Allhallows Even Is Redeemable

(by Lorie Codispoti)

I hate, hate, hate halloween!

I take what 1John 1:5-6 says seriously: "God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth." There needs to be a stark difference between light & darkness in the life of a Christ follower.

We decided decades ago that we would not have anything to do with our culture's celebration of halloween. We were the house that turned off all the lights to keep anyone from knocking at our door. Our children did not dress up & beg for candy, & we would not engage with any church (or other) related alternatives. Part of our conviction came from the idea that there was nothing redeemable about halloween.

Christians are commanded to expose the deeds of darkness (Eph.5:11) in an effort to redirect people to the Light of Christ.

The glorification of this holiday has progressed exponentially over the years. I used to be able to shield my children & avoid the halloween aisles in stores, but you can’t do that anymore. The fascination with death & the exaltation of all things grotesque is everywhere this time of year. Our hatred for all things evil should remain steadfast, as it is an affront to our Holy God & everything He calls good.

A few years ago, for a variety of reasons, I began wondering if there actually might be a redeemable quality, beyond Reformation Day, All Saints Day, etc. (which we acknowledge). So I started digging into the topic & researching it from every angle.

The following are a few key questions that served as a springboard to my investigation.

~~ What kind of sources am I gleaning from?

The Bible talks about there being safety in a multitude of counselors (Prov.11:14). Safety from what? Safety from reading into something more than what is actually there, as well as not taking something serious enough.

One thing that investigative research has taught me is to vet my sources & consider each perspective in order to evaluate accurately. We need that multitude of counselors to protect us from error. For example, October 31st is most definitely a “high holy day” for the spiritual hosts of wickedness & their human affiliates. I have heard countless testimonies of people who were delivered from the evils of witchcraft, satanism, the occult, New Age, etc., & they all attest to the significance of this day for the realm of darkness.

When you hear about the experiences of those who have come out of this world it’s easy to see the dramatic difference between the darkness they came out of & the light they now walk in. But, there is almost always a hyper-sensitive component to their dire warning. While their cautions have merit & should be considered, I have noticed that they have a tendency to feel so strongly about their message that they can inadvertently exaggerate, or even falsify, the evidence to support their position. We need to be aware of this & proceed with caution.

If you want to gain a deeper understanding of something you have to collect, analyze, & discern the evidence from a variety of sources that represent multiple sides of an issue. Always, always consider the source & understand their perspective as you gather information & formulate your opinions.

~~What is the foundation of my conviction?

As we gain spiritual maturity it is always wise to revisit & reevaluate our convictions. We need to ask ourselves if we have built it on a foundation of faith or fear, & then take a careful look at the fruit it has produced. A conviction that is not from God will often manifest as condemnation that can cause even more confusion & draw us away from God. Whereas a conviction from God will draw us closer to Him with a heart of repentance that frees us from deceptions and false beliefs.

We all need to “be fully convinced in his own mind…” (Rms.14:5-6) when it comes to our personal convictions & how we apply the principles of Scripture to our lives. We must be willing to correct wrong thinking when presented with truth. It is critical for our convictions to be rooted in truth rather than a belief based on inaccurate information or the misapplication of Scripture. It’s a lazy person’s hermeneutic to proof-text Scripture to fit a specific confirmation bias.

“The Word of God informs our conscience and is a light to our path (Psa.119:105). Personal convictions should never be based solely on what we “feel” about a matter. …the Bible does not deal directly with every situation. Forming personal convictions on issues not specified in Scripture requires us to search out the guiding principles in the Word.” (GotQuestions)

~~Is an ungodly origin justification enough to ban the day?

One of the things I’ve discovered is that many of the origin stories that I based my original opinion on have been proven to be false.

The history & origin of something is an important thing to consider, but if those were deciding factors we’d need to 1) ban the celebration of birthdays with cakes & candles, 2) call our months & the days of the week by different names, & 3) reconsider bridesmaids due to the fact that they were instituted to trick evil spirits into going after them instead of the bride. And, what about baptism? Should we cease from baptizing believers because the Babylonians practiced this as a pagan ritual long before Christianity?

