“…the Israelites cried out to the LORD, He raised up…” Judges 3:9
“I’m not going to eat tomorrow.” Those were the words Katie said to me after getting home last night from Ladies Bible Study. I didn’t have to ask ‘why,’ because I already knew. Today is Election Day. And by the end of it, we will not be the same… no matter WHO wins. So today is a day to fast and pray.
I’ve never really been a big ‘faster.’ I’ve tried it before… and can STILL see my dad’s face when, over 50 years ago, HE tried it for 3 DAYS!! He was a mess. And no.. it didn’t do anything for Him in his quest for an answer from God. That doesn’t mean I’m throwing fasting away. After all… today is going to be a tense one.
Make no mistake about it. We, like the Israelites in the book of Judges, have failed and fallen as a county. America’s issues are no different. We, too, worship the gods of immorality. I could barely stomach watching TV last night for all the pro abortion ads. Our nation is one of harlots, murderers, thieves, druggies and liars.
I avoided an exclamation mark at the end of that last paragraph because it is no surprise. We we’re a nation founded on Jesus Christ and the Bible. What we are now mimics Israel and their fated country. But we cannot say we haven’t been warned. For now, it is only God’s move. We’ll get a Godly leader… or a butcher!
The Bible is clear that the LORD left evil nations among them to test all the Israelites. Looking at my life I can see MY faltering steps… and failures… when the same exam was laid in front of me. Thankfully I have a Savior. But that doesn’t mean I don’t face testing now and then. I pray we all become wiser and effective.
So today we wait and pray… concentrating on God’s hand on America. Will you join us in prayer today? For ourselves as much as for our Country.
“For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” Galatians 5:17 (NKJV)
Searching for a snack out of boredom, I opened the refrigerator to see what I could find. Instantly, my EYES fell upon some Halloween candy. Then my HAND grabbed a piece and shoved it into my MOUTH! All before my BRAIN had time to think about it! So there I stood… candy breath and all… wondering what just happened! I just proved God doesn’t lie. I had vowed to NOT eat candy.
It really ISN’T a mystery. Paul wrote this verse 2000 years ago to give a heavenly explanation to what every one of us should already know. He gave it even MORE detail in Romans 7. Humans make BAD choices… ALL the time. I listen to the excuses regularly, from myself… AND from others… then ask… “I don’t understand… WHY do I keep choosing the wrong thing!” As if I was genuinely surprised!
NO GOOD THING LIVES IN YOUR FLESH (Romans 7:18).But that is NOT what the WORLD, the FLESH or the DEVIL says about me. The message that screams to ALL of us is, “you’re a winner, believe in yourself, you’re enough or you can do it!” And the dude with the candy breath just refuses to smell it! But I am not alone in asking the question. Paul asked it of himself 2000 years ago!
We are agathokakological beings. That means we consist of both good and evil. We aren’t BORN good and then go bad. actually, it is the reverse. No one teaches a child to be bad. They already KNOW. Steeped in sin, we have the natural tenancy to choose the WRONG things. ALL evidence points out that WE NEED A SAVIOR! A fact that quickly disappears with a whisper of, “Eh…I’m fine!”
If I agree with God as to my lost and dead disposition, why is my natural inclination to defend myself? Why do I fight so hard to be right, when I know that the majority of the time my flesh is wrong? In a world of sin, why is a drink or drug chosen over responsibility? Why is it easier to take a nap then get something done? Why is it easier to quit than press on? If you’ve read this far then you already know the answer. Our flesh stinks!
Sin is a stench in the nose of God. If we even had a HINT of its awful reality, we’d faint! Want a taste? Hold your hand over a candle for 1 second! THAT is a TINY taste of what the wage of sin brings. Now multiply that by a gazillion and add eternity! THAT is GOD’S view! THAT is the price he paid to free me from sin’s penalty. The very LEAST I can do is love Him for it.
“For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
I saw a man that I barely ever knew, who knew I was a pastor. When he asked what I was doing for Halloween, I told Him I’d be home passing out candy. From the look on his face, you’d-a thought I’d murdered his baby! I was told, in no uncertain terms, that ‘Christians don’t celebrate Halloween!’ Really!???
The picture above looks spooky. Actually, it comes from a Christian website… the topic being ‘The Rapture!’ You know… the time when Christ returns to collect the church and take her home to Heaven to be His bride! The Rapture, the uniting of ALL Believers (dead and alive) together FOREVER is my greatest Joy. I’m hoping it’s tonight!
