Smart Health Shop Forum Blog: Excellent learn…

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Excellent learn…

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Hope you guys learn this and be blessed…I do know we used to be

by way of Riley Stephenson

Whether or not or to not take part in Halloween actions has been a huge debate among the many individuals of the Physique of Christ. As believers, we’ve got nothing to concern when the Holy Spirit is our information. What does He have to assert about this issue?

The Bible tells us not to “copy the behavior and customs of this world” (Romans 12:2, New Living Translation). But this verse should not be an excuse for us to shut the door on the world. We also need to let our light shine, as my family and I learned a long time ago—especially on the darkest day of the year!

For years my wife, Kim, and I would not turn on our porch light at Halloween. When persistent trick-or-treaters knocked on our door anyway, our family ignored them. We would not let our girls carve pumpkins or color Halloween artwork at school or go trick-or-treating.

Then one year the Lord spoke this scripture to our family: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16, New King James Version). We realized that God wanted us to reach out to our neighbors on Halloween night. So we changed our MO! We bought good candy, not the cheap stuff—you know, the kind that has bubble gum in it that loses its flavor as soon as you put it in your mouth. We got chocolate bars! And we began to minister the love of God to those who were participating in Halloween. We handed out candy to our neighborhood kids, gave them tracts, and asked them if we could pray with them about anything.

Halloween is a great time for us to get to know our neighbors. Streets are packed with parents and children. Paul said it this way: “When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings” (1 Corinthians 9:22–23, NLT).

As Christians, we walk every day in the burden-removing, yoke-destroying power of God (see Isaiah 10:27). If we close our door on our neighbors at Halloween, if we “turn our lights off,” we miss a big opportunity to remove burdens and destroy yokes from other people’s lives.

My family’s outreach began with just us. Later we started taking friends out with us onto the streets in our community to share the love of Christ at Halloween, and over time the ministry grew.

One church in Athens, Ohio, found out about what we were doing and invited me and my ministry team to come minister at the nation’s largest Halloween block party, which takes place in their city every year. This block party draws about 80,000 college-age kids, who come once a year to drink and birthday party on Halloween night time. In 2009 we began taking groups to the experience to share the gospel with younger folks, and seeing that then heaps have bought Jesus as Lord and Savior on the darkest day of the 12 months.

Some other church, this one in Roscoe, Illinois, whose pastor is a chum of mine, makes use of Halloween as their largest outreach of the 12 months. They bring about carnival rides in and supply free popcorn, sizzling canine and cotton sweet. They filter out their sanctuary and arrange video games for the youngsters, after which they current a gospel skit. Annually as a minimum 5,000 individuals attend this adventure. Lots of people locally don’t even supply sweet for trick-or-treating—they ship folks to my good friend’s church as an alternative!

I’m now not announcing that we must costume up because the satan and take part in darkish actions. We will have to gown generally after we minister on Halloween evening. When individuals see us loving, somewhat than judging the individuals who go to haunted homes or go trick-or-treating, the Bible says they’re going to start to glorify the heavenly Father. We will have to be a gentle within the darkness.

The Bible says that “God is love” (1 John four:eight). Once we commence to seem like love, discuss like love and act like love, God who’s love will appear Himself via us, spreading His gentle to a misplaced and loss of life world. I pray that this Halloween you’re going to open up your door and switch to your mild to reap souls for God’s kingdom. &#thirteen;