Thursday, January 26, 2023

“Listen to Me,” says the Lord

On January 25, 2023, as I was preparing to start my activities for the day, I felt Holy Spirit pulling me away to spend time with the Lord.  As I settled into that, I asked what He wanted to talk about, what was on His heart today.  After a time of praying in the spirit and listening, He led me to Isaiah 51.  This chapter starts with God admonishing us to, “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, Who seek the Lord.”  He had my attention; I was listening.

While my “go to” version of the Bible is the New American Standard (quoted above), He led me to look at this in the New Living Translation (NLT).  The NLT states it this way, “Listen to me, all who hope for deliverance — all who seek the Lord!  Now He really had my attention!  I knew He was about to speak to me as one of those who is hoping for deliverance for our nation.

As I read through Isaiah 51 in both translations, Holy Spirit highlighted two specific portions to me – verses 4 & 5 and then verses 7 & 8.  I will look at both of these in depth.

Isaiah 51:4-5

The first portion He highlighted was Isaiah 51:4-5.  Here it is in the NASB. 

“Pay attention to Me, O My people,
And give ear to Me, O My nation;
For a law will go forth from Me,
And I will set My justice for a light of the peoples.
“My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth,
And My arms will judge the peoples;
The coastlands will wait for Me,
And for My arm they will wait expectantly.

Once again, God is saying, “Pay attention to Me, O My people.  And give ear to Me, O My nation.  I knew that God was not only trying to get my attention, personally, but the attention of His people, His nation.  While this is an Old Testament passage, from a New Testament perspective we are also His people, citizens of His holy nation.  Peter makes that clear in 1 Peter 2:9.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 

Once God gets our attention, He tells us, “For a law will go forth from Me, And I will set My justice for a light of the peoples.  Many of us have been crying out for justice.  Here, God is promising that His justice, according to His law – not the unrighteous laws that wicked men and women concoct – will come and it will be a light to the peoples. 

The word translated as “law” in this passage is “towrah.”[1]  It means law, direction, or instruction.  It not only means law, as we understand that word, but also His instructions and directions to us.  When this passage says that His “law will go forth,” we are not just talking about the Big 10 (the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20) or even the Top 2 (the two to which Jesus boiled them down in Matthew 22:37-40).  This word also carries the connotation of instructions and directions He provides for us.  In the Old Testament era when this was written, God’s instructions and directions came through one of His prophets.  Now, we have the extreme privilege of each of us being able to communicate with God directly.  We can receive His instructions and directions for our personal lives.  However, He also continues to provide instructions and directions through His prophets for groups of people, particularly cities, regions, or nations. 

The Hebrew word that is translated as “justice” in verse 4 is the word “mishpat.”[2]  It means judgment, justice, or ordinance.  The more interesting word is “raga[3] that is translated “set.”  It means to act in an instant, stir up, or disturb.  God is saying that when His law goes forth, when He provides His direction and instruction, He will then act in an instant to bring His justice to be a “owr[4] or light of instruction to the “am.”[5]  Am can mean either a people group or a nation.  God is saying that He will act in an instant to bring justice, which will become instruction to not only those being judged but to other nations as well.  

God continues in verse 5 saying, “My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth.”  Interestingly, “tsedeq[6] can mean rightness or righteousness, but also justice.  As God is setting things “right” again, that is justice.  His salvation or deliverance (“yesha[7]) has already (past tense) “gone forth.”  This phrase is from “yatsa,”[8] which literally means to go or to come out or to go forth. 

When He says, “And My arms will judge the peoples,” the word peoples again speaks of a nation or nations.  The word for judge, “shaphat,”[9] means to judge, govern, vindicate, or punish.  It’s interesting that it carries both sides – vindication and punishment.  As God begins to bring justice, as the Supreme Judge, He will both punish the guilty, those who have broken His laws, and vindicate the falsely accused.  That is true justice.  It is also interesting that this speaks of judging people groups or nations, not just individuals. 

In the next passage, the are two different words used for “wait,” but they mean essentially the same thing.  The first is “qavah[10] and the second is “yachal.”[11]  The first means to wait, look for, hope, or expect.  The second also means to wait, hope, or expect.  Qavah carries a connotation of not just looking eagerly for something, but also lingering until it comes.  Likewise, yachal can include tarrying for it.  Both mean waiting expectantly, with hope, but can also mean that the realization of that hope may be delayed.  We must keep our expectancy and not lose hope during the waiting process. 

Isaiah 51:7-9

The second portion Holy Spirit highlighted was verses 7 through 9.  Here is Isaiah 51:7-9, also in NASB. 

“Listen to Me, you who know righteousness,
A people in whose heart is My law;
Do not fear the reproach of man,
Nor be dismayed at their revilings.
“For the moth will eat them like a garment,
And the grub will eat them like wool.
But My righteousness will be forever,
And My salvation to all generations.”