The origins of halloween are very obscure. The evidence shows a convergence of traditions that have evolved with time & cultures. For example, the origin of giving children treats in the U.S. can be traced to states almost banning the event altogether due to mischievous boys picking October 31st as a day to pull pranks, some of which were starting to become dangerous. In an effort to quell the mayhem there was an exchange of candy for their cooperation to cease their troublesome behavior.

As christians, we need to steer clear of bolstering presuppositions based on some kind of fake-lore or pseudo history. We are called to a higher standard & the origin argument is simply too weak for it to be the deciding factor.

~~ Have I fallen into the trap of legalism?

Sometimes, in our well-intentioned efforts to “contend for the faith,” (Jude 3) we can be snagged by legalism. The enemy knows that we are all susceptible to a surprise attack & we need to be cognizant of his sneaky ways. While a discussion is merited, a disagreement about halloween should never be elevated to gospel proportions when it’s more of a matter of conscience. This is not a contest to be won, & when a disagreement shifts from being a civil debate to a quarrelsome attack (Rms.14:1) we need to either agree to disagree or shut it down & be willing to walk away. It’s pharisaical to imply that man-made ideas are commands from God & that one person’s conviction supersedes all others.

~~ What is my view moving forward?

I still hate halloween. That hasn't changed. However, I’ve come to a few conclusions that I hope will be helpful to you as you prayerfully navigate this tricky subject.

~ Every day belongs to the God who created them. (Psa.118:24)

Satan does not get to own a single day, so let’s not give him one. This is a spiritual battle designed to win back the territory that has been stolen. We may not be able to prevent the attention that Satan & his minions receive, but we can flip the agenda to one that focuses on God & celebrates life rather than death, witchcraft, violence, & horror. Halloween presents itself as the victor, but in Colossians 2:15 we’re informed that Christ, through His death & resurrection, disarmed the principalities & powers of darkness, making a public spectacle of them & triumphing over them. Christ is the Victor!

~ Throughout history, christians have always lived among cultures where sinful acts were practiced & false gods worshipped.

They had to decide what kind of approach they would take with the evil they encountered. To darken our homes & hide is no different than what the Israelites did when they retreated to the mountains when God commanded them to engage the ungodly in order to make Him known. In Matthew 10:16 Jesus said that He was sending His disciples out as sheep among wolves. They were to remain innocent & use wisdom as they purposely engaged the ungodly.

~ There’s a difference between celebrating & participating.

To celebrate an event is to embrace & engage in what has already been established. It promotes the good or bad in it. However, it is possible to participate in the same event, but as an active agent whose purpose is to promote an alternative to the the dark arts.

I conclude by saying that I no longer believe that halloween cannot be redeemed. Believers are commanded to act wisely & redeem the time (Col.4:5). We are also told to live wisely, “making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil” (Eph.5:15-16). How we go about fleshing that out may look different from one culture & time to another, but the objective remains.

We’ve been commissioned to dispatch good news...

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” (1Jn.1:5)

May we overpower the darkness that is so pervasive on October 31st. For me, that means turning on all the lights & asking God to give me opportunities to share the Light of Christ with those who live in darkness.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Nationalism

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Over the years my husband has had many requests to sing This Little Child by Scott Wesley Brown. It’s an oldie, but the words still ring true. One line stands out to me as I ponder the angst I see among our nation’s citizenry … “every nation that has fallen has fallen from within.”

We continue to hear the label “christian nationalist” thrown around by a contingent known as the “left.” It's meant to be derogatory as they accuse another group known as the “right.”

Two questions: 1) Is there a definitive explanation of what christian nationalism is, because it’s apparent that we are not all working from the same definition? And, 2) Who decided that everyone should be pigeonholed into the left or right?

