The timing of the Pokemon Go release and the timing of the birth of Christ...
Soon it will be 6 months since Pokemon Go was released. As you all already know the game is not nearly as popular as 6 months ago. However I predict that there will be a resurgence in popularity because of the much anticipated Generation 2 release which will add 100 Pokemon to the mix and the coming of Winter Break where school kids and college students will have the free time to play the game.
http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/ ... s-REVEALED It will not bring us back to the level of the beginning of the release but there will be a resurgence.
http://www.businessinsider.com/pokemon- ... -2-2016-11 Now as we head towards Christmas Break let’s look back at the release of Pokemon Go and also at the reason for the season.
The release of Pokemon Go was exactly at the right time. Had it come out at a different time it would not be the same game nor would it have the same popularity. One of the reasons for the success of Pokemon Go is the nostalgia factor. Pokemon on the Game Boy was released in Japan in 1996 and in the USA in 1998. I was in elementary school when it was released and now I am in my late twenties. Many of the people who grew up playing Pokemon now have children of their own. When I was walking in the park this past summer I saw many parents playing Pokemon Go with their children (some of them at the same time because the family had 2 or 3 I-phones). A huge part of the success is the number of people who have smartphones ,had the game came out sooner perhaps less people would have access to it. Social media like Facebook now has over one billion users. On Facebook there were several groups and social events related to the game and three teams. Augmented reality had been perfected to a level where it could be incorporated into a game.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gami ... /86950180/ Previous mobile games with the free-to-play model paved for micro-transactions. The incorporation of GPS and real life locations was modeled after a previous game (Ingress) by the same developer. Finally the game was released during the summer when college aged students and children could have lots of free time.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/10 ... -week.html One of the great tragedy of this generation is that children now in Western countries go outside less and get less exercise. With Pokemon Go it was a great way to get kids active and outdoors. Pokemon Go was released at actually the right time.
Jesus’ birth also happened at the right time. Although there is some controversy on whether Jesus was born in December
http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articl ... stmas.html , the Christian community has traditionally celebrated his birth on December 25. He is the reason for the season. God's timing is always perfect. He is never too late nor too early.
http://www.jesus.org/is-jesus-god/chris ... story.html It was important for Jesus to come to the earth between 30 B.C. (the triumph of Octavian Augustus over Marc Anthony and Cleopatra) and 70 A.D. (the Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Romans after the Jews rebelled against their rule). After 30 B.C. the Roman Republic became the Roman Empire and entered a time period known as Pax Romana a time of relative peace. During this time there was the Roman Road system (all roads lead to Rome) which linked to the Silk Road. This allowed the Gospel to spread rapidly to the West and the East (the Apostle Thomas reached India before his death). In the Roman Empire, Latin was the language of administration but Koine Greek was the language of trade and a lingua franca in the Eastern part of the Empire. Many educated people in the West learned Greek in addition to Latin. This allowed for the rapid spread of the New Testament manuscripts. Due to the expansion of the Roman Empire, many nationalities could understand Greek. This allowed the message of Jesus to spread from the Jewish community to the nations. The Torah and the message of the prophets was written in Hebrew. The Gospels as well as the rest of the New Testament was written in Greek. The Greek speaking Jews and Christians also used a Greek translation of the Old Testament called the Septuagint (LXX). Similar to how many people learn English as a second language, many people learned Greek.
“Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.” Isaiah 49:7 Most of the early converts to Christianity were Jews but they spread God’s message of hope to the Greek community and from there it has gone to the world.
https://jewsforjesus.org/issues-v13-n06 ... you-decide
Between 30 B.C. and 70 A.D. was the time frame that God gave to the Prophet Daniel. If Jesus had come after 70 A.D. there would be no Jewish nation for him to emerge from with the massive scattering of the Jews caused by the Romans burn down Jerusalem and destroying the Temple (a later revolt in 132 A.D. that briefly re-established the nation was crushed in 135 A.D.). Jesus also could not fulfill many of the prophecies involving the Temple if he came after 70 A.D.
http://www.gotquestions.org/fullness-of-time.html For more information on Jesus and prophecy check out these websites:
http://www.jewsforjesus.org/issues-v13- ... he-messiah
http://www.jewsforjesus.org/issues-v05- ... he-prophet
What Jesus’ mission was:
http://www.christiananswers.net/godstory/jesus1.html
Jesus demonstrates God’s love. Much of Jesus’ ministry took place with people that society looked down upon.
