The following challenges a post by "Operation Save America" Director Rev. Flip Benham concerning his stance on Christmas. Rather than to personally debate the issue with Mr. Tim Hanline who apparently attempted to challenge him, Rev. Benham had Mr. Douglas Huband respond for him. Below are The Refiner's Fire's responses to Mr. Huband's main assertions:

Please study the following facts before reading our challenges to Mr. Huband:

• Christmas is a man-made "holiday." There is absolutely no mention in the Bible about "Christmas." God commanded ALL believers (Numbers 15: 13-16) to observe His Biblical Feasts, including the seventh day Sabbath.
  
  
• Christmas is slowly being phased out by "the world" in general - which shows God's hand is not on "Christmas." Manger scenes and the words "Merry Christmas" have been banned practically everywhere; mention of Jesus has basically been rendered null and void in public; and TV shows and/or commercials never mention Jesus but, rather, concentrate on what to buy and where to buy it, and how to have fun over "the holidays."
  
  
• Christmas today is all about the mythical Santa Claus we lie to our kids about. Even our government is taking part in this hideous LIE via their "Write to Santa" program where post office employees are forced to answer the letters and pretend to be Santa! On Christmas morning the major television networks "track" Santa's progress around the world...What part of "Thou shalt not lie!" is too hard to understand? And let's be honest here: Does "Santa" REALLY know who's been bad or good? Isn't that part of GOD's job description?
  
  
• YHWH (Yahweh, our Creator) never said we were to celebrate the birth of His Son; rather, we are to concentrate on His life, actions, death and resurrection - all of which are amply outlined in the seven Biblical Feasts.
  
  
• No one has ever committed suicide during God's commanded Biblical Feasts because they felt lonely or unwanted. No one has gone into debt or become stressed out trying to figure out what to buy others during a Biblical Feast. Nor has a WalMart employee ever been killed/trampled to death because of a Biblical Feast.
  
  
• Yeshua (Jesus) was not born on December 25th; He was born on the first day of the Feast of Sukkot - which falls in the September/October timeframe on our Gregorian calendars.
  
  
• God cannot be "born" or "die." Yeshua, the Son, was not a "new god" who brought a "new religion" nor did He come to replace YHWH, His Father. He came as YHWH in the flesh (His body was human, born of a woman; His qnoma/singular Nature was Divine and a part of YHWH). He was the "arm of YHWH" and the Word that YHWH directed (spoke) to create the universe (Exodus 6:6, Isaiah 53:1). Yeshua came to teach us face-to-face how to walk in obedience to YHWH's Torah, to show us how to live together according to Torah, and then to die as our Final SIN Sacrifice in order to afford human sinners eternal life by simply "believing" in the shed blood at the cross.
  
  
• The Apostle Paul - contrary to popular Christian belief - never negated the things Yeshua taught. Like Yeshua, he was a Torah observant, Biblical Feast and seventh day Sabbath-keeping, kosher Jew who was even found to be Torah observant 29 years after the death of Yeshua (Acts 21:23-24). The teachings of Paul have been completely misunderstood by Christians and Catholics because they view the Bible through Greek instead of Hebrew mindsets.

DOUGLAS HUBAND SAID:

1. The Bible says that the observing or not observing of holy days is not a "salvation issue": Consider what the inspired apostle wrote...

Romans 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

Romans 14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

Romans 14:6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it.

Why do you condemn others who esteem one day higher than you do? We are taught by the inspired apostle that the keeping or not keeping of specific days IS DEFINITELY NOT a "salvation issue". Even the devils knew and recognized the apostle's authority. By what authority do you then contradict the apostle?

NETZARI RESPONSE:

Tim Hanline never said that keeping specific days is a salvation issue, Mr. Huband! The meaning of the cited scriptures has totally eluded you. Let's discuss what you wrote....

The first thing we notice is Mr. Huband's apparent preference for the King James Bible which renders useless the entire Book of Acts because of King James' use of the word "Easter" (Acts 12:4) since (1) there was no "Easter" before the death of Yeshua (Jesus), and (2) "Easter" is a man-made term that comes from the pagan goddess Ishtarte who turned a bird into an egg-laying rabbit whose eggs were colored with the blood of sacrificed babies. Also, in Leviticus 12:8, Leviticus 15:29 and Numbers 6:10 King James makes our Creator appear to contradict Himself because of the KJV's use of the word "turtles" instead of the original "turtle doves." Turtles are "unclean" animals according to Leviticus 11:12 and 15:19, and could never have been presented as sin or burnt offerings....

