Origin of Halloween
The seismic social change in our society is seen in the celebration of Halloween. For years it was a minor event participated in innocently by little children with little public attention given the spiritual significance. It comes the day before a long held Christian celebration of paying tribute to dead loved ones by putting flowers on their graves. The day is called All Saints Day. The latter was given a lot of attention and proved to be a good day for florists. Now little attention is given All Saints Day and Halloween is one of the five most celebrated days of the year.
Halloween has its roots dating back before the time of Christ. The ancient Druids in Britain, France, Germany, and the Celtic countries had a celebration honoring some fo their deities. A primary one was Samhain, Lord of the Dead. Reputedly Samhain called together all souls of those who had died during the last twelve months and had them condemned to inhabit animal bodies. It was a celebration of the dead conducted on the first day of the Celtic new year, the last day of October.
Trick-or-Treat grew out of the belief all souls of the dead returned to their former homes on this night to be entertained by the living. If acceptable food and drink was not provided for these evil spirits, they would cast a spell causing havoc and terror. Trick-or-Treat!
Around 100 AD the Christian community began imperceptible to identify indirectly with the event. About this time Roman Emperor Hadrian built the Roman Pantheon as a temple to the goddess Cybele and other deities. Romans gathered there to pray for the dead. When the pagans sacked Rome, the Pantheon fell into disrepair. When Emperor Phocas recaptured Rome in 607 AD, he gave the Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV. Boniface did not want to offend those who esteemed the Pantheon as a place to pray for the dead. To “Christianize” the place Boniface reconsecrated the Pantheon to the Virgin Mary and urged Catholics to gather there to pray for the dead. The mass initially celebrated in May each year on a day called All Saints Day was called “Allhallowsmas.”
In 834 AD the holiday was moved to the October date to coincide with the Druids celebration of the dead, which was being transformed into a Christian holiday. It eventually became known as Halloween.
There is a tendency to interpret an event in light of our experience with it. Most adults were reared in a time when it was safe to go door to door and enjoy neighbors giving them candy, a fun innocent event. Not so now.
Because of what the day has become, many parents are replacing it with a “Fall Festival Party” or an “All Saints Party” and having children costume like “good guys” and not evil demented characters. Such events have little Christian inclusion, but provide a good alternative to the preoccupation with ghouls and ghosts. Games and goodies are a vital part of such events.
As a safety feature some churches are providing “Trunk-or-Treat.” Persons put treats that might normally be given out at homes in their trunks and park in the church parking lot. It provides a much safer environment than going door to door.
Me-Firstology
A striking young successful man expressed a selfish idea to his mother which was his nature. His mom quoted from “It’s Not About Me,” by Max Lucado, the popular line saying, “Remember, it’s not about me.”
Sarcastically he replied, “But it is about me.” That framed his life. He meant it and he lived it.
He became exhibit A of a me-ite personality. His wife divorced him. His daughters renounced his faux faith, dropped out of school and became social outcasts. He became a loner whose friends were so few they could not play a game of solitaire.
It is about me is another way of saying what a person of such a mentality would never admit: “I am a selfish narcissist.” It is another way of saying my world circles around me and it is a small orb. At the core of such a life is sin. You cannot be the Christian you were saved to be if you are selfish. Jesus said it plainly, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Matthew 16: 24)
Selfish people are unable to love others.
Selfishness can be defined as the trait that leads people to frequently act in their own interest without any regard for how their actions could impact others.
Some people act selfishly on occasion. Some are at their core selfish.
In Greek mythology there lived a beautiful young nymph. One day he observed his beauty reflected in a pool and became so enraptured he fell in and drowned.
His name was Narcissus’. Such inordinate self-love bears his name. Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) involves a pattern of self-centered, arrogant thinking and behavior, a lack of empathy and consideration for other people, and an excessive need for admiration. Others often describe such people as cocky, manipulative, selfish, patronizing, and demanding.
The issue of living a “selfie” life is addressed in Romans 12:3 “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”
This point is driven home in Hebrews 10:24-25 — “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.”
Lest the point not be understood, Scripture repeats the concept. “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2: 3,4)
Your Master Craftsman – Part Two
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8: 28
All things work together for good. You have got to be kidding! No, they do.
The Good Lord is in the “GOOD” business. That is, He deals in doing good. Things aren’t always good, but He is. Don’t confuse things with God. Things are not always good. God is always good. Fire is always hot, water is always wet, and God is always good. Always, it is His nature, He can’t be any other way.
Let’s do a security check on this verse. Does it really mean “all” things? Does that include such things as suffering, struggles, and sin? Yes!
Suffering often is used by the Lord to purify us.
“…that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,” (I Peter 1:7). In our suffering God can be made all the more real to us and we can reveal Him all the more to others.
Suffering often is used by the Lord to develop our patience.
“…the testing of your faith works patience….” (James 1: 3).
Suffering often is used by the Lord to perfect us.
“…after you have suffered awhile, [the Lord] will make you perfect…” (I Peter 5: 10).
It helps us to see and acknowledge our sin. It drives us to God.
It conforms us to Jesus by causing us to share in the “the fellowship of His suffering” (Phil. 3: 10).
It reveals God’s compassion and capacity.
