Halloween is nearly here, and for some Christians, it’s a truly frightful time of year. For others, however, it’s seen as a mostly benign secular holiday.
Growing up in a non-Christian household, I always looked forward to Halloween. It wasn’t because of the costumes or macabre imagery often associated with it though. I looked forward mostly to one thing: Free candy! Now, however, as a Christian, I admit that it seems a bit askew to see little kids running around in witch or devil costumes.
Do you think Christians should participate in Halloween? I’m not asking whether Christians should celebrate Halloween, meaning to fully embrace all that this holiday is about. I really don’t think we should celebrate evil. Rather, should Christians have anything to do with it at all, or just choose not to bother with it?
The question may be easier if you don’t have kids. Without kids, it may be easier to ignore. But if all your kids’ friends are going trick-or-treating and they’re not allowed, they’ll want to know why. We should be careful to separate our intent from the history of the event: Can this time still be celebrated, but somehow sanctified for God?
Bob and Gretchen Passantino of Answers in Action suggest this course of action for Christian parents:
Christians should evaluate Halloween and determine an appropriate response for themselves and their own families. Christians should refrain from any participation that would compromise one’s faith or bring dishonor to the Lord Jesus Christ. A good principle is to look for ways to become a positive, Christ-honoring voice in the midst of secularism and paganism. Each Christian must be persuaded in his own conscience about how he approaches Halloween. (Source: Answers.org)
What do you think about Halloween? Do you celebrate it and allow your kids to go trick-or-treating?
Related reading:
Can God be glorified through Halloween? – Examines the origins of Halloween and suggestions about how Christians can respond.
Halloween Alternatives – Some different ways you can celebrate the season.
Well-known Christian authors/pastors, like Rick Warren and Francis Chan, are known to “reverse tithe”. Instead of tithing 10%, they tithe 90% of their income. This is possible because they earn large amounts of money from their books and other sources. Although the graciousness and commitment of these men should be commended (they are of course under no obligation to give back so much of their earnings) it’s obvious that for most people, giving 90% of their income just won’t work. In an economic recession, 10% can seem like a big enough challenge.
Should Christians reduce their tithes in tough economic times? On one hand, it makes sense to save a little more, and plan to give a little more in the future once the economy picks up again. No one could blame a family for reducing their donation if they’re having trouble making ends meet.
But on the other, shouldn’t tithing be sacrificial in the first place? And doesn’t the church need our full tithe during a difficult economy even more than in a booming one?
Perhaps in difficult financial times, instead of being the first thing to be cut, our tithe should only be cut as a last resort? After trimming the budget as much as possible, only then should we reduce our tithe? If we believe supporting our local faith community and their work in God’s kingdom is critically important, we should be very hesitant to reduce our support for it.
Have you chosen to reduce your tithe during times of financial difficulty? Do you think it’s something that should be encouraged, tolerated, or actively avoided?
Related reading:
Money Management for the Christian Family – Did you know that Jesus spoke more about money than He did about any other topic?
From Success to Significance – How one man started to question how “shallow” pure success-oriented living was.
What role should prayer play in the medical care parents provide to their children? Recently two parents were found guilty of second-degree reckless homicide, a charge that carries up to 25 years in prison, after they prayed for their sick daughter instead of taking her to a doctor:
The Central Wisconsin parents convicted in their daughter’s death will not go to prison but will spend ten years on probation and some time in jail.
A judge sentenced Dale and Leilani Neumann Tuesday afternoon for the death of their eleven-year-old daughter Kara. She died of complications from untreated diabetes while her parents prayed over her instead of seeking medical attention as her condition worsened.
Both parents spoke to the judge at their sentencing hearing, calling Kara’s death an act of God, reading Biblical passages, and saying the only thing they’re guilty of is following their faith. “Dale and I acted with love toward our daughter to the best way we could have, in the best way we could, because we love her,” Leilani Neumann testified.
Judge Vincent Howard asked, “Did God say, ‘Well, Kara, come to me,’ or when Kara arrived did he ask, ‘Why are you here 70 years too soon?’” (Source: WBAY)
Although Mark 5:26 tells how a woman suffered at the hands of doctors, Jesus never said anyone was wrong for seeking medical attention. He seemed to have a positive view of doctors in general when he said “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” (Matthew 9:12, et al). Luke, the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, was himself a doctor (Colossians 4:14) So with no clear mandate against doctors, and positive examples of doctors, we should take any necessary medical precautions available, in addition to faithful prayer, so that tragedies like this are not repeated. Does it show lack of faith to visit a doctor and pray? No, because don’t forget that God in his compassion has given us many ways that we might be healed, including our own incredible immune systems and wonderful new medicines.
