Mankind has long embraced the lie from the garden, where the serpent suggested that by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, humans could determine for themselves what is right and wrong, no longer relying on God for guidance. This attitude, rooted in the desire for freedom to choose without God's instruction, has permeated every culture on earth. It was evident among the Israelites in Canaan, as seen in Judges 21:25, where everyone did what was right in their own eyes, forgetting God as their true King. This defiance of authority and lust for personal power develops in every person from childhood, leading them to reject God's desired method of worship while still claiming to love Him. Over centuries, distorted gospels have evolved from the imaginations of men, incorporating this lie as a foundational component. These teachings, often presented as biblical truths, are nothing more than traditions of men. False gospels, emerging after the time of the original apostles, have twisted the true message of the kingdom of God. Such perspectives have led to a rejection of God's standards, allowing individuals to fill gaps in understanding with their own ideas, unable to see reality from God's perspective. In Western cultures, like those in New Orleans, this rejection of God's laws is evident, where personal choice overrides divine instruction, and everyone does what is right in their own eyes. The diversity of beliefs and practices often stems from these man-made traditions, which misuse and misinterpret scriptural teachings to justify personal preferences, further straying from the truth God has set forth.

Brethren, we must be vigilant when confronted with the many diverse teachings about God that permeate the world. Anything that contradicts God's truth is nothing more than the traditions of men, often stemming from early church leaders influenced by the one who deceives the whole world. These traditions have twisted Paul's words about sin, the law, and grace, creating a different gospel that opposes Christ's message of the kingdom. This warped perspective, born from Roman legal traditions and Greek philosophy, has led to a dangerous separation between faith and obedience to God's way. Many sincere people, desiring to love Jesus, unknowingly embrace doctrines rooted in these traditions of men. Such teachings often take Paul's words out of context, presenting them as stand-alone statements that suggest God's law no longer matters under grace. Yet, this is not what Paul taught. These traditional views misrepresent verses like Romans 10:4, claiming Christ ended the law, when in context, Paul shows that Christ is the outcome and goal of the law, not its abolition. Inaccurate teachings force scripture to align with pre-existing beliefs, leading many to break God's law while believing their hearts are right with Him. We live in a world filled with false doctrines and half-truths that distort God's word to fit human desires. When we encounter these traditional teachings, the most important response is to seek out the truth directly from God's word. We must test everything, as the Bereans did, searching the scriptures daily to confirm what is taught. No matter how long we have been in God's church, we are never immune to the deceptions of tradition. God will judge us based on how we respond to His truth, not on the traditions of the world or what we may have been taught by others.

It is a formidable challenge to reject the traditions of men, especially in the context of holiday celebrations. Religious holidays like Easter and Christmas vividly demonstrate how difficult it is to abandon the habitual practices of our families and society. Many, despite claiming to be believers, often disregard the inconvenient truths about the paganism and inaccuracies in these holidays, choosing to maintain their treasured fantasies rather than risk straining relationships with family, friends, and society. Yet, for a true Christian, there should be no hesitation in such matters. Jesus instructs in Luke 12:4-5 not to fear those who can only harm the body, but to fear Him who has the power to cast into hell. When presented with truth, a real Christian embraces it out of reverence for God, as Christ declares in John 8:47 that he who is of God hears God's words, and in John 14:21, 24, that he who loves Him keeps His commandments. A striking example of these stubborn traditions is the Good Friday-Easter Sunday timeline, which contradicts Jesus' own prophecy in Matthew 12:38-40. He clearly states that, just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so would the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. With a full day comprising twelve hours of day and twelve hours of night, as Jesus acknowledges in John 11:9, this totals 72 hours. However, fitting 72 hours between sundown on Friday and sunrise on Sunday is impossible, resulting in only about half that time. This discrepancy reveals the Good Friday-Easter Sunday tradition as a chronological impossibility. Even John 20:1 notes that when Mary Magdalene arrived at the tomb while it was still dark on Sunday morning, it was already empty, further undermining the basis for Easter sunrise services. Since Jesus was placed in the tomb near sunset, His resurrection would have occurred at a similar time, aligning with the 72-hour period He prophesied.

