Celebrating Pagan Holidays

See that no one shall be carrying you away as spoil through the philosophy and vain deceit, according to the deliverance of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to Christ,

`When Jehovah thy God doth cut off the nations--whither thou art going in to possess them--from thy presence, and thou hast possessed them, and hast dwelt in their land-- — read the full passage →

And he answering said to them, `Wherefore also do ye transgress the command of God because of your tradition?

Hear ye the word, O house of Israel, That Jehovah hath spoken for you. — read the full passage →

For we--wilfully sinning after the receiving the full knowledge of the truth--no more for sins doth there remain a sacrifice,

Let no one, then, judge you in eating or in drinking, or in respect of a feast, or of a new moon, or of sabbaths,

And him who is weak in the faith receive ye--not to determinations of reasonings; — read the full passage →

One doth judge one day above another, and another doth judge every day <FI>alike<Fi> ; let each in his own mind be fully assured. — read the full passage →

Jesus Christ yesterday and to-day the same, and to the ages;

every Writing <FI>is<Fi> God-breathed, and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for setting aright, for instruction that <FI>is<Fi> in righteousness, — read the full passage →

But he answering said, `It hath been written, Not upon bread alone doth man live, but upon every word coming forth from the mouth of God.'

`Remember the Sabbath-day to sanctify it; — read the full passage →

and the truth shall make you free.'

`And thou, speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, Only, My sabbaths ye do keep, for it <FI>is<Fi> a sign between Me and you, to your generations, to know that I, Jehovah, am sanctifying you;

For I <FI>am<Fi> Jehovah, I have not changed, And ye, the sons of Jacob, Ye have not been consumed.

I call upon you, therefore, brethren, through the compassions of God, to present your bodies a sacrifice--living, sanctified, acceptable to God--your intelligent service; — read the full passage →

But then, indeed, not having known God, ye were in servitude to those not by nature gods, — read the full passage →

Thus said Jehovah: Unto the way of the nations accustom not yourselves, And by the signs of the heavens be not affrighted, For the nations are affrighted by them. — read the full passage →

Thus said Jehovah: The heavens <FI>are<Fi> My throne, And the earth My footstool, Where <FI>is<Fi> this--the house that ye build for Me? And where <FI>is<Fi> this--the place--My rest? — read the full passage →

Let no one, then, judge you in eating or in drinking, or in respect of a feast, or of a new moon, or of sabbaths, — read the full passage →

`And in the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, <FI>is<Fi> the passover to Jehovah; — read the full passage →

For I wish you to know how great a conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, — read the full passage →

but, there cometh an hour, and it now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father also doth seek such to worship him; — read the full passage →

and he answering said to them--`Well did Isaiah prophesy concerning you, hypocrites, as it hath been written, This people with the lips doth honour Me, and their heart is far from Me; — read the full passage →

every Writing <FI>is<Fi> God-breathed, and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for setting aright, for instruction that <FI>is<Fi> in righteousness,

The whole thing which I am commanding you--it ye observe to do; thou dost not add unto it, nor diminish from it.

A revelation of Jesus Christ, that God gave to him, to shew to his servants what things it behoveth to come to pass quickly; and he did signify <FI>it<Fi> , having sent through his messenger to his servant John,

setting aside the word of God for your tradition that ye delivered; and many such like things ye do.'

And I say, so long time as the heir is a babe, he differeth nothing from a servant--being lord of all, — read the full passage →

and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of the darkness and rather even convict,

for God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind;

and in vain do they worship Me, teaching teachings--commands of men.'

For all things I have strength, in Christ's strengthening me;

This people doth draw nigh to Me with their mouth, and with the lips it doth honour Me, but their heart is far off from Me; — read the full passage →

Thus said Jehovah: Unto the way of the nations accustom not yourselves, And by the signs of the heavens be not affrighted, For the nations are affrighted by them.

`Ye are of a father--the devil, and the desires of your father ye will to do; he was a man-slayer from the beginning, and in the truth he hath not stood, because there is no truth in him; when one may speak the falsehood, of his own he speaketh, because he is a liar--also his father.

And Jehovah God formeth the man--dust from the ground, and breatheth into his nostrils breath of life, and the man becometh a living creature.

and having come to the house, they found the child with Mary his mother, and having fallen down they bowed to him, and having opened their treasures, they presented to him gifts, gold, and frankincense, and myrrh,

`For I testify to every one hearing the words of the prophecy of this scroll, if any one may add unto these, God shall add to him the plagues that have been written in this scroll, — read the full passage →

Jesus saith to him, `I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one doth come unto the Father, if not through me;

Hear ye the word, O house of Israel, That Jehovah hath spoken for you. — read the full passage →

he who is overcoming shall inherit all things, and I will be to him--a God, and he shall be to me--the son, — read the full passage →

Hear ye the word, O house of Israel, That Jehovah hath spoken for you. — read the full passage →

There is a way--right before a man, And its latter end <FI>are<Fi> ways of death.

and he said to them, `Ye are those declaring yourselves righteous before men, but God doth know your hearts; because that which among men is high, <FI>is<Fi> abomination before God;

`Thou dost not do so to Jehovah thy God; for every abomination of Jehovah which He is hating they have done to their gods, for even their sons and their daughters they burn with fire to their gods.

`When Jehovah thy God doth cut off the nations--whither thou art going in to possess them--from thy presence, and thou hast possessed them, and hast dwelt in their land-- — read the full passage →

And this know thou, that in the last days there shall come perilous times, — read the full passage →

With silver and with gold they beautify it, With nails and with hammers they fix it, And it doth not stumble.

Crooked <FI>is<Fi> the heart above all things, And it <FI>is<Fi> incurable--who doth know it?