See our previous post, Should Christians Expect Healing? for more on this topic, or contact an online mentor if you have questions, concerns, or prayer requests.
Does God desire that each of us be healed? Yes, in the sense that our loving God does not desire that any of His children would be burdened with pain. However, similar to how God desires that all will be saved (ex. 1 Timothy 2:4) but not all will in fact be saved (ex. John 14:6), not all that God desires necessarily will come to pass. This including healing, and not everyone will receive divine physical healing.
There are many biblical examples where people are not physically healed. Paul mentions his “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7) which was not healed, even after he prayed three times for healing. Timothy (who is “faithful in the Lord”, 1 Corinthians 4:17) is said to have “frequent illnesses” (1 Timothy 5:23). In response, Paul doesn’t tell Timothy to be healed, he just tells Timothy to “use a little wine”.
Elsewhere, Paul notes “I left Trophimus sick in Miletus” (2 Timothy 4:20). Jesus, in John 5, heals one man by the pool of Bethesda, even though there were many sick, and then slips away. Not everyone, even the most faithful Christians, will be healed, at least not until Jesus comes again. This is demonstrated in scripture and confirmed by our own experience.
One reason that God may choose not to heal (though not the only reason) is expressly stated by Jesus in John 9. Regarding the man who had been blind from birth, Jesus states the reason for his ailment plainly: “this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” (John 9:3) It may be the case that greater good may come of an illness than would have resulted from God’s divine healing.
In all cases where healing does not come, we need to remember that healing is an intensely personal issue, not merely a theological one. We may never fully understand why healing does not come in any particular instance. Ultimately, the choice to heal or not is entirely up to God and the purposes of His divine will, which are more amazing than we will ever be able to fully comprehend. We need to try to lean on our faith (trust) in the God who has demonstrated Himself to be eminently trustworthy, and remember the love that God has shown us. Paul’s words to the church at Ephesus:
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19)
Have you experienced instances where you have prayed for healing but have not been healed? What have you learned through such difficult experiences? Please feel free to contact an online mentor if you are struggling with issues related to healing, or if you would like us to pray with you for healing or anything else.
Related reading: Online interactive study: Why doesn’t God answer my prayers?
reason that God may not heal is expressly stated by Jesus in John 9. Regarding the man who had been blind from birth, Jesus states the reason for his ailment plainly: “this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” (John 9:3) It may be the case that greater good may come of an illness than would have resulted from God’s divine healing. Ultimately, the choice to heal or not is entirely up to God and the purposes of His divine will, which are more amazing than we will ever be able to fully comprehend.
The Barna Group poll results, summarized below, can help us to gauge what seems to be the most important moral issues to many Christians in America. Barna asked people which issues they thought was a “major problem” facing the country:
Abortion is the overwhelming choice of evangelicals as the nation’s top moral problem, according to a new survey by The Barna Group.
Among evangelicals, abortion was rated a major problem by 94 percent of respondents, followed, in order, by the personal debt of Americans (81 percent), the content of TV and movies (79 percent), homosexual activists (75 percent), homosexual lifestyles (75 percent), poverty (72 percent), immigration (72 percent) and HIV/AIDS (71 percent). Global warming finished at the bottom, with only 33 percent of evangelicals saying it is a major issue. (Source: BP)
These are the results based on the 10 issues Barna chose to ask about. It’s interesting that “the personal debt of Americans” was #2 on the list, even though these surveys were taken long before the market crash.
Do these results align with your own views? Which topics raise a passion for justice, a “righteous anger”, for you?
Related reading: How to be Angry (without Sinning) – Take an online interactive study to explore this important issue
Right now in North America, there are tens of thousands of children available and waiting to be adopted. In today’s video, several professors at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Russel Moore, Randy Stinson, and David Prince, sit down and talk about their experiences adopting children, and how it’s affected both their lives and the lives of their children. (Approx 75mins total)
Have you adopted a child, or were you adopted yourself? How has this experience affected your life? If you have not adopted, do you consider it a viable option for the future?