In the village of Anatevka, tradition is the foundation that keeps the people balanced, defining their relationships within society, with one another, and with God. These traditions dictate every aspect of life—how to eat, sleep, and wear clothes—showing constant devotion to Him, even if their origins are unknown. However, unlike the villagers who blindly follow customs, we must not adhere to the traditions of men without understanding their purpose. Instead, we are to follow the traditions He has placed in the church, knowing not only how they started but also their intent. Because of His traditions, everyone born anew knows who he is and what He expects from the heart. The traditions of men, as seen in the Oral Law of the Jews, were criticized by Jesus Christ when they were prioritized over His commandments. He reprimanded the elders for rejecting His commandments to uphold their own customs. In contrast, traditions inspired by His commandments, reflecting His thoughts, actions, and behaviors, are good and right to keep. We must stand fast and hold to the traditions taught by His word, ensuring they align with truly understanding His mind, character, and behavior. Unlike those who cannot explain their customs, we are called to know the origins and purpose of the traditions we observe, fostering a productive relationship with Him in humility and gratitude.

Christ-mass is wholly indefensible when one looks beyond the traditions of men and searches the Bible. In the absence of clear instruction from God, such as exists for His annual holy days, the matter of Christmas observance is entirely up to personal interpretation and the changing traditions of an ungrounded culture. Without authentic biblical roots, there is nothing to define and describe how traditions such as Christmas should be observed. Our Savior speaks emphatically on the subject of honoring man's tradition over the Word of God. Sin enters the picture when what man wants to do, or what he has always done, is given more credence than God's instructions. God has already defined the way He would have man venerate Him: in spirit and in truth. This season, with or without the religious veneer, is all about man's insistence on doing things his own way without regard to truth.

Christmas is a bundle of contradictions, steeped in traditions of men that obscure the truth. Many are aware that Jesus was not born on December 25, yet they uphold this date, a fusion of the Roman Saturnalia festival with a celebration of His birth, established in the early fourth century to ease converts into Christianity. This practice, rooted in paganism, contradicts the honesty He taught, as He instructed against bearing false witness and emphasized that our words must be true, for anything beyond this is from the evil one. The call to put Christ back into Christmas is a contradiction, as He was never part of it to begin with. Scripture offers no command or suggestion to commemorate His birth, yet professing Christians worldwide observe days and festivals not found in God's Word, while neglecting the observances He commanded. Even the figure of Santa Claus, a modern creation with roots in folklore and a Christian saint, lacks any biblical basis, further illustrating the human tendency to embrace traditions over truth. The term Yule, linked to a pagan midwinter festival, reveals another layer of contradiction, as practices like the Yule log trace back to heathen customs of driving away evil spirits. Despite the well-documented pagan origins of Christmas, the tradition persists because human nature justifies self-contradictory practices for enjoyment and perceived benefit, often attaching a religious significance to them, whether real or imagined. This reflects a rebellious inclination to follow personal desires over God's instructions, as He warns against adopting pagan ways in worship and declares that many honor Him with their lips while their hearts are far from Him, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men and rejecting His commandments to keep their traditions.

