by Pastor Cecil | Oct 31, 2007 | Daily-E-Votionals
II Corinthians 6:14-15
“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?”
For many years I have been increasingly aware of the Satanic forces surrounding the holiday celebrated on October 31st as Halloween. The pagan origins have been exposed, yet still there are many Christians who continue to participate in all of the activities of this day, which I am told has now reached a position of being second only to Christmas in popularity.
Several years ago, my dear friend, Rev. Charles Sutton, forwarded the following to me. It is ten reasons Christians should not participate in Halloween. Thanks for passing it on, Charles.
“Many in our secular society believe Halloween is nothing more than a harmless festival that allows kids to collect candy. But is it? Its origins lie deeply rooted in the occult, and Christians should stay away. Here are ten reasons why.
October 31st has long been known as “The Festival of the Dead.” The Celtic tribes and their priests, the Druids, celebrated this day as a marker for the change from life to death.
Halloween today is performed usually by adherents of witchcraft who use the night for their rituals. Witches celebrate Halloween as the “Feast of Samhain,” the first feast of the witchcraft year. Being a festival of the dead, Halloween is a time when witches attempt to communicate with the dead through various forms of divination.
Christians should not be involved with occultic practice or divination. Note God’s command against divination in Deuteronomy 18.
Occultists believe Halloween is a time of transition between life and death. Some occult practitioners practiced divination and believed you could learn the secrets of life and wisdom by laying on a grave and listening to the messages from the long-departed.
Occultists also taught that spirits and ghosts left the grave during this night and would seek out warmth in their previous homes. Villagers, fearful of the possibility of being visited by the ghosts of past occupants, would dress up in costumes to scare the spirits on their way. They would also leave food and other treats at their door to appease the spirits so they would not destroy their homes or crops but instead move on down the road. That is the real reason why kids dress up in costumes today and go door-to-door seeking treats.
Occultists also would try to scare away the spirits by carving a scary face into a pumpkin. This horrible visage would hopefully move the spirit on to another home or village and spare that home from destruction. Sometimes the villagers would light a candle and place it within the pumpkin and use it as a lantern (hence the name, Jack-o-Lantern). This is the origin of carving pumpkins at Halloween.
In some witchcraft covens, the closing ritual includes eating an apple or engaging in fertility rites. In the Bible (Genesis 3), eating a piece of fruit brought sin and death into the world. In witchcraft, eating an apple is symbolic of bringing life. The practice of bobbing for apples brings together two pagan traditions: divination and the fertility ritual.
Schools are removing any religious significance from Christmas (often called winter break) and Easter (spring break). Isn’t it ironic that most public schools still celebrate Halloween even though it has occultic origins?
Participating in Halloween gives sanction to a holiday that promotes witches, divination, haunted houses, and other occultic practices.
Christians should avoid Halloween and develop creative alternatives. Churches can hold a Fall Fun Festival and/or celebrate Reformation Day (also October 31). They should not endorse or promote Halloween or its rituals.”
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 30, 2007 | Daily-E-Votionals
Romans 11:21-22
“For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you either. Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in His kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.”
Last week I conducted the funeral service for a lady in her eighties. During the service her younger brother rose to share a few words. He poignantly shared how his sister had taught he and his brother how to treat a lady. She insisted that they walk on the street side when walking with a lady, opening doors for her, being thoughtful, saying please and thank you and showing respect for your elders.
It suddenly dawned on me that manners are seldom taught in our modern society. In this day and age many are so busy trying to get ahead of others, it matters little whether it is a lady or an older person, just get out of my way! How sad and tragic this is.
Notice the second sentence of today’s Scripture: “Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God.” As I have mentioned in the past, anytime you turn to a passage of Scripture and see a “therefore”, you should ask yourself; What is the “therefore” there for? It means that something has been mentioned that has an effect upon what you are reading. I hope that makes sense.
In this instance, the “therefore” relates to the unbelief of the Jews who were so entrenched in traditions and manmade structures of spirituality, that they would not accept the reality of God in their lives. As a result and as a consequence, they were cutoff.
I am going to try to use an illustration which I hope applies. Back in 1963, I was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in the United States Air Force. Joyce and I, along with our three children, were planning to make the Air Force a career. There was one problem – I was a reserve officer and did not have flying status. There was a price to be paid later on. There would be a “therefore” later in my career!
Promotions came along as scheduled—from 2nd Lt., to 1st Lt, to Captain. The promotion from Captain to Major, however, basically required being a flying officer or a regular officer. Ninety-eight percent of all reserve Captain were passed over for promotion to Major and were forced to leave the service. There was a “therefore” that took years to occur, but the result was the end of a career.
Consequences in life generally do not just happen. They are the result of actions we take that do not seem critical at the time, but – oh! — the price that comes later on!
The other word for today is “kindness.” We live in such a dog-eat-dog world, that the very concept of kindness is foreign. The dictionary describes kindness as: a kind of good deed or favor, a state or quality of being kind.
God has been so kind to us. By His grace and mercy, He has overlooked the faults and failures of our life, and has demonstrated a gentleness. Do we deserve it? No way! Do we need it? Yes way! (I don’t think that will pass the grammatical test, but I hope you understand).
But here again, kindness is conditional. We receive God’s kindness as we continue in His kindness. That is, if we stay close to Him in thought, word and deed. May that be so in our lives.