Related reading: God’s Mission: Adoption – When we come to Christ, God not only forgives us, he also adopts us.
“My sister cannot keep this baby can you take her?” This question turned my world upside down one day. This phone call came out of the blue. The baby’s name was Cassie, she was fifteen months old and needed a home. That was enough for my mother’s heart to say, “yes, I want her.” I knew nothing about her, her temperament, her personality or her situation. I just knew that she needed a home and I wanted to be her mother.
As we considered the question of adopting baby Cassie I learned much about God our Father. I know we were called to the path of pursuing Cassie, even though we did not adopt her. Another home was chosen for her. But the lessons learned in that experience will stay with me for a lifetime.
The first thing I learned is that God cares and is working on our behalf way beyond our understanding. This child was wanted by several families, yet God very specifically chose one family for her, in His time. She was well cared for and happy in her temporary home and oblivious to the many people making decisions, praying for her, and choosing her future. Our family alone had a prayer team of 30 people praying for her placement into the right home for her. How often does God work on my behalf unbeknownst to me? I only see a small piece of the picture not the larger whole.
I have a new understanding of adoption being about being chosen and wanted. We wanted that baby to be a part of our family, so did other families. This was a very wanted child. So are we as children of God. As we thought about taking Cassie into our home, we considered the challenges we would face. We knew that she had been exposed to drugs in utero, probably had an attachment disorder, and certainly faced emotional issues. (Her current home was her third home). We faced the reality of raising a very difficult child, yet we wanted her, and we hadn’t even met her. We chose her.
God as a perfect father accepts and wants us with all our issues. He chooses me as I am, knowing all the potential for difficulty and lovingly works with me to be the best I can be. He loves me and encourages me all the time, with unconditional love.
The difficult lesson was learning the difference between expectation in what I think the outcome will be and expectancy in what God will do. These are two very different things, as I came to understand. I know God called us to the journey of adopting Cassie, but I came to understand it was for the lessons learned, and not to add to our family.
I was disappointed, hurt and disillusioned, when the social worker told us another home had been chosen. I was expecting a certain outcome. I expected to have a daughter named Cassie. Over time as I came to peace with God’s plan, I accepted the rich and valuable lessons I gained from my journey of adoption that did not end with another child. God called us, and He did work, just not how I expected.
My relationship with God is much richer and deeper in understanding because of adoption. First, because he adopted me. I am His child with all the benefits of being a child of the king. Ephesians 1:4-6 says, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”
Second, I now have new understanding of how God works in my life through my journey of adoption. God works on my behalf, even when I cannot see it. I now know the difference between expectation and expectancy in God’s plan. There are several other lessons I learned and count that time as a significant time of growth in my life. I gained new insights into both my husband’s and children’s hearts also. God is good and used this time to continue to grow me as His daughter.
Read More
Devotional by Max Lucado: God’s mission is adoption
Adopted for a purpose
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Mentoring is a God-given opportunity for trained people to invest their lives and experiences in the lives of others. It was modeled by Christ who was confidante, leader, and teacher as well as Lord.
The Mentor Center (TMC), an important part of TruthMedia’s Internet ministry, is a way to conduct mentoring online. Visitors to our sites email questions, at which point the visitors are matched with an appropriate mentor who will begin an email conversation with them.
Here are some quotes from emails we’ve received in TMC recently:
“I am lost…alone…confused…scared…please help.” (USA)
“I have experienced depression and feel lost sometimes, feeling God has forgotten me. I want to know how to handle my problems in accordance to how God would want me to. Help me figure out where to begin in this journey of coming closer to God.” (USA)
“I was a witchdoctor and i received a message from your email. I want to change and be a good person and follow the words of God and make him to be my saviour.” (Tanzania)
“I love this program I gain a lot when I come to your website, please keep it up. Thanks and GOD bless.” (Nigeria)
The time commitment to become a mentor is entirely up to you, and you can minister to others from the comfort of your own home. Becoming a mentor does not mean you have to be a “perfect” Christian … if that were a requirement, everyone would be denied! Rather, what is required is an authentic faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and sincere desire to serve.
In particular, we are currently in dire need of male mentors for teens and French speaking mentors, although we welcome applications from anyone. Would you consider applying today?
For more information and to learn how you can apply to become an online mentor in your spare time, please visit The Mentor Center!
