Blessed Easter Sunday
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ya...eventhough the english term easter is pagan and many church prefer to call it Resurrection Sunday...the mandarin term is most meaning and remain unchaged through the years.Originally posted by vince69:This brought to mind, on saturday night, saw this being said on TV.
translated from chinese...
"The meaning of Easter is to remember the suffering and cruxification of Jesus Christ on the cross, and on the third day rose again, to pay the penalty of sin for all mankind."
oh, its in the Ch8 news, the report was reporting on some easter events when he said this.
personally feel, not bad huh, the gospel message (even if its a simplified one) is being spread over national tv, for free somemore.
However those easter bunnies and eggs thingy still quite popular. -
actually the gospel message is quite simple. we r the ones tt make it seems complicated.Originally posted by vince69:This brought to mind, on saturday night, saw this being said on TV.
translated from chinese...
"The meaning of Easter is to remember the suffering and cruxification of Jesus Christ on the cross, and on the third day rose again, to pay the penalty of sin for all mankind."
oh, its in the Ch8 news, the report was reporting on some easter events when he said this.
personally feel, not bad huh, the gospel message (even if its a simplified one) is being spread over national tv, for free somemore.
theological issues r complex because they are meant for christians...nv for non-believers. it is only when u have a basis of the amazing grace then u wanna find out more and zealously prevent this simple faith from being distorted and perverted by malicious ppl. -
I know... just like santa clus and rudolf....Originally posted by NT2:ya...eventhough the english term easter is pagan and many church prefer to call it Resurrection Sunday...the mandarin term is most meaning and remain unchaged through the years.
However those easter bunnies and eggs thingy still quite popular.
nevermind lah, we just take the chance talk about Christ, sow the seed of salvation and let God do the rest lah...
God bless. -
Then explain this:Originally posted by NT2:Galatians tells us that we need not behave like the Jews as a Christian.
Passover, Shofars and all these things do place a special place and meaning for the Jews but for us who are Gentiles and under the new covenant. We have no obligations to come under these.
If we have no obligation to behave as Jews, it does not say that we have no obligation to understand and be feverent in keeping Gods commandments. If we have no understanding of our roots, which for all intents and purposes are jewish, then why are we also called abrahams seed? The father of the Jewish nation? Why would God bring us back to an Abrahamic covenant and promise? And what did God say to Abraham about his blessings which we have obtained by this promise God made to Abraham?
In Romans 3:26-29, it says:
26For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
And what new covenant do you think this is? Jesus himself said, I come not to abolish the law but to fulfil it. So if the law is not abolished, it still stands. Jesus himself also said to obey the Fathers commandments. Where do you suppose those commandments are found? In the old testament.
Just because Jesus came, it does not mean that God does away with all He has said and ordained in the OT. Our God is a God who is the same yesterday, today and forever. Jesus came so that we may be justified and have righteousness by faith in Him because Jesus lived the law perfectly, so therefore, being perfect, He fulfilled the law on our behalf, he was the perfect sacrifice which atoned for our failure to keep the law. By his death we have freedom from the curse of the law if we stumble in keeping the Lords commandments, but it does not mean we do not try to live our lives according to the commandments of the Lord.
Please remember, the gospel of Jesus is one for the JEW FIRST, then for the gentile. We have grace because they our brothers and sisters (the Jews) have been blinded for our sakes so that God may graft us the wild branches in. But if God did not spare the natural vine, how much more will He also not spare us if we do not obey His commandments?
That is how death came into place because Adam failed to obey God's commandment. That is the same for the Jew, and also for the gentile. Jesus said this:
In Matthew 5:16-18
16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
17Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
What do you then suppose this means? Why would Jesus or God want us to keep the pagan festivals? Even Christmas, we know that it is the wrong date, and we have a clear idea of when it should be so why not celebrate it at the right time? Why are the significant moments of our Lords' life intertwined with pagan heresy? Why does it need to be and why does it need to replace it?
