Halloween

As the temperatures begin to drop and the colors of the leaves begin to change, our minds begin to shift into the mode of the approaching holiday seasons. By mid August we see the stores have already stocked their shelves with candy, costumes and decorations for Halloween; a night full of ancient traditions and superstitions. 

But what is Halloween really? Is it a night of harmless fun or a day for the devil to come out and play? As a Christian, how should one approach this holiday (if one should call it a holy day at all)?

Believe it or not, most of the of the traditions of Halloween date back long before the time of Christ. Many current themes of Halloween owe their origins to ancient pagan Druid religious festivals.

Today's ghosts, witches, demons, and spirits, are modern tributes to pagan worship. In-fact many of the ancient customs of Gaelic festivals are practiced much in the fashions they began thousands of years ago. Some of these rituals include summoning the dead for insight on the future, sacrifices of animals and humans, invoking the help of demons and even the devil himself.

Yet many Christians seem to believe in a harmless nature of today's themes of Halloween, hosting parties, dressing up in costumes, trick or treating and such. The Bible offers strict warning to God's children to have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness and pagan traditions. It's actually one of the most consistent themes discouraged among God's people; called to be set apart from the world and it's vast practices of evil.

If this blog has caught your attention, I'd like to encourage you to do some research yourself on the origins and themes of Halloween. You may be surprised at what you discover. For starters you might want to check out "The Facts on Halloween" by John Ankerberg, John Weldon & Dillon Burroughs. 

The Evidence of Holiness

In today's world, as well as throughout history, the Church often finds itself divided on a number of different issues; holiness is one of them. After all, when the Lord commands, "be holy as I am holy," how are we to understand and apply this imperative?

Paul likens the members of the Church to the human body (1 Corinthians 12:12-26); intimately connected and subordinate to the head who is Christ. In this discourse we find that we all experience the pains and pleasures associated with the entirety of the Church; our sufferings and victories, our joys and our shames. We are unified by the blood and benevolence of Christ.

That being said, God's standards are often drawn into question, debate and conflict among Church members, not to mention the world. Jesus, Peter, Paul, John and other apostles often fought through this reality among fallen humanity. Heresy has been at war with orthodoxy since the very beginning (Gen 3) and will continue to stand opposed to the Truth until the consummation of all things. 

How should the world come to know the Truth of God from a lie (Romans 1:25)? How should it know the misdeeds of darkness without the Light of God? How can the fellowship of God's people be sharpened by the Spirit of God without the sword o His Holy Word?

There is but One Truth in the midst of a world-wide network of lies. Many claim to know the truth of God and yet are decieved by the prince of lies because deception is often 99.99% truth. Paul tells us to "not conform to the patterns of this world, but rather be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will." In other words, we must resist the worlds philosophies of morality no matter how good they may sound and rather allow the Holy Spirit to transform and renew us according to God's absolute standard of truth. Otherwise, as James says in his first chapter, if we doubt God's Word and rather succumb to doubt, we are tossed by the wind and waves of every kind of teaching; a double-minded man who is unstable in all his ways.

Holiness is simply this: that we recognize God is Holy, and that our obedience to His Word will ensure a life full of reward. Truth is often debated, but it is not divided. Interpretation and application of His Truth is either properly done or improperly done. This is why the body of Christ must be divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit. We cannot live in two kingdoms, we are either united with Christ, or united with the world.

In the end, Jesus tells us that God will gather all nations before Him and separate them as a shepherd separates sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:31-46). It is critical that we pursue Truth at all costs, because in the end we may find ourselves surprised by God's judgment. Life is too short and eternity is too permanent to assume God will not be just concerning His people and their responsibility to holiness. 

First Impressions

Today as I was surfing through Facebook profiles, it occurred to me that there is an image impression tied to everyone's personality. This is no news flash - I know. Everyone has their likes and dislikes, preferences, talents, passions, sports team, job/occupation and traditions that make up their unique identity.

What occurred to me that was so striking is that the first impression is often what people identify us by. He loves football, she loves to shop, our neighbors love to travel, my doctor is a golfer, my boss is a fisherman... etc.

Sometimes our first impressions are negative: this one is lazy, that one has a serious weight problem, he has anger issues, she is a gossip, my neighbor is vulgar and abusive, my brother is an absent father, my sister is a spoiled brat...etc. 

Whether positive or negative our first impressions are of people, we should consider the value of our own impression to the world. What will I be identified by? What will be my legacy? Will I be known for my loyalty to my favorite sports team? My possessions? My special skill or occupation? My swag?

Will I be know for my carelessness? My obesity? My arrogance? My poor stewardship or abusive treatment toward family, friends and neighbors?