I am attending church in my boxer shorts. I haven’t showered yet, but I am enjoying my morning coffee. And I’m sitting in the front row, listening to the pastor. No one has made any remarks about my wardrobe, or my coffee, and I’m certain that they won’t. I am attending a live church service over the internet from the confines of my cabin at the lake.
A few weeks ago, my wife sat with me and listened to a downloaded sermon while traveling to visit family. We listened to inspired words of hope from a message presented by Erwin McManus, an informative and refreshing voice of truth. I was able to remain in this reflective environment for a few hours, and think on how God was at work in my life.
During my morning commute, I often start my day with a great community of like-minded individuals who revive me in my faith. Sometimes I am deeply challenged by the interaction; other times I am encouraged through shared laughter. I am in the subway, listening to a Christian podcast that I enjoy.
There is a considerable movement within Christian ministries to venture beyond having a static online presence to creating an online ministry that extends beyond the walls of traditional church. Many ministries and church leaders are making use of iTunes, Twitter, Facebook, RSS feeds, blogs, and podcasts (to name a few) as a way to reach a greater audience. While it’s not meant to replace the local church (remember, God wants community!), it is a great way to spend a few moments each day interacting with the online community of God.
I am encouraged by the fact that ministry leaders are undertaking such a creative venture. Efforts to reach a generation connected by the internet should continue to be applauded and encouraged (even if they fail!). However, it is important to keep in mind the purpose for the technology. While it’s outstanding that there are resources available to help me deepen my faith, I need to be careful not to become engrossed in the consumerist mindset.
In the age of technology, it is easy to search out the most charismatic, polished, informative speaker or most elaborate worship band and regard my local church as the “amateur hour” (although my church is great at what they do). Anything less than the most innovative worship bands or keynote speakers can quickly cause us to be discouraged and write off the local church’s efforts. In addition, Christian podcasts or chat groups can easily become just another way to fill my spiritual “need”, when instead I need to be focused on Jesus’ calling on me for the world. During my morning commute, I enjoy listening to the Relevant podcast (look it up on iTunes) and tuning out the crowded train.
As my fellow passengers jostle and bump each other (and me), I can lose sight of the fact that I am surrounded by people. I am surrounded by inner city, with its apparent needs and brokenness. As Brian McLaren once wrote, “we should always use it [technology] with care, remembering that Jesus modeled personal incarnation, not projection and amplification.” I believe that my Christian faith needs to remember to take off the headphones and engage the world around me. Otherwise, I have bought in to the deception of consumerism, where it’s all about me and my needs.
The gospel, with its eternal truths, needs to continue to be presented through culturally relevant methods that point new generations to Jesus. Because after all, it is not about rolling out the edgiest podcast, or the most up-to-date Twitter feed. It’s about the One who gave me the ability to think of new ideas, and impact those around me in fresh ways. It’s about the message of hope, and life, and belonging – things that each individual and every generation desires to fully realize in their own life. The message of hope that comes from One source – Jesus Himself.
What are ways that technology can add to our spiritual lives? Where are the pitfalls of spirituality in the age of the internet?
Get involved: Explore how you can be involved in your spare time from your own home, with a growing Internet ministry, TruthMedia!
Most subjects are fair game for discussion at work: weekend activities, family life, health, the economy, sports, politics … but talking about faith? Religion? Christianity? It likely depends on your particular work environment, but in many places, talking about faith is a taboo topic.
One of the worst insults in modern Western culture is to be deemed “intolerant”. Of course, often that word, tolerance, is misappropriated and used in ways that make no sense, especially when it comes to moral and/or religious beliefs. But that knowledge likely won’t help you feel more comfortable talking about faith around the water cooler. Greg Koukl explains this further in his article “When Tolerance is Intolerant“.
Doug Pollock is currently an evangelism trainer with Athletes in Action, a ministry of Campus Crusade. On his website GodsGPS.com he seeks to help people have better spiritual conversations. He wants to find answers to the question: “How can you bring God into the conversation without shutting the conversation down?”
Take a look through the GodsGPS website, and don’t miss the extremely useful list of “Wondering Questions“ intended to spark meaningful discussions.
Have you ever talked with coworkers, neighbors, or friends about faith topics? How did you approach the topic to encourage cordial conversations?
Image credit: ohhector, used with permission, Creative Commons 2.0 License.
Connecting Through Technology
Do you use technology to stay in touch with family and friends?
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