Matthew 8:1-3 When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Now this is significant because people with leprosy (a skin disease) were exiled from their community and they were not even allowed to come near to a person. The temple priests would not dare go close to someone unclean yet alone touch them. Jesus’ love for people is selfless and unconditional. When you give a gift to someone take time to remember God’s gift to us through Jesus. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
https://www.facebook.com/notes/pokegosp ... 2606249381
Nonbiblical historical accounts of Jesus:
http://www.bethinking.org/jesus/ancient ... an-sources
Impact of the early church:
Here are some of the reasons why Christianity was so popular:
In the days of the Roman Empire, just like in America today there is a large gap between the poor and the rich:
https://persquaremile.com/2011/12/16/in ... an-empire/ In the beginning days of Christianity: people would take care of each other needs: “Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, “ Acts 4:34 This was one reason why Christianity rapidly expanded as other people noticed how generous Christians were with their resources.
http://www.earlychurch.com/unconditional-love.php
In the days of the Roman, there was a social division between the rich and the poor, Jews and Greeks, etc. People from a different social class would rarely interact. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. “ Galatians 3:28
What impressed people who saw Christians was that at gatherings there would be poor and rich, and people of different nationalities interacting.
In the days of the Roman Empire, it was legal for a father to kill his baby if the baby was “defective”
http://www.livescience.com/42834-ancien ... icide.html Often times the baby would be left outside to due of starvation and exposure to cold. Jesus taught that children were precious: Then Jesus said, "Leave the children alone, and don't try to keep them from coming to Me, because the kingdom of heaven is made up of people like this." Matthew 19:14 Early Christians would adopt those babies who were left to die. Even today American Christians are twice as likely to adopt as non-Christians:
http://www.barna.com/research/5-things- ... nvPco2E7Tw
http://www.girltalkhome.com/blog/heathe ... -part-two/
Status of women:
https://www.gty.org/resources/Articles/ ... d-Straight
In the Gospel accounts, we see that it was the women who were the most loyal to Jesus during his crucifixion. When Jesus was arrested and put on trial, the male disciples of Jesus fled. It was the women who went to Jesus’ tomb after his death.
Matthew 28: 1-8 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
Under Jewish law, the eyewitness testimony of a woman was considered unreliable.
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jso ... 21003.html Yet, the Gospel accounts record the women being the first ones to see Jesus’ resurrection.
Romans 16:1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:
The Greek word for servant is διάκονον (diakonon) where we get the English word deacon from.
In the days of the Roman Empire and many places today, women were expected to do the majority of housework and household chores. The people in the early Christian era did not met in huge cathedrals but in people’s homes. Women had a valuable role in the upkeep and logistics of the “house churches”. This continues in places like China where the majority of Christians meet at house churches.
http://www.chinaaid.org/2008/01/4-house ... -from.html A part of the attraction of Christianity was that it boosted the value of women.
https://bible.org/article/christianity- ... ened-women
If the Christian church nowadays is falling short, it is because we have gone away from the practices and actions of the early church. I hope that as this Christmas season progresses, more Christians will be empowered to live like we did in the early days.
In the days of the Roman Empire just like in several places today, life was centered around bread and circuses (food and entertainment/amusement).
http://www.ushistory.org/civ/6e.asp While having food and entertainment is not necessarily bad, to live your life just solely for food and entertainment gets stale after awhile. God created us for deeper fellowship and a deeper purpose. Many people in the days of the Roman Empire ,just like people today, are seeking for our meaning in life.
For more information contact me at
pokegospel316@gmail.com or private message me through Facebook.
