is Halloween evil?

A person who is pure of heart sees goodness and purity in everything; but a person whose own heart is evil and untrusting finds evil in everything, for his dirty mind and rebellious heart color all he sees and hears.

- Titus 1:15 (TLB)

 

Is Halloween evil?

Those who try to follow the teachings of Christ might wonder what the Bible says about Halloween and honestly there is no mention of the holiday itself in the Bible because Halloween became a thing literally hundreds of years after the Bible was written. 

Halloween as we know it is traditionally celebrated on the Gaelic festival of Samhain really didn’t become popular until the 20^th century.

The Bible says a lot about darkness and evil, not just at Halloween. 
I try to see goodness and purity in everything, but in today’s world there is so much evil. 

People that you thought were your friends turn on you in a heartbeat, gossiping and trying to cause issues in your life.

The worst are the people with such rebellious hearts that they hid behind a costume, a costume that fools others into thinking that they are good when their intentions are to destroy your heart and convince others to join them. 

Is Halloween evil? 
In my opinion no, Halloween is not evil, but some people are, and those are the ones we need to pray for, but not allow to hurt us.

 

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craftsmanship

The heavens are telling the glory of God; they are a marvelous display of his craftsmanship.

- Psalm 19:1 (TLB)

 

I love being on my motorcycle. 
There is something about having that full view around you that just can’t be beat, especially when you have the opportunity to ride through some of the most beautiful places. 
I don’t understand how people can look at a mountain range, a sunrise or sunset, an ocean and not see the marvel of His glory.

Amber waves of grain, purple mountains majesty – yeah, I just stole that from a song – get out in nature, look around.

You can see God in every little thing.

And it’s glorious.    

 

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shouting for help

I’m standing my ground, God, shouting for help, at my prayers every morning, on my knees each daybreak.

- Psalm 88:13 (MSG)

 

I am broken.

There is so much craziness in the world that my problems seem tiny in comparison, but they still leave me broken.

I find myself wondering often why I must go through these stages, the hurt, the anger, the unyielding pain and why they don’t just go away.

When it becomes overwhelming and I’ve cried so many tears that I don’t believe there are any tears remaining, I feel like I am at the end.

But God.

God hears my cries, sees my tears even when I feel alone.

So I am standing my ground, I turn to Him in prayer every morning, every evening, I pray without ceasing. 
God is there, He will bring me through whatever craziness I find myself submersed in.

God will do the same thing for you; all you have to do is pray.

 

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healing will come

Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.

- Jeremiah 33:6 (NIV)

 

Oh, this one is hard.

In this verse, Jeremiah reveals messages that he has received from God.

The city of Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar and God was giving Jeremiah the gift of prophecy, letting him know to tell the people (Israel) that He was still Lord, and that Jerusalem would be restored, that the city and the fields would soon be strong and prosperous because that is what the Lord promised Israel and the Lord keeps His word.

Often, we are like Jerusalem in that we let others destroy us.

It could be a cantankerous boss that never says anything good about the work you put it. 
Maybe it’s a person that you considered a friend who suddenly turns their back on you with slander and horrible gossip.
Or perhaps a parent that has never understood how to love a child and only brought sadness to your life. 
Even our children potentially feel that the world owes them, and they are ungrateful for the love we poured into them.

Sometimes our spouse continuously breaks our spirit.

We can’t get away from these people because we need our jobs or they are family.

We live in a world full of hate and toxicity and it hurts.

It really hurts.

But God promises us healing, peace and security.

It’s hard to wait for that healing and there are days when we feel there is no peace.

Hang in there, the Lord keeps His word.

 

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listen to me

Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.

- Isaiah 65:24 (NIV)

 

Sometimes I wish that a few people could read my mind – not everyone, that would be horrible – but maybe a few people could really know what I was thinking, what I needed.

God does.

He knows what we need before we know, and He is working in us before we ask.

He is working for us before we have a clue that we need Him.

He made us, how could we think that He doesn’t know what we need?

Before we call, He is answering but we need to listen.

 

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just happy

I am not saying I need anything. I have learned to be happy with whatever I have.

- Philippians 4:11 (NLV)

 

Have you noticed that it is easy to be happy when everything is going well?

But we are not always happy, are we? 
Are we content, or are we always reaching for more?

I have known several people that always have to have the next best thing, no matter how far in debt it takes them.

Some people even compete with their spouse to ensure they always have the best of the best, but at what cost?

I learned early in life that I let things bring me down very easily, and all it takes is one tiny thing to send me spiraling down.

I needed to learn that I can find happiness in all circumstances, even the worst things that could possibly happen, God will use those things for good.

We may not see it now, but we will, in His time.

I will do everything I can do to be content, because He is always there for me, my comforter, my strength.

