Mat_8:4; Mar_1:44; Luk_5:14.) as well as in his lesson on how to offer your gift with repentance on that altar (Mat_5:23), so it is positively asserted that the system the temple and priesthood used was the one Christ recognized for worship in his day.
What is the point of this rant Bro. Joshua?
The simple points are:
We don’t know when the Word was made flesh, because God didn’t choose to tell us let alone make it a `Christian holiday’ upon a nefarious system.
What is the hurt brother? Why can’t we celebrate Christmas with the family, it is a great time to share and celebrate the birth of Christ, it is part of our ‘western heritage’!
The problem is that it generally replaces and fills the void of YHWH’s worship, that is the problem. You very rarely meet, not that I haven’t, but you rarely meet a family that keeps the Holy days of YHWH and the pseudo-Christian holidays of the catholic church in preference to the God ordained, one lord is always served more.
The problem is that it is a step, especially for our children down a road of ungodly worship and of non-realistic biblical command, it is a doctrine and commandment of men, a tradition of men found nowhere in the scripture or even endorsed.
The problem is, that like the women of Midian, who were daughters of Abraham, and fit for marriage with Israel under the right conditions, yet these pagans called Israel’s son to their feasts and Israel while perhaps sitting around the table or before the Idol bowed and worshiped with them and their family, according to Baal Peor’s culture and custom, and the daughters of Moab came to and allured them to their culture and their customs, but don’t forget with exception to some admixture not mentioned all these people are related to Abraham’s Father Terah, they are all family what could be so bad with that? YHWH is called baal in the bible, it is a general name for a lord or a husband, when YHWH says, “I was a husband unto them..” in Jer_31:32 He uses the word baal, I was a baal unto them saith YHWH. Perhaps this is the slip of the mind, the black hole used to devoid the conscience of wrong doing as the Son’s of Israel pressed further away from the Kingdom and the Great Nation they were to be as they reasoned as we do today, “we all call him lord, we all call him king (Moloch)” it is just a matter of how you serve the only one god there is in heaven and earth, that is how you determine if he is YHWH, He That Is.

Our command is not to add to His Word but to harken to YHWH, that is the Christ-mass, the mass of Christ the sending of Worship to YHWH is through obedience and yielding to the Word who was made flesh and receiving his word sent by the new covenat in his blood into our heart as a Race, as Nations, as families and as individuals, to be his people separated unto him, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us… Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear…
Heb_12:1-28