And in Galatians 4:8-9, Paul says this:
8Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
9But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Please bear in mind that when Paul said this to the Galatians, he was talking to people who were not Jews, but pagans who celebrated pagan festivals before, and turned back to celebrating them again even after knowing God.
Read these same verses in the amplified version:
8But at that previous time, when you had not come to be acquainted with and understand and know the true God, you [Gentiles] were in bondage to gods who by their very nature could not be gods at all [gods that really did not exist].
9Now, however, that you have come to be acquainted with and understand and know [the true] God, or rather to be understood and known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly and worthless elementary things [[d]of all religions before Christ came], whose slaves you once more want to become?
10You observe [particular] days and months and seasons and years!
11I am alarmed [about you], lest I have labored among and over you to no purpose and in vain.
Paul also said this in Romans 3:31
31Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
By celebrating EASTER, we are missing out on the significance of Jesus being the passover lamb. Easter is easter and passover is passover. I have already posted on this in an earlier post. What then is the significance of the easter eggs and of the easter bunny? All this is not to condemn, but to speak the truth so that to those who have ears, let them hear. -
Originally posted by Kuali Baba:Any excuse to consume chocolate is a good excuse.
Wet blanket. 
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No less relentless than others out there who spread the fallacy... and insist on tarnishing the Lords life by twining it with a pagan festival.Originally posted by Icemoon:Haha .. Brey is relentless. 
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Exsultet - The Easter Proclamation
Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing choirs of angels!
Exult, all creation around God's throne!
Jesus Christ, our King is risen!
Sound the trumpet of salvation!
Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor,
radiant in the brightness of your King!
Christ has conquered! Glory fills you!
Darkness vanishes for ever!
Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory!
The risen Savior shines upon you!
Let this place resound with joy,
echoing the mighty song of all God's people!
My dearest friends,
standing with me in this holy light,
join me in asking God for mercy,
that he may give his unworthy minister
grace to sing his Easter praises.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give him thanks and praise.
It is truly right that with full hearts and minds and voices
we should praise the unseen God, the all-powerful Father,
and his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
For Christ has ransomed us with his blood,
and paid for us the price of Adam's sin to our eternal Father!
This is our passover feast,
When Christ, the true Lamb, is slain,
whose blood consecrates the homes of all believers.
This is the night,
when first you saved our fathers:
you freed the people of Israel from their slav'ry,
and led them dry-shod through the sea.
This is the night,
when the pillar of fire destroyed the darkness of sin.
This is night,
when Christians ev'rywhere,
washed clean of sin and freed from all defilement,
are restored to grace and grow together in holiness.
This is the night,
when Jesus broke the chains of death
and rose triumphant from the grave.
What good would life have been to us,
had Christ not come as our Redeemer?
Father, how wonderful your care for us!
How boundless your merciful love!
To ransom a slave you gave away your Son.
O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam,
which gained for us so great a Redeemer!
Most blessed of all nights,
chosen by God to see Christ rising from the dead!
Of this night scripture says:
"The night will be as clear as day:
it will become my light, my joy."
The power of this holy night dispels all evil,
washes guilt away, restores lost innocence,
brings mourners joy;
it casts out hatred, brings us peace,
and humbles earthly pride.
Night truly blessed,
when heaven is wedded to earth
and we are reconciled to God!
Therefore, heavenly Father, in the joy of this night,
receive our evening sacrifice of praise,
your Church's solemn offering.
Accept this Easter candle,
a flame divided but undimmed,
a pillar of fire that glows to the honor of God.
Let it mingle with the lights of heaven
and continue bravely burning
to dispel the darkness of this night!
May the Morning Star which never sets
find this flame still burning:
Christ, that Morning Star,
who came back from the dead,
and shed his peaceful light on all mankind,
your Son, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen. -
Arrrgggghhhhh.... easter praises, easter candle????Originally posted by SingaporeMacross:Exsultet - The Easter Proclamation
Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing choirs of angels!
Exult, all creation around God's throne!
Jesus Christ, our King is risen!
