Halloween. FYI

                                                                     By: Donovan Parker

Trick or Treat?

I wasn't able to do as much research as I would have liked to on Halloween, it's origin, and practices.  

This year especially, I've been uneasy about anything related to such a holiday.  I can remember growing up always going to church on Oct. 31 for "Holy Night".  While this was an attractive alternative to the traditional 'walk around gathering candy' understanding that I have of Halloween, I'm not quite sure that I fully comprehended it all.  

Hopefully I can put into words what I feel God wants me to share on this topic.  

Let me start w/Ephesians 6:12

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  -Ephesians 6:12

For the Christian, this is NO game! It shouldn't be commercialized, entertained, or endorsed.  We KNOW the enemy can/will disguise his attack, but we also KNOW what we war against! As it relates to the traditions and practices of Halloween (as we know it) - it brings NO glory to God, and MUST be considered a TRICK of the enemy. 

Here's the TREAT though ... 

John 12:26

If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.  

John 12:32

And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.  

John 12 assures us that if God be glorified, we have hope and prosper against darkness. He will honor us in return, and ALL men will be drawn to Him. That sounds like #WIN if you ask me.

This one's for the Dressers 

How's this for a Costume ...

Ephesians 6:13-18

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench ALL the fiery darts of the wicked. 

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 

Press forward w/this .. consider the ways of the world vs. the standards of God. Whether you believe it's just candy, or another commercialized holiday, etc. Don't allow yourself to be deceived ... God will not be mocked. 

Romans 12:2

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 

Lord God, I am amazed with your splendor. You are holy, and I must be holy. Thank You for knowledge and understanding in You.  Convict us where we fall short. Strengthen mentally, physically, and most importantly spiritually so that You get ALL glory! It is in the name of Jesus we count it done. Amen.

“I work out”

By: Monique Smith

There are many places in scripture where physical activity is compared to spiritual activity. 

Let’s look at 1 Timothy 4:7-8-

“ ….Rather, train yourself in godliness, for, the training of the body has limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

Let’s also flip over to 1 Corinthians 9:24-27-

^“Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. ²⁵ Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. However, they do it to receive a crown that will fade away, but we a crown that will never fade away. ²⁶ Therefore I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. ²⁷ Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”

A few days ago my friend Tiffany tweeted this: “Folks nearly out of breath running after worldly pursuits. Build your treasures in heaven.” Her tweet sums up the gist of this devotional. If we notice in both of the above scriptures, Paul is encouraging training of our spirits. Paul realizes the importance and the necessity of training ourselves spiritually to walk out this Christian lifestyle. We have to literally train ourselves to be Christ like because our flesh is completely opposite from what we should be doing.  In verse 25 of Corinthians, Paul notes that everyone who competes in races, practice self-control. Before a 5k, individuals spend many weeks in preparation for the event, which could mean better eating habits, more hydration, controlled breathing, etc. These people are prepared. Just as Fred stated in a recent devotional, we are at a constant war, so we can’t sit around expecting preparation to come simply by occasionally reading a scripture or whispering a prayer. We have to bring our bodies under strict discipline. We have to ignore its desires and cravings to be qualified for the race and to “reach the mark of the higher calling of God” (Phil 3:14). Paul tells us that we should train ourselves in godliness.

So Monique, how am I to do that?

Glad you asked! I can think of no better teacher than the Holy Spirit! Throughout your day, begin asking Him to show you ways you can be more godly or ways you can develop the fruit of the spirit. We want to develop these characteristics and continually train our spirits to be more Christ like because these are the things that are pleasing to God. Sure, it may be great to win a medal or to achieve other personal life goals, but if we have no stock stored in heaven for us, everything we do is in vain.

Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for being so mighty. So marvelous. So great. So big. So loving. So kind. So goofy. So powerful. You are really amazing to me. God, thank you for your word and the ability and desire you have given me to thirst after righteousness.  God help me overcome any barriers that are preventing me from truly serving you and suiting up to be a “solider in tha army of the Lord” (old church mother voice lol). God I want and desire to be better. So much better than I have been in the past. Make me new. Use me. I love you. In Jesus name, Amen.  