The second thing we notice is Mr. Huband's attempt to use the same, tired Christian mantra: "You're judging me!" Nothing could be further from the Truth! Torah comprises YHWH's divine teaching/instruction which was to stand forever. Even Yeshua said (contrary to what Christians believe) that He did NOT come to abolish but to fulfill/complete:

Matthew 5: 17 Don't think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. 18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah - not until everything that must happen has happened. 19 So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot (words/commands) and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and P'rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Has everything happened that must happen? Have heaven and Earth passed away yet? Since when does the word "complete" (or "fulfill) mean "abolished"? Why would God abolish His own original divine teachings which He said were to last forever? Did Jesus come to make a liar out of His Father? Where are we told that Yeshua even had the authority to abolish anything the Father - to whom He prayed and sought guidance from! - had commanded?

The third thing we notice is that Mr. Huband, like most Christians, seems to have no clue as to what Paul was actually talking about in Romans 14:5 and 6. The following explanation was borrowed from Carmen Welker's book, "Should Christians be Torah Observant?"

The context of this passage was a dispute over whether one can eat food that may or may not have been offered to idols. In those days food that may or may not have been offered to idols was usually put out for sale to people on a certain day of the week - and some believers refused to purchase or eat food on those days, just to be on the safe side. On the other hand, some did because they figured, since they didn't know for sure whether or not it had been offered, it wouldn't be wrong to eat it. Paul was not addressing kosher foods or Sabbath day observance at all; he was referring to the disagreement over whether market place food, because of idolatry, should be bought and eaten on a certain day of the week.

Please check out David H. Stern's explanation in the preface of his Complete Jewish Bible, wherein he demonstrates the difference between "kosher" and "ceremonially clean." Stern says YHWH never said pork, shellfish, etc. were food. People called these animals food in rebellion against God....

The passages in Romans are dealing with animals YHWH gave us to eat and whether they are ceremonially clean and can be eaten at that time. Even in Peter's vision (Acts 11), Peter would never have eaten the kosher animals that had been in contact with treif (non-kosher) animals. The vision was to show that, as Peter knew which animals were clean and which were not because as God had shown him, Peter was to accept the Gentiles as God had now shown him they were "clean". The rest of the passage in Acts 11 shows that this is the correct interpretation and what the vision was all about (see Acts 11:18).

DOUGLAS HUBAND SAID:

Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ and we cannot deny his teachings on this or any other subject. This is because we, as living stones,

Ephesians 2:20 … are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

The doctrine of Christ's apostles therefore is foundational to our faith as believers in Jesus.

NETZARI RESPONSE:

Then why, Mr. Huband, are you not Torah observant as God commanded? Yeshua and His Apostles were all Torah observant! What makes Christians think they don't have to be? Please pay special attention to the parts highlighted in red in the scripture below:

Numbers 15: 13 "'Everyone who is native-born must do these things in this way when he brings an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. 14 For the generations to come, whenever an alien or anyone else living among you presents an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the LORD, he must do exactly as you do. 15 The community is to have the same rules for you and for the alien living among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You and the alien shall be the same before the LORD: 16 The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the alien living among you.'"

When YHWH repeats a command four times in a row, we should pay attention!

"But that was for the JEWS!" you might say. "We're not foreigners and aliens....." Really? Unless you were born Jewish (or converted) then you are an "alien" - a non-Jew! Since you've chosen to worship "their" God, what makes you think you can change His rules?

"But God gave us a new covenant!" News flash: He did NOT make a new covenant with you; He made His "new covenant" with the Houses of Israel and Judah (Jeremiah 31:32) - who were completely Torah observant! He did, however, extend His grace and mercy to the Gentiles (non-Jews) who, once they become believers in Yeshua, automatically become part of "Israel." Please, note that He never said there would be different rules for His natural and adopted children, and it stands to reason that those who were "grafted in" do not get to tamper with the rules....

Anyway, since believers are part of Israel, they need to remember that God told Israel: "I give you good instruction: Do not forsake my Torah" (Proverbs 4:2). And Paul (himself a Torah obserant Jew, whose writings have been totally misunderstood and misperceived by Christians) reiterated this when he said: Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law. (Romans 3:31)

It is an insult for Christians (who borrowed the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) to trash Jews for not "believing" in the mythical Torah-less blond adonis called "Jesus" and to poke fun at those of us who attempt to observe God's FOREVER commands!

