A Hallelujah Party

 

 

As most of you are aware, every October 31^st people get dressed up as ghouls and ghosts or other macabre figures and celebrate Halloween.

I realise this is a controversial topic for most Christians.

There are those who believe it is a diabolical tradition with pagan roots. There are those who have done their research and recognise that whilst this custom may have had pagan origins, the church reclaimed the day for the purpose of Christian celebration. And then there are those who feel it is just a harmless bit of fun—not realising that the commercial façade presented to the world is just a cover… that innocent people can become drawn into a deadly deception.

If you would like to read more about the origins of Halloween, please check the following links:

http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org/tracts/tract10.html

http://logosresourcepages.org/Holidays/halloween.htm

I personally do not celebrate Halloween. But as the holiday has grown popular and become more commercialised over the years, it has kind of made me both sad and alarmed that Christians generally do not seem to do anything in response to counteract, or oppose this underworld of darkness.

An influential political figure and orator once wisely observed:

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

Edmund Burke

 

Well dear friends, my concern over this matter and Burke’s challenging words set me thinking and began to stir an ever-increasing desire within my heart. May I share it with you?

Borrowing a famous statement from Martin Luther King Jnr let me here and now say:

I have a dream!

I dream of Christians all over this world using this date to hold a Hallelujah Party. I dream of people all over the globe planning get-togethers in the name of our most illustrious Lord. I dream of Kingdom saints offering shouts of ecstatic praise and dancing with gay abandon, just as King David did when he brought back the ark to the City of David.

I dream of this Hallelujah Party celebration becoming a world-wide established custom, to the extent that costumes, or other paraphernalia are made, sold and purchased in celebration of our King of kings and Lord of lords. After all, he is most worthy – is he not?

In Revelations 4:6-11, we read about a Hallelujah Party that is in constant process. Living creatures, along with twenty four elders bow before God’s throne worshipping Him, day and night. The entire ambience in heaven seems to be one of exuberant praise and reverential worship.

Those of us who are born-again Christians expect one day to leave this world and spend an eternity in heaven—so wouldn’t it be prudent if we donned our praise & prayer party shoes and got practicing now, using 31^st October as an official date for a world-wide hullabaloo?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the people of God took back this date with a vengeance so that the world sat up and noticed?

Wouldn’t it be marvellous if we Christians stopped shunning this date, thereby allowing all kinds of spiritual atrocities to take place unchallenged under the guise of “harmless fun”?

Wouldn’t it be something if the world of satanic darkness encountered the awesome light of our King Jesus through the praise and prayers of His saints of light, so that those who practice dark arts became completely immobilized… so that those who engage in satanic deeds encounter a supernatural resistance of the godly kind?

In fact, wouldn’t it be fantabulous if constant and jubilant praises to God rang out all over the world on this date, whether in church settings or family living rooms, or public spaces?

My Bible tells me that praise stills the Enemy (Psalm 8:2).

My Bible also tells me that when the ark of God (representing his presence) came into the camp and the children of Israel shouted with joy, the pagans around heard and trembled (1 Samuel 4:5-7).

Again, my Bible tells me that God is enthroned in, or inhabits the praises of his people (Psalm 22:3).

So wouldn’t it be amazing if Christians realised the truth regarding the powerful weapon they are able to release into the spirit realm when they open their mouths in praise to God? And wouldn’t it be amazing if the revelation of this truth compelled us to do so fearlessly, in faith and with fervour, and in so doing perplexed the works of the Enemy?

That’s my dream.

What say you?

 

NB: The above quote from Edmund Burke was found at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/edmund_burke_377528

CREDIT: The above CC0 images come courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

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And the winner is . . .

FIVE MINUTE FRIDAY!

Q: What is Five Minute Friday?

A: It is a 5min free write blog event hosted by Kate Motaung. Every Thursday Kate announces a one-word prompt on her blog at 10pm EST. The link-up is open for a full week, until the following Thursday evening. For further details on how to participate visit her blog at: Heading Home.

 

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 Five Minute Friday Prompt: MIDDLE

 Jesus. Me. Satan.

I’m in the middle!

Three distinct personalities. Three different beings.

To my right is Jesus—Lord of lords, Kings of kings, Prince of Peace.

In the middle is me—redeemed child of God.

And to the left, is him—accuser of the brethren. Deceiver. Thief. Father of Lies. The Evil One.

Either side of me, each personality vies for my attention. Each being seeks to influence my thoughts, govern my actions. One lovingly seeks to do so for my ultimate benefit and welfare. The other maliciously intends to steal my confidence, to kill my dreams, to destroy me.

Who wins? The one to whom I accede control. The one to whom I submit.

I’d like to think it is always Jesus. I’d like to say: ‘Jesus, of course!’

But unfortunately, that wouldn’t be the unvarnished truth. I have to admit that there are times, when I want to govern.

STOP [end of 5mins]

There are times when I question the Word and therefore I am questioning Jesus, since he is the Word made flesh. And there are times when what I want is more appealing to my ego, or my sense of comfort, or my understanding, than what Christ demands.

And so there is a tussle. There’s a spiritual wrestling between my soul (mind, will, emotions) and spirit, between my intellect or sense-knowledge, and the logic-busting, God-type of faith.

And what of the other side—Mr Diablo, Mr Evil personified? How does he fit into this scenario?

Well Satan, the devil, my enemy and God’s arch-enemy, hates me. So he seeks to muddy the waters. He schemes to undermine my faith. He challenges and sabotages my beliefs, which were based upon the unchanging promises of God’s Word.

His subtle questioning (Did God say. . . ?), his sowing of sneering doubts, (Well, God may produce miracles for Bible saints, or significant men of faith but what makes you think He’ll do it for you?), assault my mind daily, hourly, even at times moment by moment, until I begin to waver, until I, at times, agree with him and re-examine my thinking, my hopes, my expectations.

Who wins?

Dear reader, after years of suffering from this spiritual tug of war, I reluctantly report that sometimes it is Jesus and sometimes it is Satan.

But what about you? (I hear you ask). What about me? (I playfully respond).

Dear reader, I may well be caught in the middle but the truth is, there are only two master influences, two spiritual forces, at work in this world. The first and foremost is Jesus: the Son of God, the Living Word, the one who “upholds all things by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3).

The second (a significantly inferior power), is Satan: the one whom Jesus saw fall from heaven, the one whom Jesus conquered, the one whom Jesus disarmed when he arose from the dead in resurrection triumph and, stripping Mr Diablo and his evil principalities of their powers, made a public spectacle of them all! (See Colossians 2:15).

Even should I be deceived into thinking that I’m exercising my own will, governing my own life, the fact of the matter is, that in reality I am not! Either Jesus is, or Satan is (there is no middle ground)—and that goes for every single being upon this planet.

When I submit my thoughts, attitudes and actions in obedience to God’s Word then Jesus reigns. He is Lord of my life. But when I agree with the lies and suggestions of the enemy, which are contrary to the Truth, when I selfishly decide I want to do my own thing, then guess what? I come into agreement with the devil and I’m allowing him to manipulate my life, whether I’m aware of this or not, whether you believe it or not.

And if you don’t believe dear reader – think Adam and Eve. Think serpent. Think subtle deception. Think satanic manipulation, provoking self-willed disobedience. Think transfer of allegiance. Think paradise lost!

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CREDIT: CC0 Image – courtesy of Steen Møller Laursen at Pixabay.com