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 29, 2007 | Daily-E-Votionals
Luke 23:39-43
“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: ‘Aren’t you the Christ? Save Yourself and us!’ But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this Man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise.’ “
Cebus had lived his life as a career criminal. In his adult years he delighted in targeting the wealthy as his victims. He was forced to steal more and more to support his life of sin and dissipation. There was one group which became his favorite targets–the Pharisees. They were usually rich, pompous and it gave him great delight to relieve them of their precious money.
In the course of his thievery, he became aware that these Pharisees had a particular hatred of a teacher named Jesus. He was a common man who put on no presumptuous airs as the Pharisees, but taught with great authority and even was known to heal the sick and afflicted.
Mingling among the Pharisees as he sought to steal from them, he was impressed by the teaching of this man, Jesus. There was something in the heart of Cebus that was drawn to listen and follow him. He had become so entranced by the words of Jesus that he failed to use his ordinary caution in dipping into the money pouch of a Pharisee. He suddenly felt a rough hand on his back and as he turned, he stared into the face of a Roman soldier.
His fate was sealed. The trial was more of a formality than anything. Three men were to be hanged. Cebus, another thief named Demus and of all things, Jesus–the man who had so touched his heart. All three prisoners were flogged prior to being forced to carry their crosses to the place of crucifixion, but Jesus was tortured so much, Cebus wondered if He would live to be crucified.
As Cebus felt the cruel nails being pounded through his hands, near the wrists to support his weight, he cried out with pain and agony. As Cebus was lifted up and the cross dropped into the hole dug for it, his screams were echoed back from Demus who hung on the other side of Jesus.
Demus was especially vile in his curses. He cursed the Romans who had done this to him, the crowd that gathered to watch, but especially he poured out his hatred toward Jesus. Like Cebus, he had heard Jesus as He taught, but it was evident that his heart had not been open to Jesus as Cebus’ heart had been.
Cebus had a choice—as all of us do. He could either ridicule Jesus or accept Him into his heart. He chose the later. In my mind’s eye I can imagine the scene later that day when Cebus passed from pain and suffering to life and eternal joy. As his eyes caught sight of Jesus, He was not a man on a cross, but the King of kings and Lord of lords and he, Cebus was at home with his Lord!
We all have a choice to make. It is not enough to know about Jesus or even to support His teachings. Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3, that a new birth is required. You have to be born again! There is no other way we can gain eternal life. Not by being good enough, but by simply trusting in His name. Cebus believed and received. Jesus saw his heart and knew that it was sincere.
How about you? Have you made that choice? Has there ever been a time in your life when you confessed that you are a sinner and invite the Lord to come into your heart? If not, here is a prayer: Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner and without You I am lost. I invite You to come into my heart and make me the kind of person I ought to be. REMEMBER ME! Without You I am lost! Amen.
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 26, 2007 | Daily-E-Votionals
Matthew 7:9-12
“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
I just received an e-mail from a life-long friend. He indicated that he seldom forwards messages, but I am glad that he forwarded this one. I have seen it before, but it bears re-reading from time to time:
WET PANTS
“Come with me to a third grade classroom… There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened. It’s never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they’ll never speak to him again as long as he lives.
The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer, “Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I’m dead meat.”
He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered.
As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy’s lap.
The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, “Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!”
Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out. All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else – Susie.
She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. You’ve done enough, you klutz!”
Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” Susie whispers back, “I wet my pants once too.”
May God help us see the opportunities that are always around us to do good. Remember… Just going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.
Today’s Scripture contains a portion which has been titled, “The Golden Rule.” “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” My prayer is that we will become more like Susie to those around us—willing to sacrifice ourselves for others. Those around us may not see and know what we have done, but God will know!
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 25, 2007 | Daily-E-Votionals
II Peter 3:13-14
“But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with Him.”
The space shuttle Discovery and its seven-astronaut crew blasted into space at 11:38 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Tuesday. The launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center has the task of delivering the Harmony connecting node that will anchor future laboratories to the International Space Station.
I love the name that has been given to the Italian made connecting node–“Harmony.” It has a special ring to it and a deeper significance. It will be the location where subsequent additions to the Space Station will be united. Harmony carries in it’s meaning the concept of being united.
In this third chapter, Peter has been speaking of the day of the Lord, when the heaven and earth would be destroyed with fervent heat and a new heaven and a new earth would appear. In light of this prophecy of the destruction of things as we know them, he asks this question in verses 11-12: “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.”
Taking a candid look around us we find that we live in a world of conflict, pain and destruction, and the future looks even more bleak. In light of all of this, what kind of people should we be?
In the midst of the increasing chaos of our modern world, how does the concept of “harmony” fit in? One aspect of harmony is “peace” and “accord.” In a world where there is bickering, arguing, conflict, fights and war, we need peace and accord—“harmony.” It is vital that in the midst of the stormy seas of life we can know peace and live in harmony with those around us. (Even the knot-heads—no—especially the knot-heads).
God has never promised us that He was going to change our world and give us pleasant, darling people to live with. Don’t expect that to happen! We are stuck with the ones we have.
Jesus prayed to His Father before His crucifixion. He prayed about you and me. His prayer was very significant. He prayed that we not be taken out of the world, but that the Lord would be with us in the world. Please allow His words in John 17:15-17 fill you. This is “harmony” with the Lord: “My prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth.”
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
– – – Pastor Cecil
