Happy Halloween? Happiness or Holiness....

Satan has found a way to walk blatantly in front of us and infiltrate our culture. We have allowed him to become a part of our "entertainment" through the celebration of ghosts, zombies, spirits and other "haunts".  Scary movies have become a tradition for many people to watch in October every year. What many people do not realize is that they are opening themselves up to a whole different realm that is nothing to play around with. If you travel to other parts of the world the spiritual realm is very real and evident and is not something to be taken so lightly as to make it a festive costume. We don't think it affects us so we don't think of how it affects our kids. The truth is, it affects us. In more ways than we are aware. Our kids are growing up in a culture where satanic influences are celebrated while the Holy Spirit is being quenched. They are being told it is okay to participate in a holiday that our culture uses to glorify death and the dark side of the spiritual realm. Witches, mummies, zombies etc are made into crafts and other playful games at schools. A child can flip through the channels on TV and find a show on paranormal activity, ghost hunters or psychics. Do we not realize that these types of things are truly happening and the people displayed on these shows are not proclaiming to serve the God we do? Where do we think that power comes from? If we have become so desentized to the spiritual realm that we can turn our defenses off and let ourselves be "entertained" in these ways then we are not standing firm like we are commanded. We wonder why it seems Satan has gotten such a hold on our culture. Our children are growing up totally desensitized to how satan can creep his way into our minds. We are called to be set apart. If that means that our kids do not get to have fun dressing up like their friends then we should be okay with that. If we are so concerned with our child's "happiness" or that everything is "fair" for our kids that we do not take a stand for Christ then maybe God is not enough of a part of how we as Christians raise kids... We are to protect our kids from the schemes of satan, not expose them to them. You may be saying to yourself that halloween is "harmless" to a young child...That is what satan wants you to think. He wants us to let our kids think it is okay as long as they are having fun and being entertained. I challenge you to read these verses below from Ephesians, think about our fight against the powers of the dark world and examine how you are standing firm in the struggle against these powers, especially in regards to our kids. Are we raising our kids with the goal of happiness or holiness? And how are we letting Satan affect them?

Ephesians 6:10-18
¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Powerful...180movie.com

If you have not watched this video you need to!!! It is very challenging. Are we just standing aside or taking a stand?

The Call

I am starting this blog in response to what God has been laying on my heart. Over the past few weeks God has been doing a NEW thing in me. My heart has become more passionate about the state of our country and world and I have felt it impressed upon me to act out of that passion. Initially this blog will have two purposes. 1. Take a pro-life stand 2. Share my views on how I believe Christ wants us to nurture and cherish our children

At times the things I share will be controversial but God does not call us to be agreeable with the world. We are to stand out from it. The source of this journey started when God started to really challenge me on the mediocrity of my heart and lifestyle.

The Epidemic by Robert Shaw is a book I am currently reading. It addresses the failing practices of nurturing and raising children in America. I would HIGHLY reccomend this book.


Also, http://www.lifenews.com/ is a great source for prolife news and articles.

All for His Glory!