Once again, this portion starts with “Listen to Me.”  I did not address this above, but the word for “listen” is “shama[12] and means to hear, listen to, obey.  (This same word is used in verse 1.)  God isn’t just saying, “hey, listen up.”  He’s saying, “listen to Me, hear what I am saying, and obey what I am telling you.”  Since He keeps repeating this admonition, He is making a point that He really means what He says!  Listen to Me, hear what I am saying, and obey what I am telling you. 

In these verses, my attention was drawn to the admonition in the second half of verse 7.  Do not fear the reproach of man, Nor be dismayed at their revilings. 

The word for “fear” is “yare,”[13] meaning to fear, revere, or be afraid.  The word for “reproach” is “cherpah.”[14]  This can be translated reproach or scorn, but can be a taunt or scorn (from an enemy), a reproach (resting on a condition of share or disgrace), or reproach.  The word for “man” is “enowsh[15] which means a man or person, mankind, or mortal man.  I like this last definition.  The word for “dismayed” is “chathath.”[16]  It means to be shattered, be dismayed, be broken, be abolished, or be afraid. 

God is saying that we are not to be afraid of – or on the other side, revere – a mortal man.  We are not to be afraid of their scorn or their taunts, nor allow them to shame us for something that is not shameful (by God’s standard).  We are not to allow their revilings or their verbal abuse to break us, shatter us, or make us afraid.  Remember, they are mere mortals! 

God then shares their end.  The word for “eat,” “awkal,”[17] means to eat, to devour, burn up, or feed.  The word translated “grub,” “cac,”[18] is more accurately also translated moth.  Since the NLT translates it as “worm,” we might assume that one refers to a mature moth while the second one refers to the moth in its original “worm” stage.  Either can eat away at wool or other similar fibers destroying a garment or piece of fabric.  The connotation here is that they “devour” it.  Picture it.  An insect will devour those mere mortals who have been reviling us! 

Yet, God’s righteous will be everlasting.  The word used for righteousness here is “tsedaqah[19] which means justice or righteous.  However, two of the specific applications of this word relate to government – righteousness in government as a judge, ruler, or king or of the righteous law in government.  This reflects back to verse 4 talking about re-establishing His righteous law. 

Finally, the word translated “salvation” is “y’shuwah.”[20] It means salvation or deliverance, but carries the connotation of welfare and prosperity as well as deliverance and victory.  It’s not just being saved or rescued from perishing, but saved to a point of victory and prosperity.  That’s true salvation! 

How Does That Apply To Us?

So what is the Holy Spirit trying to convey to us, in January 2023, from this passage?  I believe He was speaking three things.

1.    First, He will re-establish His law.  His values of “right” and “wrong” will again prevail.  This upside-down world in which right has become wrong and wrong has become right will be turned back right-side-up. 

Realize that when that happens, things will be a topsy-turvy for a while.  As the “sphere” of the current world is rotated to turn it back right-side up, everything that is not firmly attached (can we say, “built on the rock”) is going to start bouncing around!  Hear this warning.  Make sure that you have your house built on the rock. 

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.  25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.  26 Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  27 The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”    Matthew 7:24-27

Remember that “law” in the passage we are exploring also meant direction and instructions.  He will have those in places of authority that are hearing and following His directions and instructions, not just within “the church world,” but in all the spheres of influence including government, business, media, arts & entertainment, education, and family. 

2.    Then He will bring His justice.  Once He has re-established the accurate plumbline by re-establishing His law (His opinion on morality, right & wrong, just and unjust, etc.), then He will move swiftly to begin to execute judgment and bring justice.  With that, He will vindicate the innocent as well as bring the just reward upon those who continue in their paths of evil.   

Take this in the context of re-establishing this nation; this is not the “final judgment” when all those who die in sin will be judged.  This is about bringing down wicked despots who have thought they were going to completely push God and His people out of the way and take over complete control not only of this nation (the United States) but of all the nations, finally advancing their global agenda. 

Many have felt that this season is “the worst things have ever been.”  While that may be true for us here in America where we have been extremely blessed because of the favor of the Lord on this nation, it is certainly not true world-wide.  In spite of those trying to re-write our history, America was founded on Christian values, prayer, and the Word of God.  That is evident from the covenants made with God by some of the earliest colonists to the prayer that went into penning our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution, to the prayers recorded of many of our presidents or other national leaders along the way.  That is why we have been so blessed, in spite of our many evils across the centuries. 

However, as a nation, we have not just strayed from that path, but many have tried to blow it up so we can never get back.  There is talk of a “great reset.”  Hear me.  There is going to be a great reset – but not the one those crafting the one being discussed are expecting!  God is going to “reset” our moral compass to His ways.  He is going to awaken this nation, including many who believe they are “woke.”  The difference between being “woke” and truly being “awake” is going to become very obvious.  Not only has the revival for which we have been praying and believing started, so has the awakening.  Historically, when such moves have happened, they were not recognized until they were in full bloom.  When and where it really started has been identified in retrospect.  This time, it will not be one place or one particular event, nor will they be contained to one small geographical area.  This time, God is going to blow the lid off!  He is after a world-wide harvest!