Christianity, born out of Catholicism, has put YHWH in a box and changed the Name of our Savior along with the dates of His birth, death and resurrection. Christians have totally ignored His COMMANDED holy days and come up with their own which are borrowed straight out of paganism - and they have the audacity to look down on those to whom God gave His Torah in the first place!

DOUGLAS HUBAND SAID:

To summarize: We have received Christ by faith, nothing more, nothing less. We are not made "more complete" by the keeping of ceremonial practices, nor are we made "less complete" by forgoing the same. Rather, we are already complete in Christ by faith. Therefore, the eating or not eating of "ceremonially unclean meats", or the observing or not observing of "ceremonially holy days" does not affect our being complete or our complete acceptance in Him. We see then that an exacting observance of "holy days" is not required by God. This is absolutely settled by the Holy Ghost, who inspired the apostle. Since it is the Holy Ghost Who has made the final determination on this matter, we must submit to His will and stop judging ("condemning") others over which days they observe.

NETZARI RESPONSE:

First of all the Ruach (Holy Spirit) is not a "ghost." Holy is etymologically derived from the word "heile" referring to the warmth of the sun; "ghost" is a saxon term that refers to the spirit of a dead person; neither are consistent with being Set Apart for the Kingdom of Elohim!

Secondly, as grafted in children through Messiah, Christians are NOT in charge of the Olive Tree. You became part of it, not the other way around, and therefore, you cannot change the rules. Furthermore, YHWH never said He would have separate rules for His adopted and natural children. Same God, same rules! Re-read Numbers 15:13-16. God never said Christians could eat whatever they want or make up their own holy days!

YHWH's Son wasn't born on December 25th, so what makes you think you can arbitrarily decide that He was? He didn't rise on "Easter Sunday" either. He rose on a Saturday evening, exactly three days after His death on Nisan 14 - Passover! If you people want to adhere to "Christmas" then perhaps you need to start telling all your family and friends to begin celebrating YOUR birthday three months earlier from now on. And when you die, make sure they put a false name date on your tombstone. After all, that's what you Christians have done to our Savior!

The "we're under grace, not under the law" and "we're complete in Christ" excuse is getting old! Christians need to start learning that man has ALWAYS been "under grace!" Adam and Eve were "under grace" when YHWH (Yahweh) saw fit to allow them to leave the Garden of Eden instead of zapping them into oblivion after they deliberately sinned. Noah was "under grace" when YHWH allowed him and his family to be spared out of the flood. Enoch and Elijah (neither of whom "knew Jesus") were "under grace" when they were raptured (Genesis 5:24, 2 Kings 2:11). And guess what: NONE OF THEM were "Jews!" There were no Jews until after Isaac's day.

Mercy and Grace did NOT invalidate God's "forever" commands. If they did, then He has fibbed to us somewhere along the line and "forever" doesn't mean FOREVER!

DOUGLAS HUBAND SAID:

2. Attempting to discredit something by supposedly showing a "pagan origin" is biblically and historically inaccurate.

Furthermore, you imply that pagans first used December 25th as their holy day. You say that pagans worshiped Baal on this day, during this very darkest time in the year, (December 25th occurs very close to the winter-solstice.) So, the implication of such an argument is that Christians can have nothing to do with this day of the year.

Therefore, rather than ceding territory back to the devil, (as your view would require), we should reconsider our theories about the origin of Christmas. One could just as easily argue that some "Roman" Christians decided way-back-when to take this dark day back from Satan's followers, and to celebrate the coming of the "Light of World into the darkness" on this day instead. Their apparent error in reckoning the exact day is perhaps lamentable, but as we have seen above, God does not require the practice of an exact day in order to be saved. After all, the true, biblical position is that Jesus owns every day; Baal gets nothing, and Satan (the supposed "god of this world") has already been beaten, owns nothing, and has no power, but what our Great God and Saviour Jesus Christ allows him to have. And this same Jesus is the KING of kings and the LORD of all the earth....

NETZARI RESPONSE:

Reality check: YHWH outlined in the first five Books exactly who He is, how He wants to be worshipped, how we are to behave towards each other, what we could eat and not eat, that He would one day send us a Savior, and what will happen if we don't obey His Torah. Not to mention, He often warned His Chosen People NOT to engage in the customs or activities of the heathens/pagans - those who weren't Torah observant....

As a supposed believer, what makes you think you have the right to argue, much less partake in pagan festivals and activities, Mr. Huband? Show me Christmas and Easter in the Bible!