1. Christian nationalism is put simply by the consensus of Natasha Crain’s research (When Culture Hates You). Generally speaking to be a christian nationalist means you are advocating for public policy according to biblical values. (This does not include the problematic, fringe, extremist groups who claim to be christians & would define the term differently.)

What’s so scary about that? There’s nothing dangerous about advocating for the government to take care of its people by promoting “what is good & restrain what is evil.” (N.C.) That is not only the biblical mandate for government, but it’s what the Founding Fathers established with our Democratic Republic.

2. The symbolic labels of left wing vs. right wing originate from a political divide that started in 1789 France. Members of the French National Assembly were at odds with one another over how much authority the king should have. Their opposing political ideologies dictated their seating arrangements, with the liberal faction seating themselves on the left & the conservatives on the right.

I can’t help but remember how children would separate themselves on the playground based on whether or not you were an officer’s kid or a measly enlisted serviceman’s child. Can’t we all simply play nice together?

I recently heard former CIA agent, Andrew Bustamante summarize this whole thing in a way that made perfect sense.

“ Whether you are old or young, we're all nationalistic. We all love our country. But the thing that's driving so much of our nationalism is this fear of the other side. Not a fear of the collapse of our society, not the fear of some rising power across the ocean. But for some reason, we're more afraid of our neighbor than we are afraid of the real threats that are out there. For whatever reason, we get so distracted and so confused with our own infighting, that we don't realize that infighting is exactly what helps our adversaries. As we become more and more tribal, then we will become fed upon by our adversaries.”

In my opinion, the best example of Christian Nationalism looks a lot like it did for our founding fathers. While the left & right wings were all presently divided & dutifully accounted for, they were also able to come together to discuss their differences & yet find enough common ground to formulate the Declaration of Independence & Constitution that would serve & protect its citizens. They risked both their lives & livelihood for the good of a fledgling nation that needed to be unified if it was going to survive the onslaught of its enemies.

Jesus noted that, “every kingdom divided against itself is doomed to destruction" (Luke 11:17).

An older friend pointed out to me last week, as he reminisced about the political environment of his youth, that he can’t remember a time when the people of this nation were so divided. He lamented over the fact that he is even estranged from one sibling & barely has much of a relationship left with the other due to political divides.

Am I concerned about Christian Nationalism? Not in the way it’s defined above. What concerns me is the unwillingness to respectfully come together & dialogue enough to conclude that while we may have differing opinions, we-the-people want to see our democratic republic thrive as we advocate for “what is good” for our people.

I’m not naive enough to think that there is an easy fix to the problem of division in this nation. And, while I wish I could, I can’t say with confidence that our nation will survive this divide. But what I can say (& sing) with confidence, however, comes from another line in the song I mentioned … “Yet in the midst of this darkness, there is a hope, a light that burns. This little Child, the King of Kings, someday will return.”

And in His kingdom, all His children enjoy playing together on the playground.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Watch The Body Grow

(by Lorie Codispoti)

One of the things I’ve been thinking about in recent days is this familiar idiom: “Cut the head off the snake & the body dies.”

Here’s the thing though; that idea doesn't apply to the kingdom of God. History confirms that when you cut the head off a christian leader, whose ministry is effectively producing fruit, the body of Christ is strengthened & christians multiply.

It was the early christian theologian, Tertullian, who said that it’s the blood of the martyrs that is the seed of the church.

The sacrifice of one christian who dies for his faith will serve as fertilizer for the soil that was prepared for a harvest of new believers. We see this example recorded in the book of Acts with the stoning of Steven, which resulted in the conversion of Paul. (We know this to be true with the deaths of many of the apostles as well.)

Church history is replete with the stories of many who were persecuted & murdered for their unwavering faith. Some of the ones whose stories we might be familiar with are John Wycliffe, John Huss, & William Tyndale. A few well known, modern day martyrs include Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jim Elliott & his four colleagues. Two of the women that stand out are Dorothy Stang & Nagham Nawzat.