3.    We must wait expectedly and patiently for His timing.  We cannot lose hope.  We cannot quit praying.  We must continue to press in the spirit realm until the “fullness of time” comes and God makes His move. 

Many of us are asking, “When, Lord?”  Okay, many of us have been asking, “When, Lord?” for years at this point!  The simple answer, “at the right time.”  When is that?  Whenever the Father says! 

I will offer a scripture that has anchored me through many long waits.  It is Habakkuk 2:3. 

“For the vision is yet for the appointed time;
It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
For it will certainly come, it will not delay.

God’s promise that He will re-establish righteous laws and bring justice “is yet for the appointed time.  Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come.”

We also need to heed Galatians 6:9. 

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 

We cannot afford to grow weary and stop pressing through just before we reach the breakthrough! 

How should we be walking through difficult times?  Paul tells us in Romans 12:9-21.

Let love be without hypocrisy.  Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.  10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.  16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly.  Do not be wise in your own estimation.  17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.  Respect what is right in the sight of all men.  18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.  19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.  20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

This passage is from a letter that Paul wrote to the Romans, long before he himself was taken to Rome as a prisoner.  He was writing to believers who, any day, could be facing death because of their faith, as he eventually would.  When you hear others complain about "how bad” it is or that they are feeling “persecuted,” pause and reflect.  The believers in Rome to whom Paul was writing understood true persecution.  They were being killed daily, usually in a torturous manner. 

Take to heart Paul’s admonition to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18.

17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

In the overall scope of eternity, our whole life is but a moment in time.  A few years of that are just “momentary.”  What we are experiencing, when compared to what those to whom Paul wrote in Rome or even to our brothers and sisters around the world today who live in places where Christianity is illegal as it was in Rome, is no more than “light affliction.”  If we walk rightly through it, it will produce a work in us that is eternal. 

As part of that, do not let their words get to you!  Do not fear the reproach or railings of the opposition.  They may call us “deplorables” and try to demean us as though we were children and cannot think for ourselves.  In the end, we will be standing in victory and prosperity and they will be devoured. 

Summary

Let me recap the essence of this message and provide the main points to take away. 

1.    It is God’s desire and plan to turn things around in this nation.  However, He needs our partnership;  He needs His people here on this planet to bring His will from heaven to earth. 

2.    God will mete out judgment and justice.  His justice will include not only punishment for the gross evil that has been perpetrated, but vindication for many who have been falsely accused.

3.    God will move when He determines it is the correct time – and not until that time. 

4.    As God begins to set things back “right-side up,” there will be a lot of shaking and chaos.  Be prepared and don’t let it shake you.  Make sure you are grounded on the Rock. 

5.    Both the revival for which we have been praying and the awakening that we have sought have started; they just are not yet in full bloom.  Embrace them!  Help fuel them!    

6.    Our assignment is to continue to pray and war in the spirit until the job is done.  That doesn’t mean until we see the shift, but until the job is completely done.  Do not succumb to a persecution complex.  Wait patiently, but work (keep praying and waring in the spirit) while you wait. 

7.    Don’t let the accusations of those fighting against God get to you.  Realize they are operating as their father, the devil, wants and is instructing.  Words are powerful.  But they are more powerful when they are God inspired.  We have the authority to break their words and curses.  Use it. 



Saturday, October 29, 2022

How Should Believers Respond to Halloween?

I know that many Christians will disagree with what I am sharing in this post, including some leaders within the Body of Christ whom I have known and respected for many years.  My role is not to force you to change your mind.  My role is to speak when I feel Holy Spirit directing me to do so, to sound the warnings that He directs me to sound.  I simply pray, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

I am not going to take the time to explain how Halloween started or how it morphed into what how it is “celebrated” today.  I have included references at the end that provide that history for those who are unaware.  What I will say is that any time we try to “Christianize” a pagan celebration, which is what occurred[1], we have moved the wrong direction.  Paul admonishes us to not mix righteousness (Christianity) and lawlessness (paganism).   

14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?   15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?  (2 Corinthians 6:14-15, NASB 1995)

Where I will focus is on how true Believers in Jesus Christ should respond in today’s culture.  Should we celebrate Halloween?  If so, what are the consequences?  If not, how can we show the love of Christ to our “neighbors” (literally or figuratively) while not opening a door to the demonic. 