When considering leaving a legacy in the perspective of eternity, might I be known as a faithful witness for Jesus Christ? Will I stand before God and hear Him commend me for my collection of movies and digital content? My commitment to physical exercise or even feeding the hungry? Or will He say "well done my good and faithful servant! You not only told others about me, you showed me to them through your actions."

If the greatest commandment God gave us was to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength" then shouldn't our first impression to the world reflect our loving devotion and infatuation with Jesus Christ (our Savior, Master, Redeemer, King of Kings and Lord of Lords).

Too often, I believe we let peripheral things interfere with our true identity in Christ. People will identify us by our skin color, our occupation, our sports teams, our clothing brand... However, if our love for Christ is foremost visible in our everyday lives, we can walk with the assurance that others will likely be drawn to Him simply through our first (lasting) impressions. 

Fragile - Please Handle with Care

We've all heard the phrase, "you don't know what you have 'til its gone." For those of us who are aware of the precious things we have in life and treat them with proper respect - life is a delicate balance of observation and appreciation.

But what about the rest of us? Those of us who don't hear the bell go off until its too late and the damage cannot be reversed? What do you do when all you have left of what once was beautiful are pictures and memories of the way things "used to be"?

For the rest of us - I've come look at Jeremiah 29:11 in a whole new appreciation. Truthfully, there was a time I was angry with the overuse of references to this verse - seeming to offer promises to everyone that God's plans involve nothing but prosperity and success.

The context of Jeremiah 29 tell us that this letter was sent to the people who were taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylonian captivity. They were stripped from everything once precious to them! their homes, their families, their beloved city, their rich history... Those in exile were forced into mourning by the hand of God - leaving only a fragment of what once was a beautiful nation. For 50 years the remnant of Israel was restricted from their homeland in the bonds of mourning and reflection.

Then Jeremiah tells them in verse 11 of God's plans... "to prosper them and not to harm them." The promise of prosperity indeed was part of the plan - but only after they were made to suffer the consequences of their actions. Israel remained fragile during their exile - fragile for the purpose of humility and maturity.

For those of you who know me - I welcome your prayers during this difficult time in my life and in the life of my family. Brokenness has invaded my homeland and has removed me from everything I once held precious and dear to me. But I know the plans of promise the Lord has for me. They are the same plans He has for anyone who belong to Him - to strip us of our distractions, to humble us and to help us grow beyond our crippled condition. I thank God for His mercy and grace - that I've been spared from His wrath and held in preserve for the remainder of His plans for my life.

The Shepherd and the Stranger

How does one know whether or not Jesus is the only way to the Father? What assurance do believers in Jesus have that their faith in him will bring them to their sought destination with God in Heaven? How do we know that Jesus is as he claimed, "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6)?

Perhaps it is easier if we consider this perplexing question through the lens of an illustration Jesus gave to his followers so they might have the assurance they sought in having right relationship with God.

John 10:1-21

The Sheep: Sheep are rather defenseless when it comes to fending for themselves. Were it not for a shepherd to guide them to and from pasture, they would often starve or find themselves lost or in danger. Sheep are vulnerable and a Shepherd has their interests in mind. A stranger has no regard for the sheep; in fact his motives are to steal the sheep from the shepherd for his own gain. Sheep are merely an object of contempt to the stranger, whereas they are the object of a shepherd's love.

The Voice: Although the sheep don't have much to offer in way of defense for themselves, they do possess a great ability to distinguish the voice of their shepherd from a stranger. Even when flocks are intermingled, the sheep do not follow the flow of the flock, but rather follow the voice of their master. When sheep hear someone imitate the voice of their master, they become frantic with fear and confusion. A stranger's voice communicates danger and confusion, whereas the shepherd's voice communicates safety and protection.

The Home: Sheep find safety within the boundaries of their sheep pen; protected from the dangers of the world outside. However, their is one vulnerability to their pen... the gate. The gate is where the shepherd would inspect and ensure an accounting of the flock for the owner. The good shepherd would even lie down at the entrance to the pen as an added sense of security for the flock. If a stranger held this position, the pen would not hold its same state of security. In the event of danger, a stranger would flee for his life - leaving the flock unprotected. The good shepherd, however, would be willing to lay down his life for his own sheep.

In Conclusion: Sheep live in a world where their only sense of security is found in their shepherd. A stranger is viewed in the light of an impostor and threat to the flock. Believers in Christ have an assurance of security in the provision God has given to them. The sheep know the voice of the Good Shepherd and are able to find their peace and comfort only in his provision.