Struggles as used here is a reference to temptation. Does it work together for good for us also? Yes.
Temptation makes us prayerful.
It devastates our pride, revealing to ourselves our own vulnerability.
It modifies us to help others in need. Knowing what it is like to struggle, we are motivated to want to relieve others when they suffer.
It makes us depend on the Lord when we suffer. It introduces us to the Lord.
Sin is always wrong. It is deplorable in the eyes of God.
When we see sin in the lives of others it is despicable. It makes us thankful we have been delivered.
Personal sin should be avoided, but even when it happens God overrules it and forgives us when we repent. Thus, our gratitude and indebtedness to Jesus is increased and draws us to Him.
If He can and will work in that trinity of adversity He will work in ALL things, enabling them to work together for good. Even any adversity presently in your life.
Your Master Craftsman – Part One
Jesus is there for us when life comes crashing down. He is there with us when life’s expectancy is exceeded and our accomplishments go beyond our wildest imagination. He is our companion in the shadows and the sunlight.
Jesus lives to work by His Spirit in every event of your life. He was a realist. He never tried to con people into following Him by offering them health, wealth, and prosperity. He never tried to buy our loyalty. With candor he warned: “In this world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16: 33).
You have the potential of joining the all time overcomers championship team called “the Christians.” Hear the following as though spoken in our spiritual locker room:
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith” (I John 5:4).
As part of His farewell address Jesus exalted: “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (Rev 3:21).
This affords every believer great confidence, even holy boldness.
Upon hearing this some people respond, “I just can’t see how!” They can’t see because they don’t know.
Many people develop a negative attitude because they don’t know foundational truth. Students of conversation have concluded that over 90% of the average person’s conversation is negative. Think about that. Many seem not to be able to wait until they can drop the next negative nugget.
Their world is like the granddad who took a nap in his favorite chair. His mischievous grandchildren were intrigued by his handlebar mustache. While he napped they rubbed limburger cheese in his mustache. Soon he was awakened by the odor and exclaimed, “This room smells bad.” He rushed out doors and rapidly concluded, “The whole world stinks.”
Even in our odorous world “All things work together for good.”
Let’s not be pretentious and advocate that everything that happens is good. The text doesn’t say that. Reality reveals not all things are good.
When the cumulative effect is applied we can see how they work together for good. An insight into how the cumulative effect works can be illustrated. Start with one penny and double it every day for 30 days. Sounds simple doesn’t. The first day there is one penny. Day two there are two pennies. Day three there are four. God the picture! Keep that up for 30 days and guess what the cumulative effect is. In 30 days you would have 536,870,912 pennies or $5,368,709.12. Little things add up.
When the events of life are added up they work together for good.
“Work together” is present tense meaning they keep working together for good. That results in trust of the Lord. Evaluate what is going on in your life in light of that.
How Big Is Your World?
In Moscow’s Red Square the remains of Vladimir Lenin lie in a crystal casket. On the casket are these words: “He was the greatest leader of all peoples, of all countries, of all times. He was lord of the new humanity. He was the savior of the world!” Those egotists had the right inscription, but the wrong tomb.
On a mountain in Galilee Jesus, through His disciples, gave to His followers of every age the Magna Carta of the church saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Know your world and how to share with those in it. A classic example of this is Paul. When preaching/teaching in Jerusalem he knew his audience had a knowledge of the Scripture so he often quoted it.
When he went to Athens he knew his audience had no knowledge of or regard for Scripture so he adjusted and spoke on their terms. He quoted their own pagan poets with whom they were familiar and applied their principles to Christ. He observed the setting and saw among their many statues one “To An Unknown God.” That one he likened to Christ and said of Him “For we are also His offsprings” (Acts 17: 28). How did Paul know that? He was from a Greek community and had been a good student. In his hometown of Tarsus his mentor was Gamaliah, who was known for requiring his students to be students of the Greek philosophers. Having been a good student, Paul knew at least three Greek poet/philosophers had written “For we are all His offsprings.”
Aratus, born in the Sicilian coast town of Soli around 310 B.C., composed his famous Pha/eno/mena in Athens. Writing of Jupiter he said, “For we are all his offsprings.” That was Paul’s springboard to present Christ.
A few years ago the FCA was having a golf tournament here in Atlanta. A friend told me of a prominent member of the PGA tour who was playing in the fund raiser. He was close to the pro and knew he had a need in his life. He asked if I would meet with him after his round and perhaps get a chance to share Jesus.
We met and within seconds he said, “I have an emptiness in my life, a real need.”
He didn’t know Scripture, but he knew golf. I adopted an old illustration and applied it by saying, “You are a great golfer. I’m not. Some of my friends who are playing here today have been trying to get me to play with them. They know they could pick me clean.”
Then I continued, “If it were possible for you to enter my body along with your ability, skill, and power and play your game through me they wouldn’t be any competition.”
He chuckled indicating he could relate to that. Then I followed through, “That is exactly what our Lord wants to do. If you will let Him come into you He will bring in wisdom, ability, and power to enable you to live a new life.”
That he could grasp and did. Within minutes he prayed to receive Christ.
He has since lived his new faith. Use terms your friends know to share Jesus on their level.