All Hallows’ Eve is tonight, and while many celebrate Halloween with Trick-or-Treating or parties, it’s less common to celebrate October 31 as an actual day of Christian worship. So what is All Hallows’ Eve, exactly? It’s a term we hear a lot this time of year, but might think is interchangeable with “Halloween.” That’s true… in a way. The word “Halloween” comes from shortening “Hallow’s Eve”but it’s not just that. For Christians, there is a rich history, and Hope, here to take hold of.
Let’s start with the basics. What is a hallow? Well, hallow simply means holy, as the Lord’s Prayer suggests (“hallowed be thy name”), so a “hallow” is a holy person—a saint (EVERY Believer is considered a ‘Saint’ in God’s eyes). All Hallows’ Eve, then, is the eve of All Saints’ Day—the day the church remembers all the women and men from the past, from St. Peter to St. Augustine to St. Thérèse—who have modeled holiness for us throughout the history of the church.
All Saints’ Day is followed by All Souls’ Day on November 2, the day the church recognizes all the faithful departed—that is, every person who has ever lived and died in Christ, whether the church officially recognizes them as a saint or not. On All Souls’ Day, many churches hold services that specifically remember loved ones who have died in the last year.
For over a century, the Church has observed All Hallow’s Eve as an evening vigil to watch and wait for these two holy days that honor the friends, family, and heroic saints who are now part of the “cloud of witnesses” spoken of in Hebrews 12:1, cheering us on from heaven as we run the race set before us. All Hallows’ Eve is similar to Christmas Eve in that we are eagerly and festively anticipating the holy day that follows.
So, to recap: October 31 is All Hallows’ (Saints) Eve, November 1 is All Saints’ Day, and November 2 is All Souls’ Day. Got it? Good!
What is All Hallows’ Eve?
So, now that you’ve got the basics, you might be wondering how witches and goblins came to be associated with these holy days on the church’s calendar. Likely because October 31 through November 1 was the date of a Celtic festival called Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest season. The Gaels believed that beginning at sundown on October 31, the boundary between the dead and alive thinned, and the dead would return home seeking hospitality among the living. If the dead were not appeased, they would wreak havoc on livestock and crops, causing sickness and famine. So on October 31, the Gaels would don costumes, light bonfires, and imitate sorcery practices in order to ward off evil spirits and appease the dead. All hell would break loose and these festivals would often devolve into nights of havoc and terror.
In 835 the church supplanted this pagan festival, setting All Saints Day on November 1, the same day as Samhain. They replaced the havoc and mischief created by the evil dead on Samhain with a hopeful watching, waiting, and celebration of the holy dead, God’s saints.
This history presents us with two views of death: one as terrifying and haunted, the other as hopeful and holy. The church has chosen the latter, and on October 31 we make a party out of it. All Hallows’ Eve is an opportunity for Christians everywhere to celebrate the work God has done in and through his saints, and that neither their stories or ours will end in the grave.
I (K.C.) grew up trick or treating.. and I STILL love candy. We took OUR kids trick or treating. NONE of us turned into devils or worshiped satan! I had a difficult time trying to figure a way to tell my kids we would not be going door to door for candy… like their friends. It’s Candy… It’s a hint at The Rapture. It’s Fun!
So now you know! So why not go and do what you do in the Name of Jesus. And may I suggest that you NOT condemn people for doing things differently than you. Tell them about Jesus….if they don’t know Him… AND “The Rapture!” Personally, I can’t wait to see my Dad again! Oh… And eat some candy, if you’re allowed! It’ll make you sweet!
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8
I HATE marijuana. No, I’ve never tried it because I didn’t need to. The stuff available back in 1955, I am told, was weak compared to what’s available today. But it was strong enough to destroy the relationship between my best friend and I. It was then that he chose to follow THAT crowd rather than be my friend. I let him.
Over the years I’ve heard lots of arguments for the benefits of this drug. It wouldn’t surprise me if many reading this may fall into that ‘Pro’ category. But the argument for the medicinal benefits of marijuana sound more like made up ‘healthy’ arguments for NOT cleaning your room! I can easily smell an excuse!
Marijuana, like alcohol, is a drug. I’ve never seen ‘A bottle of Jack Daniels,’ written on a doctor’s prescription. People use it to get high… to take the edge off, or to… whatever! But even folks I’ve talked to who use marijuana KNOW, it isn’t a GOOD thing. Florida faces a bad amendment, written by bad folks, to make it legal.