DOUGLAS HUBAND SAID:

3. "Christmas Trees" are not condemned in Scripture.

My house does not currently have a Christmas tree, but I still wouldn't condemn the practice of another brother having one, so long as a decorated tree was not getting in the way of God in that brother's heart and life. If on the other hand it was, then my view would be that "the tree needs to go."

NETZARI RESPONSE:

Really? Perhaps the Tanach (OT) doesn't condemn "Christmas trees" per se, but how could anyone mistake what God is talking about in the following scripture?

Jeremiah 10: 1 Hear the word Adonai speaks to you, house of Isra'el! 2 Here is what Adonai says: "Don't learn the way of the Goyim, don't be frightened by astrological signs, even if the Goyim are afraid of them; 3 for the customs of the peoples are nothing. They cut down a tree in the forest; a craftsman works it with his axe; 4 they deck it with silver and gold. They fix it with hammer and nails, so that it won't move. 5 Like a scarecrow in a cucumber patch, it cannot speak. It has to be carried, because it cannot walk. Do not be afraid of it - it can do nothing bad; likewise, it is unable to do anything good!"

While the above Scripture isn't talking about "Christmas trees" per se, we can certainly see the resemblance! We also need to remember that God used to put people to death for gross disobedience, or worshipping Him with "strange fire":

Leviticus 10: 1 But Nadav and Avihu, sons of Aharon, each took his censer, put fire in it, laid incense on it, and offered unauthorized fire before Adonai, something he had not ordered them to do. 2 At this, fire came forth from the presence of Adonai and consumed them, so that they died in the presence of Adonai.

So, what makes us think we have the right to disobey now? (For those who believe that we have the right to worship God however we want, because "Jesus did away with the Law", please read all about Hebraic/Netzarim Faith, Why the Biblical feasts are so important and Torah put in simple terms, which is probably the most important article on this website).

DOUGLAS HUBAND SAID:

4. Attempting to use a 'false-dilemma' argument is a logical fallacy:

You impose the false view that there are only two positions in this issue: celebrating Christmas or not celebrating Christmas. Actually, there is third way: celebrating Jesus Christ from the heart at Christmas time, while eschewing the secular junk that has nothing to do with Him. I would beg you to look not only on the outward appearances only, but rather also consider the hearts of Christ's followers as well. Though you may disagree with them in some outward point, yet you may be surprised by the pious notions and sincere love of their hearts towards the Lord and towards His people…

NETZARI RESPONSE:

You're clearly playing word-games here, Mr. Huband! YHWH told us exactly what mo'edim (appointed times) to keep! Why would you even want to "celebrate" Christ on a day that honors the mythical figure of Santa Claus about whom we LIE to our children? Why would you want to force our Savior's memory to be intermingled with the testicles of the sungod Tammuz, which is what the "balls" on the "Christmas tree" originally represented? Shame on you!

Has it ever occurred to you that by "celebrating Christmas" and lying to your children you are guilty of continued, deliberate sinning for which there is no sin sacrifice?

Hebrews 10: 26 For if we deliberately continue to sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but only the terrifying prospect of Judgment, or raging fire that will consume the enemies.

DOUGLAS HUBAND SAID:

5. One who erects walls of division between believers over non-essentials is a wicked abomination to Jesus:

NETZARI RESPONSE:

In other words, "Don't confuse me with the Truth; I'd rather stay in my carnal rut with my limited human mindset and believe whatever I choose from the Bible!"

If anybody is "erecting walls of division" it's those who insist Jesus was a "new god" who had the power to negate EVERYTHING His Father (the one and ONLY God!) commanded and allow mankind to make up its own rules after His death!

ONE LAST NOTE: While we're dissecting the paganism perpetrated in Christianity, let's briefly discuss Reverend Benham's use of the title, "Reverend" which is another man-made title people like to use in order to command respect.

According to a footnote in the Aramaic English New Testament, The Fear of YHWH is one of the Seven Spirits of YHWH (Isaiah 11:2 and 3). Y'shua juxtaposes the fear of man (religion) with the Fear of Elohim (truth). When the "fear" of YHWH became theologically changed into "reverence", the authority of men in ministry "Reverends" began to command fear unto themselves that is intended solely unto the Most High. The Fear of YHWH empowers Y'shua's followers to uphold the Word of YHWH, regardless of consequences - see Romans 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:11; 7:1; Ephesians 5:21; Revelation 15:4.