One doth judge one day above another, and another doth judge every day <FI>alike<Fi> ; let each in his own mind be fully assured.

And Jehovah saith unto me, in the days of Josiah the king, `Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? She is going on every high mountain, and unto the place of every green tree, and committeth fornication there.

no longer, therefore, may we judge one another, but this judge ye rather, not to put a stumbling-stone before the brother, or an offence.

For the statutes of the peoples are vanity, For a tree from a forest hath one cut, Work of the hands of an artificer, with an axe,

Here is endurance of the saints: here <FI>are<Fi> those keeping the commands of God, and the faith of Jesus.'

wherefore, come ye forth out of the midst of them, and be separated, saith the Lord, and an unclean thing do not touch, and I--I will receive you,

Not good <FI>is<Fi> your glorying; have ye not known that a little leaven the whole lump doth leaven? — read the full passage →

and be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, for your proving what <FI>is<Fi> the will of God--the good, and acceptable, and perfect.

Into the path of the wicked enter not, And be not happy in a way of evil doers. — read the full passage →

take heed to thee, lest thou be snared after them, after their being destroyed out of thy presence, and lest thou enquire about their gods, saying, How do these nations serve their gods, and I do so--even I? — read the full passage →

I <FI>am<Fi> Jehovah thy God, who hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of a house of servants. — read the full passage →

But then, indeed, not having known God, ye were in servitude to those not by nature gods,

and Jeroboam saith in his heart, `Now doth the kingdom turn back to the house of David-- — read the full passage →

Let no one deceive you with vain words, for because of these things cometh the anger of God upon the sons of the disobedience, — read the full passage →

so that we may keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of evil and wickedness, but with unleavened food of sincerity and truth.

And him who is weak in the faith receive ye--not to determinations of reasonings;

And concerning the things sacrificed to idols, we have known that we all have knowledge: knowledge puffeth up, but love buildeth up; — read the full passage →

all things, indeed, <FI>are<Fi> pure to the pure, and to the defiled and unstedfast <FI>is<Fi> nothing pure, but of them defiled <FI>are<Fi> even the mind and the conscience;

from all appearance of evil abstain ye;

Hear ye the word, O house of Israel, That Jehovah hath spoken for you.

And the brethren immediately, through the night, sent forth both Paul and Silas to Berea, who having come, went to the synagogue of the Jews; — read the full passage →

He who is regarding the day, to the Lord he doth regard <FI>it<Fi> , and he who is not regarding the day, to the Lord he doth not regard <FI>it<Fi> . He who is eating, to the Lord he doth eat, for he doth give thanks to God; and he who is not eating, to the Lord he doth not eat, and doth give thanks to God.

for God did so love the world, that His Son--the only begotten--He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during.

And the people see that Moses is delaying to come down from the mount, and the people assemble against Aaron, and say unto him, `Rise, make for us gods who go before us, for this Moses--the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt--we have not known what hath happened to him.' — read the full passage →

Therefore, thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Against the shepherds who feed My people, Ye have scattered My flock, and drive them away, And have not inspected them, Lo, I am charging on you the evil of your doings, An affirmation of Jehovah.

if we may confess our sins, stedfast He is and righteous that He may forgive us the sins, and may cleanse us from every unrighteousness;

so, then, brethren, stand ye fast, and hold the deliverances that ye were taught, whether through word, whether through our letter;

for as often as ye may eat this bread, and this cup may drink, the death of the Lord ye do shew forth--till he may come;

And it cometh to pass that mankind have begun to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters have been born to them, — read the full passage →

so also we, when we were babes, under the elements of the world were in servitude,

one doth believe that he may eat all things--and he who is weak doth eat herbs;

`If ye love me, my commands keep,

`When Jehovah thy God doth cut off the nations--whither thou art going in to possess them--from thy presence, and thou hast possessed them, and hast dwelt in their land--

for the sake of victuals cast not down the work of God; all things, indeed, <FI>are<Fi> pure, but evil <FI>is<Fi> to the man who is eating through stumbling.

And it hath been from month to month, And from sabbath to sabbath, Come do all flesh to bow themselves before Me, Said Jehovah.

`Happy are those doing His commands that the authority shall be theirs unto the tree of the life, and by the gates they may enter into the city;

teaching us, that denying the impiety and the worldly desires, soberly and righteously and piously we may live in the present age,

Right <FI>it is<Fi> not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor to <FI>do anything<Fi> in which thy brother doth stumble, or is made to fall, or is weak.

As a palm they <FI>are<Fi> stiff, and they speak not, They are surely borne, for they step not, Be not afraid of them, for they do no evil, Yea, also to do good is not in them.

for, as Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights, so shall the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.

for not by will of man did ever prophecy come, but by the Holy Spirit borne on holy men of God spake.

And a seasonable day having come, when Herod on his birthday was making a supper to his great men, and to the chiefs of thousands, and to the first men of Galilee,

Thus said Jehovah: Unto the way of the nations accustom not yourselves, And by the signs of the heavens be not affrighted, For the nations are affrighted by them. — read the full passage →

and enmity I put between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; he doth bruise thee--the head, and thou dost bruise him--the heel.'

Wherefore, my beloved, flee from the idolatry;

for sufficient to us <FI>is<Fi> the past time of life the will of the nations to have wrought, having walked in lasciviousnesses, desires, excesses of wines, revellings, drinking-bouts, and unlawful idolatries,

the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, <FI>is<Fi> with you all! Amen.

in the midst of its broad place, and of the river on this side and on that, <FI>is<Fi> a tree of life, yielding twelve fruits, in each several month rendering its fruits, and the leaves of the tree <FI>are<Fi> for the service of the nations;

sanctify them in Thy truth, Thy word is truth;

days ye observe, and months, and times, and years!