I went to Miami with my family a little over a year ago. As we walked the South Beach area, I kept asking, “what’s that stench?” Turns out that skunky smell was exactly what our community’s playgrounds, school parking lots and downtowns could smell like this if Amendment 3 passes. It didn’t work well for Colorado.
The Bible is clear. Anything that alters one’s mind from a sober state to another is an invitation for the Devil to enter and destroy. JESUS says so! Go ahead and call me an old fuddy-duddy if you want. But if you do, you might as well roll up a joint and hand it to your 8 year old and ask him to join you. Yeah… like THAT’s ok!
So I suggest you vote NO on Amendment 3. And if my opinion keeps me off your party invitation list, well… you really wouldn’t a fuddy-duddy like me, OR Gov. Ron Disantis, to come anyway. I advise… Keep your head together… and get high on Jesus! Vote NO to keep future minds clear!
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42
The text from Amanda to me read, “We need to put out a prayer request for Abel.” It went on to briefly share that Abel had had an accident and was now en-route to get an MRI. The 1 line sentence contained a LOT of information without saying much. But I didn’t need to know much. I just needed to do what I do.
The word “WE” in Amanda’s request was key. WE didn’t mean her and I. ‘We’ is MUCH bigger than that, and encompasses our entire church. There was a need that needed God’s attention. WE… meaning ‘The Church’… needed to take that request, in the form of an urgent appeal, before God as a Congregation. We did!
I didn’t need to press for details. I just needed to get the word out. So one by one I texted individual people in the Church and asked them, and their families to pray. Amanda told me she’d keep me updated. Sure enough, within 2.5 hours, I got the word that “ALL IS GOOD… GOD IS GOOD.” The Church family had done it’s job.
The Church is an individual body of believers devoted to God, and to each other, for the purpose of making us one in Christ. We serve one another in many ways, but ALWAYS, as we learn God’s Word and mission for us today… together. Yesterday’s outcome was an excellent one. But it doesn’t always go that way.
Christ’s Church encompasses 1 group of people that meets at a specific place, in a specific town. But we are also a worldwide conglomerate. 1 Body united together by the Holy Spirit to become Christ’s hands and feet in this world, and His Bride in the next. Meeting together is commanded by our Lord. Teamwork is our thing!
Are YOU an active member and growing in your love and service to Christ and His Church? That membership, and your growth in it, is the ONLY thing you get to take with you to Heaven. Growing and getting involved.. is a rewarding privilege.
“If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed! Come, Lord!” 1 Corinthians 16:22
Maranatha! It is a prayer I have prayed, even more so lately. It is the word used in today’s verse and simply means, ‘Come, O Lord!’ Looking around at the world today, I find myself on edge and… dare I even say it, growing discouraged. Catching myself, I know that My Savior doesn’t WANT me to be discouraged. UGH!
I learned to swear at a very young age, and haven’t found anyone who occasionally doesn’t. Exclamations in the form of swear words usually come at a point of shock or surprise at the unexpected. Lately I have fallen victim to the problem of NOT seeing what I expect. And I’m not sure which is worse.
Growing up as a kid in the 60’s and 70’s, back in the Billy Graham days, books started coming out proclaiming prophecies of Christ’s soon and imminent return. It seems the world REALLY started going bad back then, and like a spanking, most could tell the world was due! But that was over 50 years ago! Look at it NOW!
World Culture today looks NOTHING like the class I took in High School. Evil has only increased more speedily as time marches on. If we felt like Jesus HAD to come back THEN… today my inner voice cries out “What’s taking you so long?” It gets harder to see hope. Looking both ‘up’ and ‘around’ I ask, “what do I do?
I find instruction for my discouragement in the same chapter that I find the word ‘Maranatha.’ Verses 13 and 14 summarize marching orders for me on how to live in dark, evil days… “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.” Seems those words are the boots I am to march in.
Are You discouraged? Do you need some direction to take your mind off of the disappointment that Jesus isn’t here yet… where evil only grows and seems to be winning? Maybe you might want to join me by pulling on those boots and looking ‘up’ instead of ‘around!’ And pray with me… “Maranatha!”
“I will sing to you of your love and justice; Oh Lord,I will be careful to lead a blameless life. I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart.I will not look with approval on anything that is vile.I hate what faithless people do; and I will have no part in it.I will have nothing to do with what is evil.I will keep people with a perverse of heart far from me.” Psalm 101:1-4
Going through a closet I found an old Boy Scout Handbook, used when my sons lived at home. Turning the pages, I fondly remembered the time spent teaching and learning important life skills like first aid, knot tying, map reading, cooking, camping etc. The front of the manual held the Scout Oath. A personal promise.