Sound the trumpet of salvation!
Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor,
radiant in the brightness of your King!
Christ has conquered! Glory fills you!
Darkness vanishes for ever!
Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory!
The risen Savior shines upon you!
Let this place resound with joy,
echoing the mighty song of all God's people!
My dearest friends,
standing with me in this holy light,
join me in asking God for mercy,
that he may give his unworthy minister
grace to sing his Easter praises.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give him thanks and praise.
It is truly right that with full hearts and minds and voices
we should praise the unseen God, the all-powerful Father,
and his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
For Christ has ransomed us with his blood,
and paid for us the price of Adam's sin to our eternal Father!
This is our passover feast,
When Christ, the true Lamb, is slain,
whose blood consecrates the homes of all believers.
This is the night,
when first you saved our fathers:
you freed the people of Israel from their slav'ry,
and led them dry-shod through the sea.
This is the night,
when the pillar of fire destroyed the darkness of sin.
This is night,
when Christians ev'rywhere,
washed clean of sin and freed from all defilement,
are restored to grace and grow together in holiness.
This is the night,
when Jesus broke the chains of death
and rose triumphant from the grave.
What good would life have been to us,
had Christ not come as our Redeemer?
Father, how wonderful your care for us!
How boundless your merciful love!
To ransom a slave you gave away your Son.
O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam,
which gained for us so great a Redeemer!
Most blessed of all nights,
chosen by God to see Christ rising from the dead!
Of this night scripture says:
"The night will be as clear as day:
it will become my light, my joy."
The power of this holy night dispels all evil,
washes guilt away, restores lost innocence,
brings mourners joy;
it casts out hatred, brings us peace,
and humbles earthly pride.
Night truly blessed,
when heaven is wedded to earth
and we are reconciled to God!
Therefore, heavenly Father, in the joy of this night,
receive our evening sacrifice of praise,
your Church's solemn offering.
Accept this Easter candle,
a flame divided but undimmed,
a pillar of fire that glows to the honor of God.
Let it mingle with the lights of heaven
and continue bravely burning
to dispel the darkness of this night!
May the Morning Star which never sets
find this flame still burning:
Christ, that Morning Star,
who came back from the dead,
and shed his peaceful light on all mankind,
your Son, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
Even here there is contradiction as it speaks about passover and the deliverance of the Jewish people and it also makes mention of them being our "fathers". How interesting to lose the significance in heresy.
So this person is confused, passover is not easter. And lets get the facts straight, Christ rose early on the third day and not during the night!!! Sigh. Also it is not the night that is holy or has it the power to dispel evil. It was not the night that dispelled evil, but Yeshua who conquered death and sin! It is what Yeshua did for us and let us not belittle His death for us. If anything at all we should celebrate His death and ressurection for us. The glory should go to Him and Him alone and not the night or the day or any romanticized notions about this. Give GOD the glory not His creation.
Easter will never mean the deliverance of us Christians. How can it be since it is pagan????? We have to get out of the mentality that easter is passover. Passover yes, but easter no. Where in the bible is easter ever mentioned? How do you link easter eggs and the easter bunny to passover? Where is the link???? Passover is what it is and always will be. It links to communion, and our redemtion from our sins, but not easter. -
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yes, gospel message is simple yet beautiful, salvation by grace (not rewards) from God, through the suffering and death of Christ, and all we need to do is to receive by faith in all He had done to give us this gift of life.Originally posted by NT2:actually the gospel message is quite simple. we r the ones tt make it seems complicated.
theological issues r complex because they are meant for christians...nv for non-believers. it is only when u have a basis of the amazing grace then u wanna find out more and zealously prevent this simple faith from being distorted and perverted by malicious ppl.
even for believers, in the quest to find out more, I would urge never to take your eyes away from this amazing grace, lest one turns this beautiful grace into a bondage of works.
God Bless. -
oh, so now it's wrong to praise God for sending Jesus to die and rise for our sake?Originally posted by breytonhartge:Arrrgggghhhhh.... easter praises, easter candle????