Interestingly, within the past couple of weeks as Holy Spirit was dealing with me to publish something about this, I heard at least four other ministers address it, including my pastor.  That got my attention, since I have rarely heard it addressed at all in all my years of being a Christian.  I believe God is trying to get our attention about how we unknowingly open doors to the demonic.  As the battle between heavenly and demonic forces intensifies, God needs His people to get free of anything that is keeping them from being totally free and ready to advance His kingdom.  So, fasten your seat belts and let’s get into it …

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

To answer this question, I am going to take the advice of one of my former pastors.  He maintained that “the man with the experience is never at the mercy of the man with an argument.”  I am going to defer my opinions to those of someone with much experience on what he calls “the dark side.”

The episode of “It’s Supernatural” that aired on October 20, 2022, was titled “Ex-Warlock Reacts to Christians Celebrating Halloween.” (See https://youtu.be/Z8X5Y1HodEk.)  In it, John Ramirez hits this question head on.  His background provides insight that those who have (fortunately!) never experienced the demonic realms would likely never see. 

John Ramirez was introduced to witchcraft at the age of 7 and a half with a high-level demonic encounter and became deeply involved by age 8.  Over the next 25 years, he reached the highest levels of involvement as a high-ranking satanic priest – until an encounter with Jesus Christ, Himself, turned him around.  He knows how the demonic realm operates because he operated by its power. 

As part of the interview, Sid Roth asked him, “Why should a Christian not observe Halloween?”  Here is his response.  (Warning:  His response is direct and may offend.)

You open gateways and portals to the spirit realm of darkness, entrapments, set ups, plots, schemes, and wiles that the devil takes over your children, takes over your family. 

He continues: 

And it’s so demonic that once you put on a costume, you put on that outfit, you change your identity for who God called you to be.  And once you put that costume and that identify on, you describe yourself.  
Say you dress like little Ariel, the little mermaid; you’re [taking on] a marine spirit.  You dress like Casper the friendly ghost – you say, “Well I’m not dressing my kid like a witch and a devil; I’m dressing them as Casper the friendly ghost.”  You put on a spirit on your child. 
You change their DNA for the identity and now the devil has legal rights and he has permission that you have given him that you’ve sacrificed your kid spiritually to the dark side.

One note for those not familiar with dealing with freeing believers from demonic influence.  The term “legal rights” may throw you.  There is not time here to expound on this topic, but Satan is a “legalist.”  Just as he tricked Eve into violating God’s command to gain rights to her soul, he continues to do the same.  In any way we “entertain” him – knowingly or unknowingly – he (or his demonic minions) will maintain that access until we evict him (them) through repentance and applying the blood of Jesus.  Moving on …

Sid then asked, “But what if you say it’s just fun and games and parties and you’re ridiculous, John Ramirez.  What would you say?”

I lived it for 25 years of my life.  I got married on Halloween.  I had a demonic wedding with witches and warlocks coming into my wedding, baptizing [making sacrifices].  October 31 and November 1 are the [worst] … the month of October leads up to October 31, it ramps up to October 31.  It’s the high season of the witches and warlocks …

Then Sid moved on to ask “What about certain movies?”  While noting there have been many of them that came out during this season over the years, he specifically noted the new “Hocus Pocus 2” by Disney.  “What’s wrong with that?” he asked.  Ramirez responded.

It’s so despicable how they dress up the devil and make it glamorous, make it cultural, make it fun, make it attractive, make it a fashion statement.  But I saw clips of the movie to break down the demonic on it and “hocus pocus” is a saying that you say to come into agreement with the devil.  “Abracadabra.”  “Open sesame.”  These words have connotations to the dark side.   You’re chanting the words.  Proverbs 18:21 says “Life and death lays on your tongue.”  Whatever death you speak, you make a contract with the devil.

“Hocus Pocus” aims for young people.  It’s a target that’s designed to be glamourous, but the target and the contents of the movie … We have a part of the movie that the young people, they chant the song, “Come Little Children.”  The witches are inviting the children, “Come little children.” 

They are luring, bringing in, drawing the children into Salem.  Salem is the camp of the witches which is the foundation of witchcraft, a foundation of the devil’s kingdom, the devil’s camp.  And they are drawing the [children] there.

There is more, but that’s enough to make the point.  The issue is that things that seem “meaningless” or “harmless” to the uninformed are very meaningful to “the dark side” as he calls it and very harmful to those drawn in unknowingly.  As the saying goes, “Ignorance of the law is no excuse” when you violate a natural law.  The same is true with spiritual laws.  When children – or adults - “innocently” chant demonic chants, they open the door for the demonic to enter their life. 

This was specifically addressing one movie.  Pick any of the witchcraft or sorcery movies or any horror movies and I’m sure Ramirez or anyone else who understand the realm of the demonic could go through it the same way.  This goes for horror movies[2] as well as other movies – or books – promoting witchcraft.  Many Christian parents have yet to understand the door that was opened to their kids (and sometimes themselves as well) through the “Harry Potter” series of books, movies, and then theme park.  But that is one of many.  Name a Disney movie that doesn’t have “magic” of some sort in it, and they are just one producer of such content. 