It is estimated that over 900,000 christians have been murdered for their faith between 2011 - 2020. These are ordinary people serving as missionaries & advocates in hostile environments. We’ll never know their names, but God does, & their reward is great.

While peace can also contribute to growth, persecution serves to sharpen our focus as believers. Christian advocacy groups report that in most cases it is a catalyst for growth. Some have reasoned that persecution fosters solidarity as it drives believers to deepen their personal & corporate reliance on God. As we reflect on our own convictions in the wake of recent persecutions, may we be strengthened & inspired to share our faith with boldness.

Do you remember what God told the snake in Genesis 3:15? “I will put enmity between you & the woman, & between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, & you shall bruise His heel.” Not only did Christ step on our enemy’s head & crush it when He died & rose again, but He is going to return & chop satan’s head completely off. And when that happens his minions will scatter & be destroyed along with him.

Psalm 74:14 says of God… You broke the heads of leviathan in pieces, & gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

Mount up the offense & don your armor, Church!

We have been commissioned to pursue the enemy, rescue the captives, & reclaim the territory that was stolen. Running away is not an option; there is no armor for our back. One day we will remove the battle armor forever, but this is not that day.

Cut the heads off believers & watch the body grow!

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Tattoos

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Tattoos! What's your opinion?

When I was growing up the only time I saw a tattoo was on someone in the military. And since we lived on several military bases I saw a lot of them. They were more rare, & outside of that setting, people (mostly men) who donned a tattoo were stigmatized. The culture primarily associated them with rebellion & defiance. (Think of famous motorcycle & street gangs.)

Yesterday’s tattoos were a way for a person to express themselves. But today’s tattoos go beyond expression. They make statements & tell stories. Some are reminders of pain, tragedy, & loss, while others commemorate a special event or honor someone special.

According to a Pew research survey, 32% of Americans have a tattoo, and 23% have more than one. While only about 24% regret the decision, most Americans do not.

I’ve seen some amazing artwork created by tattoo artists. They are truly gifted artisans. And while getting a tattoo has never been something on my to-do list, I do not believe that having one is a sin.

They are, however, a fascination.

Curiosity draws me to them, as I want to know the story behind each one. Something I did not expect from this peculiarity is that I've found it to be a strategic tool in my sparsely populated evangelistic tool box.

Let me explain.

According to the statistics, 41% of those who get a tattoo are religiously unaffiliated. Hmm, interesting, don’t you think?

I know that every believer is called to share the Gospel with others. (“Go into all the world & preach the Gospel…” Mark 16:15) But, the spiritual gift of evangelism was not given to me. It does not come natural for me to share the Gospel with someone I do not have some kind of relationship with. There is something that comes natural for me though. I love to hear people’s stories & I am curious enough to ask a stranger to tell me about their tattoo. Most seem eager to talk about them, & many times this has opened the door for me to share something about the Lord.

The stories are always interesting.

One day at the checkout I asked the clerk to tell me about the tattoo on her arm. It looked like the night sky, with the moon & stars shining bright. There were some other symbols that were unfamiliar to me. She was enthusiastic as she explained that the whole scene was linked to her astrological sign.

I took advantage of the opportunity & told her that the God who created the moon & stars did so in such a way that it would proclaim His glory & majesty throughout the cosmos (Psalm 19:1). It was a very short interaction, as I didn’t want to get her in trouble or anger the people in line behind me. Nevertheless, it was a way for me to sow a seed, or “put a pebble in her shoe,” as Greg Koukl says in his book, Tactics. (An excellent read.)

It was Jesus who told His disciples, “Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (John 4:35)

Whatever your opinion about tattoos, don’t miss the opportunity to share with those who have run the ink well dry in an attempt to tell their story. Use it to paint for them a picture of the greatest story ever told.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Peace Shoes

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Do you need to "have a peace about it" before making big decisions?