He’s there for you too, and you are also OK.

I am content, are you?

 

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there is truth

First of all, I want you to know that in the last days men will laugh at the truth. They will follow their own sinful desires. They will say, “He promised to come again. Where is He? Since our early fathers died, everything is the same from the beginning of the world.” But they want to forget that God spoke and the heavens were made long ago. The earth was made out of water and water was all around it. Long ago the earth was covered with water and it was destroyed. But the heaven we see now and the earth we live on now have been kept by His word. They will be kept until they are to be destroyed by fire. They will be kept until the day men stand before God and sinners will be destroyed.

- 2 Peter 3:3-7 (NLV)

 

I’m hearing a lot about the end days recently.

The viruses, war, natural disasters, people everywhere think that we are facing end times.

They have “ammunition” and “proof” that we are going to see the end of the world very soon.

Remember when the world was supposed to end in 2012 because the Mayan calendar went no further?

Surprise!  We are still here, ten years later.

If we take a hard look at the earth and everything that has changed in the last 2,000 years, we will see that there is not truth in “the end is coming” conspiracy theories. 
God made the heavens and the earth; they are still here. 

God made the fish in the sea and the animals of the land; they are still here.

God made humans; and we are still here.

Let’s stop trying to figure out when the world is going to end or when Jesus is coming back and live our lives the way He asked us to live. 
That will make the time that we are here way better. 

 

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don’t be fooled

Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.

- Galatians 6:7 (MSG)

 

Anyone who reads my daily message knows that the Message translation is not my favorite, but gosh there are some verses that just pop out with exactly what I am trying to say.

We all have people in our lives that will try to fool us into believe things that are not true.

It could be some vicious gossip about a coworker or a story about someone we know that is laced with just enough truth that we are inclined to believe them.

These people are not good, and they will try to sway you by sowing seeds of discontent in your garden.

Don’t let them do that because once weeds start growing it is hard to get them under control, just ask my strawberry plot!

When someone starts to plant the wrong things in your mind and heart respond with the Spirit of God, let your heart be filled with His glory and overcome the weeds.  

 

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but how?

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

- Romans 10:9 (NIV)

 

I have been told by some people that God doesn’t love them, and they cannot be saved because of horrible things they have done in their life.

I do not believe that is true.

I believe that God loves all His children - every single one - no matter what horrible sins (even some not so horrible sins) that they have committed.

I believe that God is sad when we sin, but that He does not hold our sins against us and that we can be saved.
There is even a verse in the Bible (imagine that!) that says we can be saved. 

But how?

It’s easy really, believe in Jesus, believe that He died for you and speak it out loud.

I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. (Matthew 16:16)

That’s how it starts.  

 

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give an answer

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

- 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)

 

Everyone has something to say and an option about everything.

Some people do not understand how to say things with gentleness and respect.

I have had many people over the years ask me why I have so much faith in a god I cannot see, especially those who know some of the things I have been through in my life.

First let me say that there are many out there, some that are reading this right now, that have been through far worse than I have, and they too, still have faith in God.

I have hope because I know the promises my God made.

I have hope because I have seen His miracles.

I have hope because I know my Redeemer lives (oh yes, that is a song reference).

I will share those reasons with anyone who inquires.

In May of 2020 the COVID quarantine was going strong, families were tired of “sheltering in place”, people just wanted to celebrate things again.

I participated in three parades to make people happy.

One parade was for a little boy from our church celebrating his 6th birthday during this first part of the pandemic.

We gathered up some of our biker friends from the Christian Motorcycle Association and a few random motorcycle enthusiasts plus probably 20 cars belonging to church members.

The second was sponsored by the city of Pea Ridge and the parade went through the entire town! 

It was amazing to see all the families sitting or standing outside waving and thanking us for joining the parade, I’m sure there were nearly 100 bikes!

The third was for a little girl also turning 6 years old, her Grandma and Grandpa ride and arranged a parade for her.

The biker community came through and I think there most have been 75 bikes roar past her house.

The cool thing about these parades is the wide variety of representation that joins in, there were members from Tribe of Judah Motorcycle Ministries, Combat Vets Motorcycle Association, Christian Motorcycle Association, Polecats MC, and many others wearing their colors proudly.

The organizers prepare the group for 30-40 minutes for a 20 second ride past someone’s home.

What if you had 20 seconds to tell someone about the Gospel?

Are you prepared to share His Word, His teaching, and show them that Jesus is the way?

I hope that people see my CMA colors and ask me about Christ, because I want to continue to “change lives one heart at a time”.  

 

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time to fight

For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.

- Deuteronomy 20:4 (NIV)

 

I’ve been in a few physical fights in my lifetime.

My first fist fight was in like the 5^th grade and when I tell you I don’t remember what my friend and I were fighting about, that is the honest truth!