Even here there is contradiction as it speaks about passover and the deliverance of the Jewish people and it also makes mention of them being our "fathers". How interesting to lose the significance in heresy.
So this person is confused, passover is not easter. And lets get the facts straight, Christ rose early on the third day and not during the night!!! Sigh. Also it is not the night that is holy or has it the power to dispel evil. It was not the night that dispelled evil, but Yeshua who conquered death and sin! It is what Yeshua did for us and let us not belittle His death for us. If anything at all we should celebrate His death and ressurection for us. The glory should go to Him and Him alone and not the night or the day or any romanticized notions about this. Give GOD the glory not His creation.
Easter will never mean the deliverance of us Christians. How can it be since it is pagan????? We have to get out of the mentality that easter is passover. Passover yes, but easter no. Where in the bible is easter ever mentioned? How do you link easter eggs and the easter bunny to passover? Where is the link???? Passover is what it is and always will be. It links to communion, and our redemtion from our sins, but not easter.
If Easter is pagan, why are we 'pagans' celebrating the resurrection of Christ?
Ok, you are not wrong in saying that the original Easter is of pagan origins. And if you like you can say Christmas coincides with whatever pagan festival.
Even when Easter existed as a pagan feast, it had something to do with new life. Do not forget that through Christ's death we have new life. Is this not applicable to the resurrection? These pagan days have been transformed to reflecting on the birth and resurrection of Christ. We read Scripture on those days and reflect on events in Christ's life. Explain how is that pagan? -
You just don't get it do you? These pagan days have never been transformed, they have been absrobed into mainstream christianity which dilutes the meaning of why Christ died at passover. (I won't say who the culprit is... you should know.)Originally posted by SingaporeMacross:oh, so now it's wrong to praise God for sending Jesus to die and rise for our sake?
If Easter is pagan, why are we 'pagans' celebrating the resurrection of Christ?
Ok, you are not wrong in saying that the original Easter is of pagan origins. And if you like you can say Christmas coincides with whatever pagan festival.
Even when Easter existed as a pagan feast, it had something to do with new life. Do not forget that through Christ's death we have new life. Is this not applicable to the resurrection? These pagan days have been transformed to reflecting on the birth and resurrection of Christ. We read Scripture on those days and reflect on events in Christ's life. Explain how is that pagan?
I do not say that it is wrong to praise God for sending Yeshua to die for us, I say that it is wrong to think that easter is part of Christianity. Spritually it never was and never will be. The pagan religion of celebrating easter was rooted in the celebration of the ressurection of baal. Get it?! Who is baal? Do you seriously think that Jesus would want to be associated with this?
Under the definition for Easter in Webster's Dictionary (College Edition) one finds: "originally the name of pagan vernal festival . . . Eastre, dawn goddess." Further reading in an encyclopedia, or most books on the holidays will identify this Eastre with the pagan goddess known variously as Eostre, Ishtar, Semeramis, and Astarte. This is the same Babylonian "Queen of Heaven," whose worship is condemned in the Word of God (see Jeremiah Chapters 7 and 44).
The trappings of the modern Easter, and its associated days are all pagan in origin. Lent is not found in the Bible as a Christian holiday. It is rather borrowed from the 40 days of mourning for Tammuz, the lover/ husband/son of Astarte. God's Word condemns its observance in Ezekiel 8:14.
There is absolutely no Biblical authority for such days as Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, or Maundy Thursday. "Good Friday" is the most bizarre of them all. Any grade school child can see that the Lord could not have died and been buried late Friday, spent three days and three nights in the tomb (Matt. 12:40) and risen again Sunday morning!
The word Easter is mentioned but once in the Authorized (KJV) Version of Scripture (Acts 12:4). There it is being observed by the pagan King Herod not by any Christian.
heed God's admonition found in Jeremiah 10:2: "Learn not the way of the heathen . . ."
