I am becoming more bold in the territory in which I tread these days. I have a great respect for many of my Christian brothers and sisters that do not participate in Halloween. Personally I do not celebrate it, though I do participate in it. There is a great amount of evil activity that happens on that day, and a large amount of evil that penetrates the TV, the radio, and other places. It becomes difficult for a parent to shelter a child from such images. It helps that without much prodding from his parents these days, our son hides his eyes, or puts his face down, or runs into the other room when commercials come on for those things.
Now that that's out of the way, I have changed my perspective about how to approach Halloween. My verse reference is this: “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house." (Matt. 5:13-15, NJKV)
I know, I will be countered with the verse that says abstain from the appearance of evil, and what fellowship does the believer have with the nonbeliever, so on, so forth. Hear me, though. This is the one day a year more than any other that Christians use the power of darkness as an excuse to hide their light under a bushel and keep to themselves.
Yes, in many places it makes sense to provide a safe place for kids to come out and enjoy the day. Yes, there are perverts and freaks out there that would like to take advantage of the day. Yes, the for the evil of the world this is one of the top days for their practice. But greater is HE that is in you than he that is in the world! (1 John 4:4) I read a couple of blogs yesterday that influenced me in this. Use this day as a day of outreach. Provide a safe place at your house for people to come. Invite them to your church. Spread the love of Christ in a direct (or indirect) way.
Use this day as just another day to show the world that Satan is defeated! The very day is meant to be the prelude to All Saints' Day. Realize in a way that Halloween is symbolic of the Enemy's "last hurrah." In the end, the Lamb has overcome. Think of this day as the enemy's last gasp. Use the day to show the love of God, and let the kiddies have a Hershey bar or two. Make sure they pick up some for me, as well.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Step on My Toes. Please. I Need the Pain.
Six months of unemployment have not made me a sadist. Having children did that.
I kid, I kid.
This blog has honestly been tough to put together. The difficulty has been figuring out which illustrations I want to put in it. But the basis is this:
Today I had a job interview, only the fourth since my departure from the last place. This may be difficult to comprehend, but the job interview was fabulous. It left me with a good feeling. The strange thing about that is, I will not get the job.
"Yeah. You've stayed at home too long. You have lost your mind."
Stay with me here. The interview was at a luxury car dealership. The interviewer, Brian, was wonderful. He was straightforward with me, and we had an interview full of candor and straight talk. What he told me as a complete stranger many friends would not tell me. My wife would tell me, and has many times. She's good for me like that. She is the sandpaper of my life. In that manner, Brian was an excellent face for his company. He was not trying to sell his business just to get warm bodies in the payroll. He has a vision for the place he works, given to him by his superiors. It is a successful business model, passed down from a very respected name.
Basically, as a stranger, he was able to dispense some truth into my life that he could see as an independent observer. I do not think I would have seen this as a younger person. I don't even believe I would have seen this a year ago. I see it now, and I am thankful for it. I have also been getting this at church in the past six months. Challenging words from the Bible, God's Word being poured into my heart, it is what I have needed for my life.
I guess I have been a victim of the Southern culture, where we don't really say the hard things to someone, we just sugar that person up, then say it behind their back, along with a "Bless their heart" that somehow makes it all okay. It's okay to tell somebody something that will be hard for them to hear. That is how the Gospel gets spread. That is how lives get changed. This is how improvements are made. This is how a person grows mentally and intellectually. A person cannot grow without a little pain. Steel is not forged until it reaches the highest temperatures and is pounded into shape.
The best illustration I can think of is the GEICO ad starring R. Lee Ermey. "Does a former drill sergeant make a terrible therapist?" The truth is, no he doesn't. Maybe the jackwod that needed a little self-confidence needed a little more drill sergeant treatment from him. It would help him to man up a little, and deliver him from "Namby-Pamby" land.
Thanks to my wife, Pastor Steven Furtick, and to Brian from Hendrick Motors in Hickory. Thank you for telling me the things I need to hear, and not just tickling my ears. If this made any sense to you, please comment and let me know.
I kid, I kid.
This blog has honestly been tough to put together. The difficulty has been figuring out which illustrations I want to put in it. But the basis is this:
Today I had a job interview, only the fourth since my departure from the last place. This may be difficult to comprehend, but the job interview was fabulous. It left me with a good feeling. The strange thing about that is, I will not get the job.
"Yeah. You've stayed at home too long. You have lost your mind."
Stay with me here. The interview was at a luxury car dealership. The interviewer, Brian, was wonderful. He was straightforward with me, and we had an interview full of candor and straight talk. What he told me as a complete stranger many friends would not tell me. My wife would tell me, and has many times. She's good for me like that. She is the sandpaper of my life. In that manner, Brian was an excellent face for his company. He was not trying to sell his business just to get warm bodies in the payroll. He has a vision for the place he works, given to him by his superiors. It is a successful business model, passed down from a very respected name.
Basically, as a stranger, he was able to dispense some truth into my life that he could see as an independent observer. I do not think I would have seen this as a younger person. I don't even believe I would have seen this a year ago. I see it now, and I am thankful for it. I have also been getting this at church in the past six months. Challenging words from the Bible, God's Word being poured into my heart, it is what I have needed for my life.