All I remember is that we were fighting on the playground at recess, I hit her over the head with my cast (I was sporting a broken arm) and she hit me with a baseball bat.

After we were sent to the principal’s office, we were both assigned essays to write by the end of the day.

My second fist fight was my best friend and I fighting over a guy, I was trying to get her to talk to me when she punched me in the eye resulting in an incredibly painful shiner, but a few weeks later we were good again (neither of us ended up with that guy).

Both ladies are still my friends and if they read this they can certainly chime in with their version of events.

I can’t say that any of us had victory out of those fights.

I can say that I didn’t like physically fighting, it ended very painfully both emotionally and physically.

I wish that I would have let the Lord fight for me back then because I think the results would have been a lot less painful.

We are fortunate to have a God that loves us enough to fight our battles.

 

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forgive me

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

- Luke 6:37 (NIV)

 

Forgiveness is something that I have really struggled with in my life.

Not just me forgiving others but asking others to forgive me.

Unfortunately, one of my biggest flaws is that I tend to hold a grudge.

When someone does something that I perceive as wrong to me or to someone else I can become a very ugly version of myself.

I have vindictive thoughts and even though those thoughts don’t become a reality the fact that they bubble to the surface makes me ashamed.

And how does one ask forgiveness of someone if that person doesn't even realize that they did something “wrong”. 
Then the bitterness sets in. 

A good friend of mine posted a pretty profound paragraph on social media last week, he gave me permission to share: 
Bitterness

The topic of bitterness has long been examined and the effects of bitterness have been described as insidious, destructive and debilitating for those who harbor it. When someone is dealt an emotional blow many feelings occur, sadness, self-doubt, anger and bitterness are but a few examples. The danger happens when the normal healing process is interrupted and a person no longer wants to return to it. “Emotionally stuck” is a phrase commonly used to describe where the person begins to dwell on their hurt and the healing stops. Inwardly, the person can become disconnected or self-loathing and outwardly, vindictive or vengeful. Those who follow this path of self-pity fall into the bondage of time past. When bitterness takes hold and they fall into reliving that moment of hurt, regretfully debating what could have been done or what should have been said. At this point the person is trapped, no longer recognizing that the time that has been lived cannot be relived or fixed. In falling into this trap they deny themselves the victory and freedom Christ secured for us.

Bitterness is a powerful emotion and its consequences can be catastrophic. The person must not dismiss the hurt or sweep it under a rug rather they must process the hurt and I pray that they do this in a way that they are able to heal. If necessary, they must seek help from a counselor, pastor or other professional but first seeking our Healer and Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ!

Make your decision for Freedom not bondage!

This opened my eyes when I recognized myself.

I hope that if you see yourself in any of today’s conversation that you will take a step back and ask forgiveness. 
Start with God. 

 

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hang with the right crowd

Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.

- Proverbs 13:20 (MSG)

 

I’ve said before that I am not really one for the Message translation of the Bible, but sometimes the point I am trying to get across is better accompanied by the Message translation.

Have you ever noticed that your reputation is based on the kind of people that you associate with on a regular basis?

When you spend your time with people that are not trustworthy or known for the bad decisions that they make, others start to assume that your character is along those same lines.

I remember in high school there were cliques and depending on where you fit in that is how other adults (teachers) and peers viewed you as a person.

I remember watching my kids choose their friends and praying that they would make the right choices, because the choices they made ended up shaping the adults they would become.

Another great verse is Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. (NIV)
Chose your friends wisely, it really does make a difference in how the world sees you.

 

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a wrong turn

They all have turned away from the straight road. Together they have gone the wrong way. No one does good, not even one person!

- Romans 3:12 (WE) [Worldwide English New Testament]

 

On this day in history, an Italian born explorer named Christopher Columbus landed in the Bahamas in 1492. His intention on this journey was to find a western sea route to China, India, and Asia.

For a long time the United States celebrated this day as the day Columbus discovered America, although we no longer celebrate it on the 12^th and in fact, we no longer celebrate “Columbus Day” at all and he didn’t discover America! 

He must have made a wrong turn.

I believe that we have all made a wrong turn or two in our lives.

I think it worked out in an acceptable manner for Columbus, but it doesn’t always work out that great for the rest of us.

We have the ability to re-route ourselves when we make a wrong turn by picking up our Bible or talking to a Christ centered person.

Even when we are lost, we can be found again.

 

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I’m really smart

For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.

- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)

 

Children are so much smarter than their parents, especially teenagers, wouldn’t you agree?

At least I know for sure that I was smarter than my parents and my kids always knew so much more than I did back then.

As I got older, I realized that I didn’t know as much as I thought I did.

My kids have even uttered those horrible words “you were right, mom”.

