Traditions

The following article is a clear view of why we have questioned certain "holidays" in our life, including Christmas, Easter, and Halloween. We have been studying the Hebrew roots to our faith and also reading a lot of the "Old Testament" Scriptures. There were things we learned that we never were taught in all of our years of being indoctrinated in the "christian" faith. Looking at Christianity as unbelievers, we saw so much hypocrisy and worldliness in the people and the church. Upon coming back to the faith we knew there was something deeper, something missing, something innately wrong with the Christian church of today, and we did not want to be a part of the same church that once made us so turned off as to fall away completely from the faith. While we hold to the essential doctrine that Jesus is God in the flesh, our salvation, the way the truth and the life, repentance and walking in holiness (the narrow way), and that the God of Israel is the one and only true God of the universe, Holy and just in every way, we have found that Christianity in and of itself has left out some major truths, hidden and disguised things to suit it's doctrine, and all in all has some major flaws in the application of what it teaches. Why do the majority of Christians still act as if they were just like the rest of the world when God has called them to be a set-apart people? Why do we celebrate pagan holidays as Christians? What are the roots of the Christian faith? Why don't we celebrate the Holy Days of God? So many questions came up in our quest for the truth. In questioning everything we found out a lot about why we believe and do the things we do as Christians and ultimately why we should not be doing certain things. It is impossible to explain everything we have learned over the past few years in one blog post. We will try to explain what we believe and why in the next several postings. I hope that it is enlightening to all readers and will at least raise questions and that you will be prompted to seek out the truth for yourself. Don't take our word for it, we are not perfect and we make mistakes. The Christian church has made great mistakes in the last 2000 years and we believe that it is time for us to wake up and to ask those hard questions and to seriously examine what it is we believe and why and then find out what God has to say about it. It's all there, in the Bible. His word is truth and if you desire to know the truth, all you need to do is ask. He is willing to give wisdom and truth to anyone who asks for it. Ask and you shall receive.

So, the following article is not our own. It is taken from this site
While we do NOT hold to all that they teach, we glean from them the truth that they do have. No one has the entire truth, but we have found much wisdom in this article about holding to certain traditions. I hope it helps to lay a foundation of understanding as to why we do not hold to worldly traditions. In following postings we will go in to further detail about why we do not celebrate Christmas, Easter or Halloween and why we DO observe the 7 Holy Feasts of God that are found in the old testament of Hebrew scriptures.



Developing A Biblical View of Tradition

Tradition in and of itself is not wrong, as long as it does not violate or compromise the scriptures. Yeshua never spoke against tradition, only when they transgressed the commandments of God because of their traditions.

All people hold to some form of tradition in their lives, whether it is spiritual or cultural. Every society has a unique culture that expresses certain customs, values and traditions. They can provide a sense of identity by providing security and structure in their lives. Can you imagine what it would be like to have constant change in your life? We are all habitual in nature. Man by nature does not like a lot of change. Traditions can become either a blessing that draws us closer to God or a bondage that leads us away from God. Let me share with you five guidelines that will help you to discern whether certain religious traditions are biblical and can be embraced, or worldly and should be avoided.

1. Are the Roots of That Tradition Holy or Unholy?
The Olive tree is a symbol in the Bible of Israel. In Messiah, Gentiles are grafted into the Olive tree. The Jews are called the "natural branches and the non-Jews, the "wild branches".

1. Romans 11:16-18 says, "if the roots are holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches were broken off, and you
(gentiles), being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among the, (Jews) and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the Olive tree do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you."
A Messianic leader was once quoted as saying that "much of the 'Church' is like a Christmas tree - all glitz and ornaments, frills and lights - but cut off from it's roots. It should be like the Olive tree - deeply rooted in the Holy Scriptures, the root being Messiah himself." There is much truth to this statement. When we develop traditions to express our faith, are they rooted in the holy root of God's word?


Ultimately, the bottom line is what the scriptures say:
2. 2 Corinthians 6:17 - "We are a holy people, set apart by God. God has called us to come out from among them and be separate. Do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you."
3. Deut. 12:1-4 - "These are the statutes and judgments which you shall be careful to observe in the land which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you to possess all the days that you live on the earth. You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations, which you shall dispossess, serve their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. And you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars and burn their wooden images with fire; you shall cut down the carved images of their gods and destroy their names from that place. You shall not worship the Lord your God with such things.
4. Jeremiah 10:1-7 - "Do not learn the ways of the Gentiles (the nations)…for the customs of the peoples are futile (worthless) … "For one cuts a tree from the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe, they decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with nails and hammers so that it will not topple." (Sounds like a Christmas tree doesn't it?) Though this is not what is referred to here, the truth and principle is consistent with the word of God. Anything fashioned that is idolatrous in form, is contrary to God's word and violates the second commandment.
"You shall not make for yourself any carved image or any like ness of anything that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath…
As a Messianic congregation, our purpose is to ensure that the foundations and roots of our faith are holy.

2. Does the Tradition Point to the Messiah?
He should be the center and focus of our tradition. All the Feasts of Israel that are observed in a Messianic Congregation throughout the year are observed within the context of recognizing that Yeshua is the Messiah and the central figure that we worship. Most of the traditions that are associated with Christmas certainly do not point to the Messiah. In fact they distract and draw one away from Him.

3. Does the Tradition or Custom Glorify and Honor God?
This is our greatest calling and purpose as God's people. To honor and glorify God in our lives. "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
In Matthew 23:1-6, Yeshua was not opposed to tradition, only the hypocrisy in men's hearts who observed them as an outward show, to be seen by men. There are many traditions and customs within the Jewish faith that are beautiful that can glorify and honor God.
The Friday night Sabbath meal that Jewish families come together and celebrate each week includes such traditions as (the Sabbath candles, Kiddush cup and Challah, praying a blessing over the family and children). We meet on the Sabbath to read from the Torah to honor and celebrate God's word, wearing prayer shawls the kippot (skullcaps).

In each of these practices, God is the focus and center of our tradition. As a Messianic Congregation, we seek to honor and glorify god through these visible expressions and traditions because we seek to keep the Messiah at the heart and center of our faith. There is a freedom of worship through the Holy Spirit that one can experience without allowing these traditions to lead us into bondage or legalism.

4. Does it Draw us Closer to God?
Do we experience God's presence as we celebrate this tradition, or do we find that it distracts us from drawing into God's presence? In Matthew 15:1-9, we read how Yeshua challenged the scribes and Pharisees view of tradition.

"Why do you transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?" vs. 3 "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Vs. 8

5. Are these traditions characteristic of the world or of God?
The apostle Paul said in Colossians 2:6-9 "As you have therefore received Messiah Yeshua the Lord, so walk in Him. ROOTED and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught. Beware lest anyone deceive you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the TRADITION of MEN, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Messiah. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form…for you are complete in Him."