While movies (or the books from which they are made) were not part of historical Halloween celebrations, they have definitely become a part of the modern culture in the US.  “The scarier the better.”  Those engrossed in them have no idea to what they are opening doors.  Unfortunately, our ignorance of the enemy’s schemes does not keep him from using them.  In fact, he hopes we remain ignorant, because the uninformed are much easier prey.

I trust by now, you are beginning to see that participating in such rituals, even though we would not call them that, is dangerous.  So, what does one do when October 31 rolls around?

Can We Disengage from the Demonic without Disengaging from Society?

Yes.  We not only can, we must.  If we do not stay engaged with society, how do we influence it for the Kingdom?  Jesus even prayed for us that the Father would not remove us from the world, but keep us from the schemes of Satan while remaining in it. 

15 I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.  (John 17:15, NASB 1995)

Jesus also admonished us to be “the salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.”  We can not do either effectively without engaging in our society.

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again?  It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

14 “You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.  (Matthew 5:13-16, NASB 1995)

As I mentioned at the beginning, I heard several others address this issue within the last couple of weeks.  Each provided some suggestions, many of which were the same.  I’ve added a few more.  Here are some suggestions.

  • Prepare your property ahead of time by walking around it and praying over it.  Set up a “perimeter” that evil spirits are not allowed to cross.  If those coming to your door are “carrying” any demonic spirits with them, pray that those spirits not be allowed to enter on your property or to linger around it afterwards. 
  • They will have costumes; wear your “uniform” – your favorite Christian t-shrit!  Let them know to Who you belong right up front.  😊
  • If you plan to stay home and give out “treats” to the neighborhood kids: 
    • Be “light” to the neighborhood.  Instead of your home being “dark and eerie,” have your porch or driveway (or where ever you will be stationed) well lit.
    • Put on some worship music loud enough for your “guests” to hear as they walk up.  (Other homes will be blasting their eeriness.  We can fill the airwaves around our home with praise to the one true God.) 
    • If you have some tracks or “touch cards” (as we call the cards we use to invite people to our church), hand them out or drop them in the bag with the candy.
    • Pray for each child & parent that comes.  Speak God’s will and destiny over their life.  Pray for not only their salvation, but that they fulfill the purpose God established for them before they were ever conceived.  For the most part, this is done “under the radar” as they come and go.  However, …
    • If there is opportunity and the parents are with them, ask the parents if they need prayer for anything. 
  • If you do not need to stay at home to great “guests,” consider prayer walking your neighborhood.  This can also be done “ahead” – to pray protection and safety for all as well as for their salvation and the fulfillment of their God-given destinies.
  • If you have children that want to go “get candy,” I strongly discourage dressing them in a costume.  If you must, choose one that represents their identity in Christ and pray that over them as you dress them.  For example, as a “warrior for the Lord” or as a “bride of Christ.”  Or dress them as you dress yourself, in a favorite Christian t-shirt. 
  • Instead of the usual “trick or treat” greeting, considering asking at each home if there is anything you can pray about for them.  This was actually done in Europe at one point.  What a great way to engage your kids in ministry!      
By the 16th century, the practice of "souling" had become integral.  The poor of the town or city would go about knocking on doors asking for a soul-cake (also known as a soul-mass-cake) in return for prayers.

This practice is thought to have begun in response to the belief in purgatory where it was thought a soul lingered in torment unless elevated by prayer and, most often, money paid to the Church.  After the Protestant Reformation, "souling" continued in Britain, only now the Protestant young and poor offered to pray for the people of the house and their loved ones instead of those in purgatory while Catholics continued the older tradition.[3]

If you want more information on how to pray about this season, Wanda Alger posted a detailed prayer guide.  Her “8 Prayer Points for Christians During Halloween” is available at https://wandaalger.me/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/prayer-points-for-christians-during-halloween.pdf. 

What if You Have Been Participating in the Past?

Most (if not all) of us have participated at some level in the past.  Maybe as kids, growing up.  Maybe as parents, dressing our kids up and sending (or taking) them around the neighborhood or to a Halloween party.  Maybe as adults going to masquerade parties.  Some may have even been more directly involved in seances, card or palm readings, “lifting” people, or more. 

Don’t panic.  If fear sets in, that is from the enemy and is trying to keep you in bondage.  We can’t change our past, but we can get free from its effects.  Getting free is really very simple.  The “steps” are:  Confess, Repent, Renounce, Command, Replace, Rejoice. 

  1. Confess that Jesus is Lord of your life and that you belong to Him.
  2. Repent of your involvement in the activities.  (Be specific.  List each involvement you remember.  If you remember others later, just go through this again.)
  3. Renounce your partnership with any demonic spirits that were associated with the activities.  Let them know that you no longer welcome them or want any association with them.
  4. Command them to leave in the name of Jesus, because of His shed blood and His victory over them.  Depending on your involvement, there may be several that need to be addressed.  Sometimes, they will all leave at once.  Often, you will have to address each one.  You may find yourself yawning, coughing, sneezing, or with some other manifestation as they exit.  Don’t be alarmed.  That is usually the case. 
  5. Fill the empty place that the spirits left with the Holy Spirit.  Ask Holy Spirit to come and fill those areas. 
  6. Thank God for your deliverance.  Spend some time rejoicing in your new freedom and thanking Him for it. 