Mankind has an innate desire to worship God, but often seeks to do so according to the dictates of his own mind, resulting in a wide variety of religions and mass confusion about the true path. God established orthodoxy in the Garden of Eden, yet Adam and Eve, persuaded by the most unorthodox being, presumed to change His standard by eating from the forbidden tree. This presumptuous act, despite their direct relationship with God, reveals the perverse strength of human nature to assert control over life. God warns against adding to or subtracting from His commands, as seen in Deuteronomy 12:32, which instructs to observe His commands without alteration. Yet, humanity often follows traditions initiated by someone presumptuously thinking to improve life, leading to vain and futile practices, as described in I Peter 1:18. The Christian must resist being molded by the world's conduct and attitudes, avoiding the drift into presumption that begins with carelessness and neglect. Significant evidence shows that much of modern liberalism in religion, including the addition of Christmas and Easter to Christian worship, was deliberately planned and executed. These observances, built around events not aligned with scriptural timing or command, are presumptuous additions accepted without thought by many. Such practices continue to evolve, as seen in ecumenical efforts that abandon former doctrines for unity, further illustrating human presumption in religious matters. Adding to or subtracting from God's Word is a serious matter, not a light sin of ignorance, as Deuteronomy 12:30-32 calls it a snare, and Jesus in Mark 7:7-9 declares it vain to reject God's commandments for human traditions. Revelation 22:18-19 warns that those who alter God's Word will not be in His Kingdom. Presumptuous sins, committed willfully and defiantly, differ from unintentional errors, carrying a grave attitude of knowing yet disregarding what is right. God does not take being presumed upon lightly, and His past reactions to such sins have been sudden and severe, reminding us to heed His standards with care.

Little thought, if any, is given to how God views the traditions and means that men have adopted to worship Him. Few consider whether the adoration aimed at Him is fitting or well-received. The recognized symbol of Christianity today is the cross, assimilated from pre-Christian paganism and assumed to be an acceptable token. Yet, God expresses great displeasure with worship aids He calls idols, as they essentially replace Him or falsely represent Him in the minds of those who use them. People assume that He accepts such a symbol, and woe to anyone who dares to state otherwise. Similarly, few contemplate whether the Father and the Son are pleased with the worship offered to Them on the assumed birthday of Jesus Christ. Professing Christians have celebrated Christmas since the fourth century, assuming it must be pleasing to God since it is so pleasing to men. However, Jesus Christ declares that those who would worship God must do so in spirit and truth. Christmas contains no truth beyond the fact that the Son of God was born of a woman. There is no example of the early church celebrating the birth date of Jesus Christ, nor is there divine instruction to do so. Instead, the Bible instructs Christians to commemorate His death each year at Passover, which many avoid. Peter reminds his readers that they were redeemed from the aimless conduct received by tradition from their fathers, describing it as a useless way of living inherited from forefathers. Christmas qualifies as such aimless, fruitless conduct received by tradition over the millennia. Paul also expressed concern for Gentile Christians observing days, months, seasons, and years from their pre-Christian lives, tied to the weak and beggarly elements of this world. Jesus Christ died to redeem mankind from practices of paganism that hold little truth. Despite the known pagan origins of Christmas and its alignment with solstice celebrations, there is still belligerence and defensiveness when its appropriateness is questioned. Its defenders assume that since it is done to honor God, He must feel honored. Yet, the Son is not well-pleased with these gestures, for every falsehood requires His life be given as payment, and repeating it yearly only adds insult to injury.

Christmas observance, steeped in the traditions of men, is a custom that has no foundation in the teachings of Christ or the apostles. It gravitated into the Western Church from paganism in the fourth century, not from the Bible or the early Church. Historical authorities reveal that Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the Church and was adopted from pagan customs, particularly those centered around the winter solstice and the birth of the sun-god on December 25th. Despite being cloaked with Christian names, this celebration remains rooted in ancient idolatrous practices that God commands His people not to follow. The Bible explicitly warns against adopting the ways of the heathen, as seen in Jeremiah 10:2-6, where the decorating of trees with silver and gold is described as a vain custom of the people, equated with idolatry. God instructs that such practices are not to be learned or followed by His faithful. Furthermore, the exchanging of gifts at Christmas, often justified by the wise men's offerings to Christ, stems not from Scripture but from pagan traditions like the Saturnalia, where presents were interchanged among friends, a practice unrelated to honoring Him. God's Word is clear in Deuteronomy 12:30-31, commanding against worshipping Him in the manner of pagan customs, declaring such acts as abominations. Jesus Himself taught that true worship must be in spirit and truth, not based on the traditions of men, as reiterated in John 4:24 and Matthew 15:9. Christmas, as a tradition of men, stands in direct opposition to God's commandments, and He will not accept worship that adopts pagan ways, no matter the intent to honor Him. The choice to follow these customs, ignoring His clear instructions, is a rejection of His authority, for which there will be a day of reckoning.

