Fom Halloween To New Year: Opportunities To Proclaim Jesus

   

HALOWEEN TO CHRISTMAS

OPPORTUNITY TO PROCLAIM JESUS

Acts 8:26-39

34 The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.

The Ethiopian Eunuch travel 1600 miles from Ethiopia to Jerusalem

To worship God during the Passover festival.

Where did this rich African get his love for God?

The love for God in African began before the time of King Solomon,

963BC. As reported in 1 King  10:1-14. The Queen of Sheba an Ethiopian

Queen visited Solomon during the building of the Temple. This

Rich queen brought gold, precious stones to Solomon.. She had heard

about Solomon’s wisdom. She has a love for God. She travel by ship

to Jerusalem with her Hiram’s ships.

We have a rich African history. It is a history overlooked and under reported

by our American history books. God Himself highlights the importance

Of our history.

The reason I point this out is because this story of the Ethiopian Eunuch

Points to the spread of the Gospel to other nations, and the ignorance of

The Gospel in the in the US.

Starting in October up to Halloween we celebrate death, doom and gloom.

Departments stress are filled with costumes celebrating the realm of the devil  And his demon.

Immediately after Halloween department stores and grocery stores put up

Their Christmas declarations. This runs through the new year, We

Celebrate the birth of Christ, Even people who don’t believe in God are

Exposed to Him.

We have this awesome opportunity from October to January to proclaim

The the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God has given us the perfect platform to

Do it.

First, Halloween started  as Samhain  2000 years ago.. A day when the living

Could visit with the dead.  It revolved to a Christian celebration of All Saints day.

This Ethiopian Eunuch went to worship God, during the time of Jesus Death.

He found life in Jesus resurrection

Here is the platform for our teaching of the Gospel.

Everything about Christmas is a teaching moment.

Christmas is two words. Christ and mass. The celebration of Christ in

Mass.

 The word Christmas comes from Middle English Cristemasse, which in turn comes from Old English Cristes-messe, literally meaning Christ’s Mass.

Of course, we are not talking about the physical mass of Christ’s body. The origin of mass, in the Christian sense of the word, is not entirely clear. We know it comes from Latin missa, but there are several competing theories as to what missa is supposed to mean. Some scholars say it is a form of the Latin verb mittere, in which case it would mean “something that has been sent” (but it cannot refer to Christ himself because “missa” is grammatically feminine).

Others say that it is a late form of Latin missio, meaning “dismissal”. This is supported by the fact that Catholic masses are traditionally concluded with the words:

Ite, missa est.

which would mean, “Go, the dismissal is made”, provided this interpretation is correct.

Yet another explanation is that it is, in fact, the Hebrew word missah, “unleavened bread”, which God commanded to be offered with the Passover sacrifice in the Exodus.

The name “Christ”

The origin of the designation Christ is also not without interest. It comes from Greek Χριστός (Christós), meaning “anointed”, which is a translation of Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ māšîaḥ (“anointed”) that has been incorporated into the English language as “messiah”. Hence, “Christ” and “Messiah” mean essentially the same, the former originating in Ancient Greek and the latter in Classical Hebrew.

OUR OPPORTUNITY TO PROCLAIM JESUS

All of our pagan activities between  Halloween,  Christmas and The New Year can be taught as symbols of Christ.

Christmas Tree     Jesus is the tree of life

 Prov 11:30

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,

and he who wins souls is wise.

The star on the top of the tree is represents Jesus

   

Matt 2:1-2

Magia from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the eastb and have come to worship him."

   

1 Peter 2:24

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness;

   

Rev 2:7

To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

  Christmas Lights.

Jesus is the light of the world

   

John 1:4-5

4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

       

John 12:36

Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light.

The Christmas Decorations

The majesty of Christ

   

Ps 93:1

The Lord  reigns, he is robed in majesty;

the Lord  is robed in majesty

and is armed with strength.

The world is firmly established;

it cannot be moved.

   

Heb 8:1-2

The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.

The gifts under the tree represents the gift of salvation

   

Rom 5:15-16

15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16

   

James 1:17

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Spiritual Gifts

   

Rom 12:6-8

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

At the center of worlds  illusion of Christmas is jolly old St Nick. Santa Claus

He knows when you are sleeping, He knows when you are awake

He knows when you have been good or bad.

This speaks to Christ Omniscience. Christ knows every thing about

Everybody.

This speaks to Christ Omnipresence. He is everywhere all the time.

This speaks to His Omnipotence 

   

2 Cor 9:8

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

God gives many opportunities  to proclaim the good news about Jesus

Christ so that we may fulfill his commission

   

Matt 28:19-20

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them ina the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

NIV