If you are not familiar with this type of ministry (usually referred to as deliverance ministry) or feel this is too much to handle on your own, seek out help.  Don’t let the enemy use shame to keep you from asking someone for help.  That is just another tactic of the enemy to keep you in bondage.

References for the History of Halloween

As promised, here are some references regarding the history of Halloween.  These references are all secular sources.  This prevents “doctrinal bias,” but also means that they do not reflect a true Christian world view.  However, for the most part, the facts seem to speak for themselves. 

“History of Halloween” - https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1456/history-of-halloween

“History of Samhain” - https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/samhain

“Who Were the Celts” - https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/celts

“How the Early Catholic Church Christianized Halloween” - https://www.history.com/news/halloween-samhain-celts-catholic-church

“Halloween 2022” - https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween

“Ancient Origins of Halloween” - https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween#ancient-origins-of-halloween

“All Saints Day” - https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween#all-saints-day

“Halloween Comes to America” - https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween#halloween-comes-to-america

“History of Trick or Treating” - https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween#history-of-trick-or-treating

“Halloween Parties” - https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween#halloween-parties

“Halloween Movies” - https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween#halloween-movies

“All Souls Day and Soul Cakes” - https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween#all-souls-day-and-soul-cakes

“Black Cats and Ghosts on Halloween” - https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween#black-cats-and-ghosts-on-halloween

“Halloween Matchmaking and Lesser-Known Rituals” - https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween#halloween-matchmaking-and-lesser-known-rituals

Thursday, January 28, 2021

Never Doubt in the Dark What You Heard in the Light

A portion of scripture that I have been pondering for several weeks is the story of Moses returning to Egypt leading to the exodus. 

In our modern day culture we want everything to happen instantly.  But it doesn’t and it never has.

We try to reason out with our human intellect how things - even those things that God has promised us - can come about.  Those of us who are true believers call out to God to help us and even ask (intercede for) Him to intervene on our behalf, especially when we believe we are interceding for something that He has promised or is part of His plan.  But, if we’re honest, we usually have figured out how we think He should do it and often pray accordingly.  Rarely does He oblige us.

In meditating on the story of Moses returning to Egypt and all of the events that lead up to the children of Israel actually becoming free of Egyptian bondage, it’s not a story of ease nor one of great jubilation ... UNTIL you get to the END.

When Moses first returns, he is welcomed by his brother Aaron and the elders of Israel. Exodus 4:31 tells us that they believed Moses and worshipped God.  But their faith in what God has said and in Moses soon wanes.

Instead of things getting suddenly better for the Israelites, they get worse.

I heard a modern day proverb recently that often comes to mind. “Never doubt in the dark what you heard in the light.”  (For those who watch Flashpoint, Gene Bailey also quotes this frequently.  It came from Vision Church, pastored by Apostles Tom & Jane Hamon.)

Once we know God has spoken, we can’t afford to let go of what He said because darkness sets in - when things seem to go in the exact opposite direction.  We can’t see in the darkness.  We must hold on to what God has said until we get through it and back into the light (until breakthrough comes). We must not stop nor change directions in the middle of the darkness.

Back to the story...
The Pharaoh decides that if they have time to be petitioning him to go out in the desert and sacrifice to their God, they must have too much free time on their hands.  So now he demands that they continue to make their daily allotment of bricks, but first they must go gather their own straw with which to make them.

Of course, this was impossible.  While many of us today work an 8-hour day or 40-hour week, as slaves the Israelites were likely working sun up to sun down already.  Now they had additional work piled on to go find and gather the straw before starting to make the bricks, yet produce as many bricks as they had been each day. Because they would obviously fall short of the quota, the Israelites who had been set over them to oversee their work were being beaten for this failure. 

They appealed to Pharaoh. Surely he did not know what his taskmasters were requiring. But he did. He had ordered it. He let them know those were the new requirements.

So here we have Moses showing up to be their God-sent deliverer, but instead of bringing deliverance he has made their lives even more unbearable. The Israelite people are now upset (angry) with Moses because he has only made their lives more miserable. He’s gone from being the hero to being the villain.

Then the plagues begin.

At first, the Israelites were suffering the same plaques that were being brought on the Egyptian. Life continued to get more and more challenging.  Over the course of time that begins to shift, and there is a distinction made for Goshen, where the Israelites lived. 

They’re still living under very miserable conditions and their men are being expected to do things that are not possible.  But, that difference, God's people being protected from the plagues, begins to build some hope in the people.  Maybe God really is going to do something for them after all ...