Christmas serves as a prime example of the traditions of men, illustrating the human tendency to incorporate practices not found in God's Word into worship. Despite claims of Judeo-Christian roots, many celebrate Christmas, a festival nowhere mentioned in the Bible, revealing a disconnect between professed beliefs and actual practices. This celebration, with its pagan origins, is often dismissed as harmless by clergy, yet it raises the question of whether such additions glorify God or align with His commands. God explicitly warns against adding to or subtracting from His Word, as seen in Deuteronomy 12:29-31, instructing not to learn the ways of the heathen or incorporate their customs into worship. Jesus Himself confronted this tendency among the religious Jews of His time, condemning their additions as vain and hypocritical, showing that such human ingenuity hinders the journey to God's Kingdom. Similarly, Christmas, introduced into Christianity centuries ago as a means to win converts from paganism, lacks divine authority and diverts focus from the truth God has revealed. The fruits of keeping Christmas do not enhance spiritual life or glorify God; instead, they lead people away from true worship. Peter notes that God has redeemed us from such traditions inherited from our fathers, and Jesus, as the Alpha and the Omega, determines truth and judges our adherence to it. Adding foreign practices like Christmas to worship is syncretism, a snare that risks spiritual death, as warned in Revelation 22:15. Therefore, it makes a significant difference whether or not we keep Christmas, as God desires us to follow only what He has commanded, without presumption or distortion.

As the holiday season approaches, it becomes evident that the traditions many of us grew up with in Christianity do not align with what we read in God's word. These traditions, often tied to nostalgia and emotion, were believed to be celebrations of Jesus Christ, yet they create a disconnect when compared to Scripture. We were not rebelling or rejecting God, but once compelled to study the Bible for ourselves, the contradictions became clear. Christianity teaches worship of God, but not in the way He requires, treating His commands as optional or outdated. Jesus Himself questioned this disconnect in Luke 6:46, asking why people call Him Lord but do not do what He says. The issue lies in the authority of human tradition over God's authority. Modern Christianity often embraces man-made holidays and practices while labeling obedience to God's law as legalism. Yet, Scripture is clear in Deuteronomy 10:12 and 1 John 5:3 that loving God means walking in His ways and keeping His commandments. Throughout Scripture, God warns against worship that is foreign to Him, describing it as strange or profane, as seen in Hosea 5:7 and Ezra 10:2. Such unauthorized worship, even with good intentions, is unacceptable, as Nadab and Abihu learned in Leviticus 10:1 when they offered profane fire not commanded by God and faced severe consequences. God determines how He is to be worshiped, and good intentions are not enough. Deuteronomy 12:31-32 reinforces this, commanding not to add to or take away from His instructions. History reveals how human traditions infiltrated Christianity, with church leaders distancing themselves from God's laws and replacing them with man-made practices. By 325 AD, Roman authorities substituted God's Sabbath with Sunday worship and Passover with Easter, redefining obedience as legalism, as warned by Paul in Colossians 2:8. Deuteronomy 12:30 further cautions against adopting the worship practices of other nations, yet within decades, foreign customs were blended into Christianity, becoming unrecognizable to God as strange and abominable worship. This blending of systems is what Scripture identifies as pagan worship, not merely idolatry but any worship outside God's instruction. Modern Christianity rests on a foundation of human tradition rather than God's authority, rejecting the system He established. God pleads in Revelation 18:4 for His people to come out of these worldly systems, not to join a new religion, but to return to His true Sabbath and the faith once delivered, walking the path of Abraham, Moses, and the apostles. The issue is not isolated practices like Christmas or Easter, but an entire system of worship that no longer seeks God's guidance on how He desires to be worshiped. The true church teaches submission to God's authority, not loyalty to tradition, bringing everything under the scrutiny of His word. God calls for a life fully obedient, worshiping according to His terms, a daily decision to focus on His will rather than the nostalgic trappings of human traditions that satan uses to draw us away from Him.