Holidays or Holy Days: Does It Matter Which Days We Observe?

United Church of God

Aug 2010 · United Church of God

About this ebook

Many people are shocked to discover the origins of our most popular religious holidays. They are also surprised to find that the days God commands us to observe in the Bible—the same days Jesus Christ and the apostles kept—are almost universally ignored. Why? Also, why are today's supposedly Christian holidays observed with so many rituals and customs that are not sanctioned anywhere in the Bible?

Here are some questions to think about...

Does Christmas really honor Jesus and His birth? 

Where did the Christmas holiday come from? How did it begin, and why? Did you realize that historians (and the Bible) agree that Jesus Christ wasn't born anywhere near December 25? Or that this particular date was well known for its pagan religious celebrations long before Jesus Christ was born?

Would Jesus Keep Easter?

Can we find any historical or biblical record of Jesus or His disciples keeping Easter or teaching parents and children to dye eggs and display bunnies on this holiday? 

Did Jesus or His apostles instruct any of His followers to worship His resurrection at sunrise on Easter Sunday—or at any other time, for that matter? If Easter were not sanctioned by Jesus or instituted by His apostles, then where did Easter come from? 

In other words, if Jesus were living among us today, would He keep Easter or encourage others to do so? Should you, as a Christian, celebrate Easter?

Few people know why they believe or do the things they do—especially when it comes to their religious beliefs and practices.

Inside the Bible study aid ebook, Holidays or Holy Days: Does It Matter Which Days We Observe?, discover the shocking truths about several of the world's most popular holidays. Perhaps even more surprising is how they came to be connected with Jesus Christ and the Christian religion.


Chapters in this ebook:

-- Crucial Questions
-- Christmas: The Untold Story
-- How Christmas Grew
-- Christmas vs. the Bible
-- Biblical Evidence Shows Jesus Wasn't Born on December 25
-- Easter: Masking a Biblical Truth
-- The Resurrection Connection
-- Fertility Symbols: Beneath the Dignity of God
-- The Chronology of Christ's Crucifixion and Resurrection
-- Halloween: A Celebration of Evil
-- What About Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Purim?
-- God's Days of Worship
-- God's Festivals in the New Testament
-- Does It Matter to God?
-- An Ancient Cultural Clash
-- The Delights of Obedience


Inside this Bible Study Aid ebook:

"Did the writers of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) consider Jesus' birth to be one of the most significant events for Christians to acknowledge or celebrate?... Did Jesus Christ tell us to celebrate His birth? No."

"A careful analysis of Scripture, however, clearly indicates that December 25 is an unlikely date for Christ’s birth. Here are two primary reasons..."

"The word Easter appears once in the King James Version of the Bible, in Acts 12:4, where it is a mistranslation."

"The New Testament does not mention an Easter celebration. Early Christians had nothing to do with Easter. Instead, they kept the Passover, instituted by God centuries earlier at the time of the Exodus (Exodus 12:13-14; Leviticus 23:5)."

"The popular belief is that Christ was crucified on a Friday and rose on a Sunday. But neither of these suppositions is supported by the biblical record."

Ratings and reviews

Armstrongism. Beware. True teachings are never kept to a secret revelation by any man. Read 2 Peter 3:14,and Jude to see the fate of this teaching. Beware! Pray.Ask God to lead you,not man.

Good read. A lot of good points are made.

Love it!

About the author

  If You Would Like to Know More...

Who we are: This publication is provided free of charge by the United Church of God, an International Association, which has ministers and congregations throughout much of the world.

We trace our origins to the Church that Jesus founded in the early first century. We follow the same teachings, doctrines and practices established then. Our commission is to proclaim the gospel of the coming Kingdom of God to all the world as a witness and to teach all nations to observe what Christ commanded (Matthew 24:14; 28:19-20).

Free of charge: Jesus Christ said, “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8). The United Church of God offers this and other publications free of charge as an educational service in the public interest. We invite you to request your free subscription to The Good News magazine and to enroll in our 12-lesson Bible Study Course, also free of charge.

We are grateful for the generous tithes and offerings of the members of the Church and other supporters who voluntarily contribute to support this work. We do not solicit the general public for funds. However, contributions to help us share this message of hope with others are welcomed. All funds are audited annually by an independent accounting firm.

Personal counsel available: Jesus commanded His followers to feed His sheep (John 21:15-17). To help fulfill this command, the United Church of God has congregations around the world. In these congregations believers assemble to be instructed from the Scriptures and to fellowship.

The United Church of God is committed to understanding and practicing New Testament Christianity. We desire to share God’s way of life with those who earnestly seek to follow our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Our ministers are available to counsel, answer questions and explain the Bible. If you would like to contact a minister or visit one of our congregations, please feel free to contact our office nearest you at [e-mail] .

For additional information: Visit our Web site www.ucg.org to download or request any of our publications, including issues of The Good News, dozens of free Bible study aid booklets, Beyond Today programs and much more.

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