The truth is that the forty days of Lent, eggs, rabbits,hot cross buns and the Easter ham have everything to do with the ancient pagan religion of Mystery Babylon.These are all antichrist activities!
Satan is a master deceiver, and has filled the lives of well-meaning, professing Christians with idolatry.
These things bring the wrath of God upon children of disobedience, who try to make pagan customs of Baal worship Christian.
You must answer for your activities and for what you teach your children.
These customs of Easter honor Baal, who is also Satan, and is still worshipped as the "Rising Sun" and his house is the "House of the Rising Sun."
How many churches have "sunrise services" on Ishtar's day and face the rising sun in the East?
How many will use colored eggs and rabbit stories, as they did in ancient Babylon.
These things are no joke, any more than Judgement day is a joke. -
Originally posted by SingaporeMacross:
DUH!!!!
[b]
Do not forget that through Christ's death we have new life. [b]
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haizzzz.....being legalist again!!!
if this cannot that cannot this not right there not right then how???
if all wana follow so strict might as well just remain or become a jew and not even believe that the Messiah had come. Aiyo!!!
Its PENTACOST not passover!!! -
Get your facts straight, PENTACOST is seven weeks or 50 days AFTER passover.Originally posted by babyys:haizzzz.....being legalist again!!!
if this cannot that cannot this not right there not right then how???
if all wana follow so strict might as well just remain or become a jew and not even believe that the Messiah had come. Aiyo!!!
Its PENTACOST not passover!!!
Who do you think Jesus was? A JEW.
FYI, there are jews who believe that the messiah Yeshua has come and will come again, they are called messianic jews. My wife is one of them.
The point I am making here is that what I speak about is biblical, you are a CHIRSITAN, a follower of Yeshua. God's word should then mean something to you right? So then why are we doing what GOD told us not to do?????
IT IS NOT BEING LEGALISTIC, IT IS THE TRUTH, WE DO NOT WANT TO BE WISHY WASHY, JUST ACCEPTING HALF TRUTHS OR NON TRUTHS OR THINGS TAUGHT TO US WITH NO BIBLICAL BASIS, I AM GOING BACK TO THE BIBLE AS THE WORD OF GOD TO SEE WHAT IT SAYS.
It is just being accurate, our GOD is a very accurate, detailed and precise GOD. Do you think just because Jesus came, the OT does not apply? Note, that even the apostle Paul who was sent to the gentiles was a JEW. He would not have taught anything different from what Jesus already taught and these things were all in the context of JEWISH society and customs. Gods customs. If you want to be a CHRISTIAN, how come you don't want to obey GOD?
By what you say you obviously do not care about what God says in the bible. How far is that going to get you in your walk with GOD? -
what does pentecost has to do with passover?Originally posted by babyys:haizzzz.....being legalist again!!!
if this cannot that cannot this not right there not right then how???
if all wana follow so strict might as well just remain or become a jew and not even believe that the Messiah had come. Aiyo!!!
Its PENTACOST not passover!!!
isn't pentecost the arrival of the Comforter? -
Brey is angry liao. He typed in CAPS like ICOH .. and his keyboard is not even spoilt.
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Pentacost is shavuot which is the feast of weeks. This is exactly 50 days from passover. This number is significant because in Jewish custom, 50 is the jubilee of jubilees.Originally posted by Icemoon:what does pentecost has to do with passover?
isn't pentecost the arrival of the Comforter?
During passover Jesus ressurected and reappeared to the disciples to tell them to wait in the upper room for pentacost and for God to send the Holy Spirit. Unless one knows when passover is, one will not know when pentacost is because pentacost is counted from when passover occurs. -
I think Brey sort of missed the point.
While it is true God forbade those 'pagan' practices in the bible, the context is that the people were worshipping Baal et al.
But SgMacross and other well meaning Christians (protestant or catholic) are worshipping the Lord whole heartedly during whatever maudy day or easter day.
So Brey's comparison is already invalid in the first place.