We must be careful to guard against the voice and influence of strangers in our lives. Sheep are able to distinguish the voice of Jesus throughout the walk of their lives. Believers can have assurance for their eternal life only in the provisions of the Good Shepherd - Jesus Christ. Trust in his voice to lead you and you will find the peace and assurance you seek from God.

Why Are You Following Jesus? (John 6:22-69)

From the sermon series on the gospel of John: The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ

There are times in our lives where we don't fully understand the BIG picture. Understanding is sometimes elusive to us as we try to put the pieces of the puzzle of life together. When it comes to understanding things Jesus taught, its not uncommon people may find themselves in the dark. In John 6:22-59 we can see evidence of misunderstanding from those who were following Jesus after the miraculous feat of feeding more than 5,000 people with only to small fish and 5 loaves of bread. 

The Chase: (John 6:22-40) When people follow someone there is often a motive which draws one's attention. In this case many Jews thought they'd obviously found Jesus to be a profound teacher and miracle worker - someone comparable to a legendary patriarch like Moses. The people even attempted to inaugurate Jesus as their king immediately following the miraculous feeding. Their chase eventually gave way to a series of questions - all of which Jesus attempted to clarify their misunderstandings of the purpose of his ministry. Unfortunately, despite his many attempts to enlighten them, the people remained stubborn and confused. 

Like a child who goes to a parent to get what they want, the Jews don't recognize their desires are bent around limited understanding. Jesus offers the world what it needs spiritually, not necessarily what it wants (physically). 

The Catch: (John 6:41-59) Eventually the Jews become frustrated with Jesus by misunderstanding his metaphoric/spiritual language. The Jews find Jesus' reference that "unless they eat the flesh of the Son of Man & drink his blood" they cannot have eternal life. He explains to them unless they can accept these words, as they are full of the Spirit and full of the life they seek, they will never inherit the life they hope for. John 6:66 reveals a telling truth (being this is the number of man (Rev 13:18), that the Jews are unwilling to accept the catch to inherit eternal life. 

Not so different from trying to understand a foreign language, it can become a taxing process to fully interpret the full meaning of a language one may be unfamiliar with. Likewise, Jesus' is speaking to them in Spiritual terms which are the singular catch to their ability to understand and receive the gift which God offers them. The catch is simply that unless they hear the truth of Jesus' message by through the power of the Holy Spirit they will remain unable to receive the life they need from him. 

The Choice: (John 6:60-69) Ultimately everything comes down to a choice. For many of the Jews who pursued Jesus across the sea of Galilee, they determined Jesus' teachings were something that didn't fit their expectations of him or their own agenda. Its at this point we see a transition in Jesus' ministry where many desert him and even become part of the conspiracy to kill him. However, there remain those who recognize Jesus for who he truly is; those who understand Jesus' language as the words of eternal (Spiritual) life. For them, they understand there is no one else who can offer them this priceless treasure. 

One might compare the difference between Judas and Peter in their testing of faith to Christ. Where Judas' misunderstanding of Jesus resulted in death, Peter's misunderstanding was repaired by his willingness to receive the grace Jesus offered him later on. The choice is simply a matter of accepting or rejecting the proof of who Jesus to the world and what he has to offer. 

In conclusion: When it comes to following Jesus, we must consider the motives behind our chasing after Him. We must come to a place of understanding the catch when it comes to putting our faith in Jesus. Are we willing to be like Peter and "step out of the boat" so-to-speak? Finally, we must determine what we do with the course of following Jesus. Do we follow him for what we want out of him? or do we understand the reality of who Jesus is - the spiritual Bread of Life whom God sent to satisfy the hunger of our Souls? Eternal Life must be Spiritually discerned, only the Holy Spirit can reveal to us the BIG picture of life and answer the questions we have of eternity. Time is precious... Chase after Jesus, accept the Catch and Choose to believe in the One whom God sent to save you from spiritual death! Do it today, do it now.

The Divine Ordinance of the Council of Nicea

Isn't it amazing that 1687 years ago to this day the Nicene Creed was forged by the Council of Nicea - a document to standardize the confession of our faith in Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords - fully God and fully man; Incarnate Deity as the perfect propitiation between God and man. God works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will (eph 1:11); even to draw out heresies in order to highlight the need to establish correct doctrine. I praise God for His intricate workings throughout human history - settling the confrontations between the Truth of the Spirit and the lies of corrupted human flesh. Paul warns us to be on guard "If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!" We must continue in our convictions of the truth that Jesus Christ is the only means of access and reconciliation to our Heavenly Father because of His unique and eternal nature. No other man or god is worthy of our allegiance and surrender. May we discover the matchless path of beauty in eternal life through our Lord and Savior. To God be the glory forever. Amen.