I guess I have been a victim of the Southern culture, where we don't really say the hard things to someone, we just sugar that person up, then say it behind their back, along with a "Bless their heart" that somehow makes it all okay. It's okay to tell somebody something that will be hard for them to hear. That is how the Gospel gets spread. That is how lives get changed. This is how improvements are made. This is how a person grows mentally and intellectually. A person cannot grow without a little pain. Steel is not forged until it reaches the highest temperatures and is pounded into shape.
The best illustration I can think of is the GEICO ad starring R. Lee Ermey. "Does a former drill sergeant make a terrible therapist?" The truth is, no he doesn't. Maybe the jackwod that needed a little self-confidence needed a little more drill sergeant treatment from him. It would help him to man up a little, and deliver him from "Namby-Pamby" land.
Thanks to my wife, Pastor Steven Furtick, and to Brian from Hendrick Motors in Hickory. Thank you for telling me the things I need to hear, and not just tickling my ears. If this made any sense to you, please comment and let me know.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Forced Inspiration (and a tangent)
That's kind of a bleak title.
What does that mean?
It means that I really have nothing else to do at school right now in between classes, so I thought "Why not blog?"
in other words, this could kinda get diluted, so if you want to go to the next blog or to facebook, go right ahead.
Forced inspiration can be really rough. It could cause a preacher to not put his best foot forward for God, trying to make a point when all he is really doing is sticking his foot on his mouth. It could cause a songwriter to put together a really bad song just to meet a deadline, yet the song goes forward. Forced inspiration can make a really bad novel.
Change the connotation. Sometimes forced inspiration can be good. A person in the pit of depression or grief may not want comfort or guidance at that particular time. A board at school today had this message: "Sometimes we miss the silver lining because we were searching for gold." Follow me here:
While dealing with the recent passing of my friend (see last blog), I would look at his wife's facebook profile. She posted a status update that was saddening. To be honest, 'Til death do they part was not supposed to come this early, right? Then I saw numerous comments from people, giving the usual lines. They are trying to help, I know that. But I think these were just "instinct lines." We are programmed to say these things instantaneously in an attempt to comfort someone. Something bad happens? "There must be a reason," or "All things work together for good." Yes, both are true, but SHUT UP!
Think of Job. When his calamity happened, what his friends did for him at the beginning (before they accused him of everything under the sun) was the best thing anyone can do. They sat with him. And they said nothing. Silence can be golden to the hurting and depressed. Save your words for later, when they are trying to pick themselves back up.
This is when forced inspiration can be good. A smile from a stranger. A smile from a child. Just a simple word, like "I love you. I'm here for you. I prayed for you today." (I phrased it like that because most folks say I'm praying for you and never think about you the rest of the day.)
Philippians 4:8 says: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." If you're depressed, think of your blessings given by God. If you've lost someone, yes, think of them. At the same time, if they belong to Christ, think of where they are. Remember the past with joy. I know it hurts. My goodness, it hurts. Depression is not a fun thing. Grief is miserable. Forced inspiration can be tough, but it can also give us what we need while here on Earth.
What does that mean?
It means that I really have nothing else to do at school right now in between classes, so I thought "Why not blog?"
in other words, this could kinda get diluted, so if you want to go to the next blog or to facebook, go right ahead.
Forced inspiration can be really rough. It could cause a preacher to not put his best foot forward for God, trying to make a point when all he is really doing is sticking his foot on his mouth. It could cause a songwriter to put together a really bad song just to meet a deadline, yet the song goes forward. Forced inspiration can make a really bad novel.
Change the connotation. Sometimes forced inspiration can be good. A person in the pit of depression or grief may not want comfort or guidance at that particular time. A board at school today had this message: "Sometimes we miss the silver lining because we were searching for gold." Follow me here:
While dealing with the recent passing of my friend (see last blog), I would look at his wife's facebook profile. She posted a status update that was saddening. To be honest, 'Til death do they part was not supposed to come this early, right? Then I saw numerous comments from people, giving the usual lines. They are trying to help, I know that. But I think these were just "instinct lines." We are programmed to say these things instantaneously in an attempt to comfort someone. Something bad happens? "There must be a reason," or "All things work together for good." Yes, both are true, but SHUT UP!
Think of Job. When his calamity happened, what his friends did for him at the beginning (before they accused him of everything under the sun) was the best thing anyone can do. They sat with him. And they said nothing. Silence can be golden to the hurting and depressed. Save your words for later, when they are trying to pick themselves back up.
This is when forced inspiration can be good. A smile from a stranger. A smile from a child. Just a simple word, like "I love you. I'm here for you. I prayed for you today." (I phrased it like that because most folks say I'm praying for you and never think about you the rest of the day.)
Philippians 4:8 says: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." If you're depressed, think of your blessings given by God. If you've lost someone, yes, think of them. At the same time, if they belong to Christ, think of where they are. Remember the past with joy. I know it hurts. My goodness, it hurts. Depression is not a fun thing. Grief is miserable. Forced inspiration can be tough, but it can also give us what we need while here on Earth.
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