Remember that all of this is prolonged, according to Scripture, because God continued to harden Pharaoh’s heart. We don’t get that! Why would God do that?  Why would He prolong moving and freeing His people?  Didn't He realize how bad conditions had gotten?

God was about to judge this evil Pharaoh once and for all. He had already planned to kill him and his entire army before he ever sent Moses back to Egypt.  Rather than end it quickly, God was pushing Pharaoh to show his true colors & just how evil he was.  On the other side, this also gave Pharaoh many opportunities to repent (change his attitude and actions) and do what God said do - let His people go.  God is always more than gracious” (abundantly merciful) to us.  His desire is for EVERYONE to repent and be restored to Him so that NONE are eternally damned with Satan.

Moses may not have been aware of God’s full plan - how long or how many afflictions it would take nor their eventual severity.
Aaron may not have been aware of that plan.
And the people certainly weren’t aware of that plan.
But God had a plan from the very beginning, even from before He spoke to Moses through the burning bush.

FINALLY, the death of Pharaoh’s first-born son (along with the first born of every Egyptian) caused him to cave in to God’s demands.

Side bar:
There is something we need to note here.
These were God’s demands, not Moses’ demands & not the people’s demands.
This was God’s idea that Moses was sent to carry out.
It was a plan instigated by God, but in which Moses had to be willing to participate.

God had told Abram (before He changed his name to Abraham) that his seed would go into a foreign land and be afflicted there for 400 years later, but afterwards be delivered.
13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”  (Genesis 15:13-16, NKJV)
There is nothing in scripture that indicates the Israelites were aware of or expecting that to happen.  There is no indication of a Daniel among them to realize the time appointed for captivity was up and to begin interceding for God to fulfill His promise given by His prophet. 

Yet even though it was a plan instigated by God and one in which God would be victorious, it certainly didn’t look like victory in the middle.  Selah.  We need to press through to the breakthrough and not quit in the middle!

Back to the story:
Once again Pharaoh’s heart is hardened and he calls his army and goes after God’s people to bring them back.

In the meantime, God has set up a trap.  In the natural, it began to look like a trap for His own people.  Because of where God had led Moses to have them camp, they were caught between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army coming after them.

This emboldened Pharaoh.

It looked to him like these poor, ignorant slaves and their leaders are too stupid to know what they had done to themselves. They had made themselves easy pickings for him to come and either 
 bring them back into captivity or kill them. They were hemmed in and defenseless.  To Pharaoh, their recapture, or demise if they refused to return, was certain. Victory was sure. 

But God had a different plan.

The trap He set was not for His people, but for those driven by evil who pursued them to persecute and kill them.

We know the story. And we know that the children of Israel were not seeing this as a victory for them and for God.  They, too, were seeing that they had been set up to be slaughtered and they were angry with God‘s servant, Moses, for causing them to be in this position.  (Read Exodus 14:10-12.)

BUT GOD was executing His plan.

In spite of all the grumbling, complaining, and lack of faith in the majority of His people, He was still determined to deliver His people.

WHAT AN AWESOME GOD!

Why was He blessing them when they (in our view) didn’t seem to deserve it?

Because of a covenant He had made with their forefather, Abraham, and a promise He made to Abraham.

Because of covenant and a promise given to Abraham, God sent a very unlikely person back to deliver them.  We think of Moses in the terms that we know him after this episode and 40 years in the desert leading these people.  Think of who he was at that time.

A Hebrew baby that had been raised in the Egyptian palace.  Wealthy.  Different culture.  Not like them.  A silver spoon in his mouth.  Then he became a murderer and fugitive.  Why should they get behind him or accept him as their leader?

But it was his love for his own people that caused him to commit that murder, which then caused him to flee from Egypt. The destiny and desire to deliver his people was already in him. He just didn’t have the revelation on how to go about it ... because it was not yet God’s time.

So he returns to Egypt as a former fugitive.

And apparently he doesn’t view himself as a leader because he can’t even speak plainly.  God has to allow Aaron to speak for him to get Moses to go.

Yet Moses, not one of their own leaders who had lived among them and suffered with them all of these years, was God’s chosen leader. God picked someone who didn’t fit their mold.

It’s up to God to choose and anoint whom He wills.
It’s up to us to recognize whom He has anointed and get on board with His plan.

That doesn’t make that person perfect. Nor does our recognition of their calling and anointing and getting behind them make us their “worshipers” as we are sometimes accused of being.  It simply means we choose to recognize and put our resources (time, energy, money, and prayers) behind the one whom God has chosen.  In these cases, we’re not asking God to get on our side; we are choosing to get on His.  That’s a position of sure victory!

I don’t think I have to spell out for this audience the parallels to today.  Except that some of you are now saying that we didn’t get to “the End” - to freedom - but rather are watching efforts to strip our freedoms from us.

My response: WE ARE NOT YET AT THE END.