Equal Opportunity Gift

This one is about the gift of salvation and how Christians present it. The scripture:

Ephesians 2:8

⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, createdin Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (NIV)

There are a lot of people that need to be saved, and most of them are ratchet savage like people, but are STILL entitled to salvation. Whether you’ve been in church since birth or you’ve only heard about Jesus from this blog, salvation is a gift. It can’t be earned, bought, stolen or anything the like. It is a GIFT from God, it must be received and accepted…and honored..but that’s another post for another time. So no matter how long you’ve been saved BE CAREFUL that you don’t judge others or make them seem like they are too wild for Christ. Instead you will be doing the very opposite of what God is expecting from you.

No one can boast in their qualifications for salvation because it is a gift from God, but it has a purpose. The Lord has saved you so that you can do the works that He has already set you up to do. We were made by God with a purpose in mind. We were born into sin, and therefore lost our way and really our value and purpose so Jesus had to die for that to redeem us back to that purpose. Whether or not someone has accepted Christ and their purpose yet or not we as saints should be ready to point them to the cross instead of rubbing in their face how sinful they are and how “holy” we are. Besides, if Jesus is our role model we would notice that He didn’t do things like that. 

SHARING IS CARING ... CARING WILL LAST

     I'm not sure how many people followed the latest season of "Sunday's Best," but this is just to share with you a 

brief comment that I heard Donnie McClurckin share with finalists Joshua Rogers and Alexis Spight.

"Only the things you do for Christ will last ... "

This has been in my head since the season finale that aired weeks ago.  The good thing about Christ is that as you 

develop your relationship with Him you cultivate a surety that only He can provide. For example, that thing has

been pressing - somewhat at the forefront of all the other routine happenings and occurrences I've experienced. I guess it was meant to be shared!  

Another situation that I was taken through allowed me to experience God as somewhat of a Jimminie Cricket 

(from the movie Pinocchio).  It was a situation in which it felt like I was being presented with (financial) 

opportunity.  I promise every bit of me was like even if this isn't the best thing for me, I can just proceed this 

once.  God had another thing in mind. The signs were all there - I was just ignoring them. There was a Caution, Slow Down, Slippery When Wet, Stop, Yield, etc.  The thing that gets me is that God already knew my nature and He designed just the thing for my blindened-stubborness.  The repetitive, constant, and lasting tug to get me to stop and consider Him is much similar to that with the aforementioned quote from Donnie McClurckin.  

He knows ... lol (Jeremiah 29:11)  ... not just your specific situation and how to deal with it, but how to get YOUR attention, how to love YOU, discipline YOU and so much more ... The awesome thing is that He isn't just doing things at random!!  He knows, AND He's got this!! A personalized approach to dealing with YOU!!

(Proverbs 3:11-12)

My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. 

But back to the quote ... 

It's been a while since I've written a devotion. I'd heard, but didn't understand that I am the NATURAL vessel that God may use to be a blessing to someone else.  (I'm going to try and connect the dots now .. ) It is only the things that you do for Christ that will last!  I hope to satisfy Christ, but need for you to join with me. For a lasting impact on this world we must embrace and share with each other God's principles and values. 

One of the things that I feel factored against my attention to God's persistent love (tug on my heart) was my inclination to be convinced in the natural.  I even had to hear someone (a few people) tell me it probably wasn't a good idea to get involved/proceed to really halt and pay attention.  This in turn showed me the importance of being able to hear from a brother/sister in Christ.  We need each other.  In fact, - so that you might be persuaded to pause and take time to listen to the Christ in you, I share ... YOU were meant to read this!!  

Has God been able to use YOU for His glory? I'm still not able to completely make sense of everything that is going on in my life as I probably never will be ... BUT I do know that I was MEANT to share this with YOU!  We overcome by sharing our testimonies! So, be encouraged!!

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. -Psalms 19:7 (KJV)

The law of the LORD is perfect and preserves one's life.  The rules set down by the LORD are reliable and impart wisdom to the inexperienced. -Psalms 19:7 (NET)

God is cultivating wisdom in YOU! He is building the foundation for you to operate in surety and with confidence. Don't ignore His signs because they are trustworthy and fool-proof.  And when you've learned something, share it and be a blessing to your brother/sister!