Back then, man building skills were taught on top of those life skills. Each Scout meeting required both the Oath and the Law be recited. A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent. The Laws served as a guidepost of basic character traits each Scout ascribed to, and expected from one another.
Opening my Bible, my eyes fell upon Psalm 101. It reminded me of the Scout Law above, but also gave me even more distinct purposes for each day. Each verse details a commitment that I can lay out and use as a daily goal for my life. Living God’s Life by following these verses builds the Character God expects from me.
Boy Scouting has pretty much faded away as a man building tool. Women and homosexuals came in and changed the program from what it used to be. Learning camping skills are still taught, but building honorable men has gone out the window. The Church today faces the same issues as scouting did years ago.
It doesn’t really matter if one can cook over a fire today. But it DOES matter if a Godly man or woman GETS cooked over one, if they don’t hold to God’s basic laws, maintaining it with an Oath, to be God’s person in this evil world. I’ve discovered that learning and reciting God’s Word, I can react to evil quickly.
Do you have a God Code you live by? Are you in His Word daily to refine your character to match His? God’s intention is NOT that you ‘Do your best…’ but that you DO what He says! Will you?
“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:2
“Get down from there!” I called out to Julie. The Church was helping get stuff out of her demolished trailer when I caught her, high up, on a rickety ladder! She was reaching for some heavy item when I used my male preacher voice and said… “C’mon girl… get down from there. Let ME do that.” It took coaxing… but she did.
During the conversation she told me that she had fallen off a ladder before! I didn’t understand her point. Was she telling me she was an experienced ‘faller?’ I told her I too had fallen off ladders several times. Once, which continues to give me pain to this day. Trading places, she then told ME to ‘be careful.’
My first job out of school required being on ladders and scaffolds up to 40’ in the air. My boss didn’t care that I was nervous and unskilled. He just told me to do my job. Over time, I developed muscle memory and sense that became natural over time. As Julie’s ladder moved under me, I realized time had taken them away!
The sense of impending doom makes me realize I am a mere mortal. Being older, I am even more fragile than before so… I need to be more careful. Today’s verse reminds me of 2 very important facts. 1. There IS a God. And 2. I am not Him! I NEED a Rock to stand on. A fortress and deliverer… a refuge and deliverer!
Psalm 18 is all about KNOWING weakness and frailty… and WHERE to go to find salvation. My God is MY Rock. He does NOT expect me to do the dangerous and impossible. He WANTS to be my Rock! Over time I have learned to trust Him COMPLETELY for EVERYTHING. He’s NEVER let me down. Even when I’ve fallen.
These days, I spend a LOT more time with Him than I used to. I love Him even more! Do You? Are you standing on ‘The Rock’ and His Promises?
“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'” Acts 2:38
I LOVE Crocs! You know… the shoes. Years ago I saw my son wearing a bright orange pair and I laughed at him. He smirked, then said… “try ‘em on!” I did… and was sold. I’ve had MANY pairs since. The problem with Crocs is that they have holes. My side yard has gravel, and every time I walk there, a rock gets in my Croc.
We’ve all experienced rocks or pebbles in our shoes. The best word I can think of to describe the feeling is ‘irritating!’ Moving and shaking doesn’t seem to help in removing the rock either. It only seems to make the situation worse. Until I stop, take off the shoe, and deliberately dump it out, it remains a hindrance.
Yesterday I met a man who likes to speak his mind. We have a mutual friend and that was enough to get conversation going. Mentioning God, he started pontificating on HIS philosophy of religion. While it seemed it was his main reason for living, listening was like having a rock in my Croc. It was very uncomfortable.
I listened for a while. Then… a little longer. Finally I had to simply blurt out, “but what about JESUS?” That was all it took to put the shoe on the other foot! He included Jesus in His philosophy of religions, but He failed to make Jesus the CENTER of his discussion. So I asked him “what are your plans for avoiding Hell!?”
At that very instant, he had to stop, take off his proverbial shoe and address the REAL issue. At that point, my job was done. It was like when Peter gave his first sermon after the Holy Spirit came upon, and invented, The Church. Peter’s mission was NOT to be a nice, comfortable guy. But call people to REPENTANCE!
The world is a mess and getting messier. I sometimes get far too concerned with trying to analyze and clean it up, instead of simply pointing out the necessary ROCK that needs to be dealt with. Why not give it a try and simply invite someone to get rid of their rock of sin by receiving Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit?