God was not unaware of anything that has happened.  He knew ALL that would happen before He called 45 to run the first time.  And He knows how this will all end.

Again, it is not about 45 any more than it was about Moses.  They are both unlikely vessels He chose to groom & use.

God didn’t decide to remove His call on Moses or His anointing to carry it out because Pharaoh kicked him out of his court.  Nor did He do so when the people rebelled (many times) in the wilderness.  His promise to them was delayed (40 years!) because of their lack of faith. But He kept His promise to them because of His covenant with their forefather, Abraham.

Do I need to break this down?

God has spoken many things about our current time and situation through many different prophets.  Some of these prophecies were received and recorded 10 or 20 years ago.  Many are much more recent.

Some believers who initially embraced these words from God 
(given through prophecies, dreams, and visions) and even warred with them, along with some of the prophets who prophesied them, have now begun to “doubt in the dark what God said in the light.”  They have gotten stuck in the middle. 

For those of us who are still choosing to not only believe God so we are established but also believe His prophets so we can prosper, we need to pray for those who have gotten “stuck” in the darkness. We also MUST continue to contend for the victory, the breakthrough.

I don’t know how God is going to do what He has said He would do.

I don’t know when He is going to do it.

But I know He is up to something.

And it’s a “new thing.” I strongly sense that. It will be something that hasn’t happened that way before.

God had never sent plagues like that before.
God had never parted the Red Sea for His people before.
God had never fed anyone, let alone an entire nomadic nation, with manna before.
Need I go on?

Again, God rarely does things the way we expect or when we expect.
He moves in His way.
He moves in His timing.

We cannot become discouraged and “throw in the towel” when things don’t happen as we expect.

If you’ve gotten stuck in the middle, take a deep breath. Breathe in strength from the Holy Spirit. Tell your heart to beat again. And get back in the fight to contend for God’s expressed will to be done.


Let me add a final exhortation for those who believe that things didn’t turn out as expected ("as prophesied") because we, His people, called by His name, didn’t war enough in prayer, we didn’t repent enough, or because of God not overriding “the will of the people.”

Let me start with the will of the people. Anyone who is even half-way objective in looking at the overwhelming evidence has to realize that the votes counted do not accurately reflect the legitimate votes cast. The will of the people, the person who received by far the most votes and should have had an overwhelming number of electoral votes, is not the person declared the winner or currently residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  I will not belabor that point. If you do not see that, it’s because you choose to ignore the evidence.

So God did not withhold His promises through His prophets because of the will of the people.  The majority did NOT ask for the person that was declared the winner nor for the agenda he promotes.

Further, there is no indication that the Israelites repented or warred in the spirit or even asked for deliverance.  Scripture records only that they cried out because of their taskmasters.  It was God who took note of their oppression.  But He knew the oppression (slavery) would happen when Jacob moved his family to Egypt during a famine.  He knew it even before that time because He told Abraham about it.  With that, God promised deliverance.  He had a destiny for His chosen people to fulfill so He could send His Son to earth in human form to become our Savior.  It wasn’t about their “goodness” or them doing everything just the way He wanted.  (They didn’t!) It was about the destiny God had for them as a nation and His covenant with their forefather. He would see that His plan was fulfilled.

The same is true today.  God did not raise up “a deliverer” because America deserved it or had earned it.  (Wow! I can feel even as I type that statement the reaction of some to my use of that word.  But that is what I heard Holy Spirit say, so I’m staying with it.)  God raised him up because of the destiny God Himself has for this nation and the covenants our forefathers made with Him.

This is the only nation that was ever founded for the purpose of being able to freely worship God.  And some of our forefathers made covenant with Him to spread the gospel of the Kingdom not only from shore to shore here, but from here to the nations of the world.

God remembers His covenant.  He remembers why He allowed this nation to be formed.  He remembers why He provided a victory for independence from the most powerful nation with the most powerful army & navy in the world at that time to the ragtag group of colonists.

God chose to create a nation called Israel to bring His Son to earth the first time as the suffering Servant and the spotless Lamb that was slain so that He could become our Savior and Redeemer. God chose to establish a nation called American to play a key roll in making sure the gospel of the Kingdom has been preached to all nations, tribes, and tongues so His Son can return to earth as Lord of Lords & King of Kings.

God has not given up on America.  Nor has He abandoned her.
He is as intent on us fulfilling our nation’s destiny as He was on Israel fulfilling theirs.
For those who think our sin is too great, I ask you to read through the Old Testament. You don’t even have to read it all. Just read through Judges and 1st & 2nd Kings.

I’ll close with one of my favorite verses, one I often “bring to God’s remembrance" in prayer. 
“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purposes that prevail.”  (Proverbs 19:21)

Just remember that we, His people, must partner with Him to bring His will from heaven to earth.  It doesn’t happen automatically; but He will use those who make themselves available to cause it to be. 


BE ENCOURAGED!!