Pray, tell me how can Satan triumph when you are worshipping God? -
That's true.Originally posted by breytonhartge:Pentacost is shavuot which is the feast of weeks. This is exactly 50 days from passover. This number is significant because in Jewish custom, 50 is the jubilee of jubilees.
During passover Jesus ressurected and reappeared to the disciples to tell them to wait in the upper room for pentacost and for God to send the Holy Spirit. Unless one knows when passover is, one will not know when pentacost is because pentacost is counted from when passover occurs.
So why did babyys mention pentacost out of the blue? I thought the original argument was between holy communion and passover? -
I think you missed the point.Originally posted by Icemoon:I think Brey sort of missed the point.
While it is true God forbade those 'pagan' practices in the bible, the context is that the people are worshipping Baal et al.
But SgMacross and other well meaning Christians (protestant or catholic) are worshipping the Lord whole heartedly during whatever maudy day or easter day.
So Brey's comparison is already invalid in the first place.
How can Satan triumph when you are worshipping God?
These well meaning CHristians are celebrating festivals which dedicate things to baal. Satan triumphs because he has already infiltrated the Church with idolatry.
Christians are creating new feasts and festivals which make a mockery of the festivals ordained by God and which incorporate in their practice, things of these paganistic religions. EASTER will never be anything but a pagan festival.
Get your facts straight, passover is related to the deliverance of the israelites from Egypt, and God said in the bible that this would be a feast celebrated to Him forever and that this story should be passed down through the generations in remembrance of this event.
Put it this way, you can have an idol in your house, not worship it, but worship God and do you think God will be pleased? NO. Same thing you bring idols into the house of the LORD and into the LORD's feasts and festivals, do you think GOD will be pleased? These idols here are easter eggs, bunnies and hot cross buns.
FYI, passover is followed immediately by the feast of unleavened bread, which means no leaven for 7 days, so how can we then have hot cross buns??? -
Actually the idea of resurrectiom is not new.Originally posted by breytonhartge:I do not say that it is wrong to praise God for sending Yeshua to die for us, I say that it is wrong to think that easter is part of Christianity. Spritually it never was and never will be. The pagan religion of celebrating easter was rooted in the celebration of the ressurection of baal. Get it?! Who is baal? Do you seriously think that Jesus would want to be associated with this?
Like you said, Baal was resurrected and I read that the Greek Dioynsius or something also resurrected.
I can say Christianity itself has pagan origins. -
Now you are talking rubbish.Originally posted by Icemoon:I can say Christianity itself has pagan origins.
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Then you better not celebrate Chinese New Year pls.Originally posted by breytonhartge:I think you missed the point.
These well meaning CHristians are celebrating festivals which dedicate things to baal. Satan triumphs because he has already infiltrated the Church with idolatry.
Christians are creating new feasts and festivals which make a mockery of the festivals ordained by God and which incorporate in their practice, things of these paganistic religions. EASTER will never be anything but a pagan festival.
Idolatory? Pray, tell me how does going to church to celebrate the festival becomes idolatory?
The most ironical thing is even non-Christians know Jesus has risen during fu4 huo2 jie1. And most will not know the pagan origin of fu huo jie. How do you think Satan will triumph because of this?
I think there are two arguments here.
1. Most Christians today dont celebrrate God ordained festivals.
2. Most Christians today celebrate non God ordained festivals.
I think we should tackle them separately. -
I don't celebrate CNY and my family knows it!Originally posted by Icemoon:Then you better not celebrate Chinese New Year pls.
Idolatory? Pray, tell me how does going to church to celebrate the festival becomes idolatory?
The most ironical thing is even non-Christians know Jesus has risen during fu4 huo2 jie1. And most will not know the pagan origin of fu huo jie. How do you think Satan will triumph because of this?
I think there are two arguments here.
1. Most Christians today dont celebrrate God ordained festivals.
2. Most Christians today celebrate non God ordained festivals.
I think we should tackle them separately.
Idolatry because we mix pagan with Christian. Jesus said not to mix, God said not to mix, yet what are we doing? mixing...