As children of God, we need to recognize that we don’t really know as much as we think we do.

I wonder how Adam and Eve felt, admitting that they were wrong and realizing that the tree of knowledge did more harm than good.

The Message translation of this verse says, “The more you know, the more you hurt”.

Most of the mistakes we make in life are a result of our false belief that we know better than someone else.

 

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I love that

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.

- 1 John 2:15 (NIV)

 

Once I heard a preacher speak on this verse and her sermon really made sense.

She started by telling everyone how when her daughter was learning to make sentences and understand the meaning of different words.

The little girl looked at her parents and said “I love Mommy! I love Daddy!”.

As their mommy and daddy hearts were swelling with pride, she looked around and said, “I love ketchup!”.

The entire congregation laughed.

Think about how many times we say that we “love” something.

I love cats, motorcycles, books, music, tv shows, campfires, my husband and kids and I am sure that I say that I love random other things every day.

There is a conflict between the love of the Father and the love of the world.

We can get so caught up in our daily routines that we drift farther and deeper into a love affair with “things”.

When we listen to ourselves and realize how many things we “love”, our first response is to change some behaviors.

We might choose our words a little more carefully.

That is a start, but we also need to return to our first love, the One who first loved us.

When the love of the Father is in us, the love for the world loses its grip on us.

 

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motorcycle rides

In your majesty, ride out to victory, defending truth, humility, and justice. Go forth to perform awe-inspiring deeds!

- Psalm 45:4 (NLT)

 

This week is a week of fun and rides and camaraderie for motorcycle enthusiasts in Northwest Arkansas as Bike Blues and BBQ is held in the area.

Everywhere you go in this corner of the state you are going to see motorcycles. 
I ask that you spend a moment in your prayers asking for their safety and the safety of all the vehicles on the road.

The cool thing about being a motorcycle enthusiast is seeing other like-minded individuals coming together for a purpose.

Did you know that there are many motorcycle groups out there whose sole purpose is to spread the Gospel?

Surprise! 
Look at the patches on the jackets, vests, and t-shirts you see around town this week, you will find that many sport the colors of a group that claims Jesus as their Savior.

And when you approach them, (they are approachable) they are more than willing to hear your story, pray with you and tell you their story. 
Salvation stories are the best stories because they are proof that our God is an amazing God.

Those of us that do belong to these groups ride to share His victory, His truth, and His justice.

  

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living chosen

Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.

- Galatians 5:25 (MSG)  

 

I don’t often use the Message translation in my daily bread messages, but sometimes it just fits with what I am trying to say. 
“Each of us is an original” – we need to take that to heart. 
When we choose to live our best lives, we make improvements in all areas of our lives.

The way we treat people at work, at the store, not letting road rage get to us - there is an area that I need to work on – we need to make sure that we are not just choosing the life of the Spirit on Sunday mornings, but every day and every where.

 

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living free

You no longer have to live as a slave because you are a child of God. And since you are His child, God guarantees an inheritance is waiting for you.

- Galatians 4:7 (VOICE)

 

Being a lover of music (bet you didn’t know that about me!) there are so many song references about being free in both secular and Christian music.

Some of you may even notice that I used the VOICE translation for today’s message, but there is no correlation with the VOICE the TV show, I have never even watched it.

Ya’all, we are no longer a slave to evil when we walk with God.

We can stand and praise Him in the face of our enemy.

We are free to be who He made us without fear.

Our inheritance?

The Kingdom of Heaven.

I’m happy to be a child of God.

 

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looking for approval

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

- Galatians 1:10 (NIV)  

 

Many of us spend our lives seeking approval from others: parents, teachers, bosses, friends, sometimes even our pets! (I may have the judgiest cat in the world in my home!)

Did you know that human approval is not where it matters and in fact, human approval does not matter at all.

God’s approval matters.

God’s approval is the only approval you need.

By being followers of Christ, we are striving to lead our lives according to His expectations and therefore, His approval.

That’s the only approval I need - now if I can just get my human mind to wrap around that!

 

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it’s fall, ya’all

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.

- Isaiah 40:8 (NIV)  

 

Here we are, the first week of October 2022.

Things that I love about fall include the cooler nights for bonfires, changing leaves, hot apple cider, and the promise that even though winter is coming new life is also coming in the spring. 

Fall brings football and upcoming holidays, time with friends and family as we cheer on our favorite teams or gather with the church to see our kiddos in crazy costumes. 
Right around the corner is Thanksgiving and Christmas, which is the ultimate promise that the word of our God endures forever.

No matter what the earth looks like, it can be brown leaves and grass, a blanket of pristine snow, flowers blooming or blazing hot sun the word of God remains.

Let’s enjoy this season as we look forward to the next one and never stop reading His word.

 

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