Lord, thank you for looking out even when we can't see (or refuse to see) what's going on around us.  Continue to build us up in knowledge and understanding so that we can really please you and make your name lasting and known across nations. Thank You for your persistent love, patience, and care.  Continue to teach us how to serve you. With love and adoration we pray, Amen.

Or have you forgot we’re at war...

              This one is about the somewhat casual manner Christians tend to take towards the fight for their soul or the souls of others. I simply want to remind us all that THIS IS A WAR! Granted we have already won, but only if we adhere to the strategies and weapons established and left behind by Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:3

“thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ”

From this scripture I wanna point out that there will be HARD TIMES when you are in the body of Christ. But this is part of war. Second, as my pastor pointed out recently, the reference to a soldier in this scripture should bring to mind the idea of someone who has been trained and is disciplined to follow orders!

2 Corinth 10:3-4

“for though we walk in the flesh we do not war after the flesh: ⁴ (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds)”

These scriptures help us identify that we are not fighting with people, but rather the spirit, mindset or ideas that are possessing the people and blocking them out of freedom and knowledge and truth. Well maybe it don’t tell us all that but I’m trying to keep this short lol Another important aspect is that the description of the weapons we DON’T use. There are carnal weapons, and indeed we could use them, but they won’t be about the result we are seeking (the pulling down of strongholds).

In closing remember the valuable prize that is on the line during this war. The devil is after the souls of the lost, and our connection to God by faith. Be careful of what you entertain and the effects it could have, the enemy doesn’t take any breaks and SPECIALIZES in subtly But above all, don’t be scared just prayerful and vigilant. 

Forgive Them

So this one is about forgiveness, in the sense of how and why to forgive people no matter what they do. The short version is people are ignorant of the damage and effects of their actions therefore you should grant them forgiveness and free yourself of the problem.

First our scripture:

Luke 23:34 “Then Jesus said, Father forgive them for they know not what they do…”

In this excerpt the soldiers are crucifying Jesus but are honestly quite unaware of the fact that they are killing the messiah and setting into motion one of the most important spiritual processes in the history of everything!! They were simply carrying out an order that was passed down; and further more since there was an excited crowd watching and cheering them on they may have been caught up in the moment. They may have known that they were killing a innocent man but who He was to the history of the world, or who He was to God they were clearly unaware.

            So now us. I assert to you that people that do things that harm or upset you aren’t really aware of what they are doing. Even if they plan to hurt you, they don’t plan or mean the consequences that follow you well beyond that moment. I have been the person in the wrong, the one that was out to hurt somebody either physically or emotionally; but I had no further thought of the effect that it would have on that person. I was simply caught up in the fact that I was upset and wanted them to feel as bad or worst than I felt. I had no idea that I could be harming them for years! Something that would stick in the corners of their minds for the rest of their life. It would affect the way that they interact with others because they want to avoid the feeling that I caused. Also,  I have been the one that was harmed and the consequences of someone else’s ill-fated actions negatively affected me, sometimes these people have asked me to forgive them but I wanted to be mad, I wanted to be the victim so I chose not to forgive. Ultimately I was the one still holding on to the situation while they were presented with the opportunity to move on with a clear conscience.

            We should forgive! People are rarely aware of what they are really doing. A lot of it comes from the spirited crowd watching. Whether it’s their friends hyping them up, or just trying to save face in general.  They may purposefully say things to hurt your feelings but they haven’t thought it through to the point of the insecurities it would create in your life. They don’t know that they are resurrecting fears and generational curses that you have defeated. When a child makes a big mess, no matter how big, and they don’t know any better wouldn’t you let them off the hook instead of holding it against them? Similarly when people lack the knowledge of what they are truly doing you can’t really hold that against them. And I mean people in general, saved or unsaved, just because someone claims Christ doesn’t mean they have as much knowledge as they would think, people that know better do better. So no matter who has wronged you, consider the fact that they don’t really know the impact of their actions and let it go! Free yourself of the dysfunction and follow Christ.

Over and Out J