I began to question my understanding of this all too familiar christian cliche' many years ago when a close friend was at odds with another on a big decision they were facing. When she asked for my thoughts I parroted the same prescription I had been given many times: “Don’t do anything until you have a peace about it.” When she replied with, “Well, both of us have peace about our opposing views; so whose peace is right?”My friend’s response was the catalyst that threw my long held understanding into a tailspin.

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15)

Have we co-opted this verse to support the idea that we must have a sense of peace about something before moving forward?

Sometimes we say things that contain a general truth, but they misrepresent what the passage is actually saying. I regret doing this myself, so I do the hard word of digging deeper into a passage to correct my own wrong thinking & interpret Scripture accurately.

What I found in this passage is that nowhere within the context is there a mandate to prioritize the need for an inner peace before making a decision. In fact, I would go so far as to say that if our goal is to seek after this kind of peace we are chasing a counterfeit - one that can lead us down the wrong road & draw our gaze away from the true Source.

I liken this counterfeit route to the one Dorothy & her friends traveled on their way to see the wizard. Everything seems fine until you realize that when the curtain is pulled back the wizard you went in search of is exposed as a fraud, & he really has nothing to offer.

God is not a fraud. His peace isn't in need of finding, because it is not lost.

Look at the context of Colossians 3:15. Paul is communicating to his audience that there is a Source of peace (quietness, rest, & wholeness). And this ruling peace that will guard their hearts & minds will be evident as they are united in Christ. God knew what kind of hardships these new believers faced as they purposed to advanced the Gospel, so He promised a corporate peace that would exceed anything they could possibly find within themselves. A peace that went beyond anything they could manufacture on their own in the topsy turvy world they lived in. Pretty sure that they did not hold back on sharing the Gospel until they “had a peace about it.”

Maybe we need to shift our decision making paradigm from one that demands feeling peace to one that anticipates a fight.

“The New Testament writers described the daily Christian life in battle terminology. Therefore, having a peace about decisions in life could be a bad thing. When it comes to biblical decision-making, you may need to have a war about it. Biblically speaking, we are likely more in line with God’s will if we say, “I’m having a fight about it,” rather than, “I’m having a peace about it.” (Decision Making And ‘I Have A Peace About It’ - article by Eric Davis)

My husband recently preached on the armor of God in Ephesians 6. My attention locked in on the peace shoes that enable us to move forward with the Gospel of Christ.

We all have our favorite shoes. I like for them to look nice, but the older I get the more my feet realize that aesthetics are no longer a priority. Function now trumps beauty.

When Paul talks about encasing our feet with the “gospel of peace” his audience would have immediately connected to the analogy. They were quite familiar with the armor of the Roman soldiers they encountered daily. Their shoes (sandals) were made of strong, sturdy leather, whose straps supported their ankles, inhibiting them from twisting. There were nails in the bottom that provided a sure grip, even on slippery slopes. This gave the soldier the fearless confidence he needed to traverse the higher ground of their enemy’s fortress as they penetrated their defenses with speed.

Some of us have traded in our custom designed peace shoes for the more eye-catching brands that look pretty but fail to provide the support we need to engage in the battle. We’ve chosen to gingerly skip down the clearly marked, level & more ascetically pleasing yellow-brick-road over the steep, low visibility, rocky terrain of an unknown destination.

What if God’s inner peace is calling us into a battle that requires us to move forward despite our reservations & fears? What if our peace shoes are laced up with the confidence that the One who issued them to us goes before us - not to prepare an easy road, but to reassure us that we can trust what He has supplied to take us into the unknown?

The inner peace that God has provided has not been lost & in need of finding. It’s the kind of peace that looks down at our knocking knees & says, “I see you shaking, but I’m taking you with me.” When you know that the shoes at the end of those legs have been issued to you by the Prince of Peace to preach the gospel of peace (Rms.10:14-15), you can be assured that even if chains & tribulations await us, as they did Paul, we can move forward into the enemy’s camp with the ruling peace that God provides. And, when He removes the worn out shoes from our battered & bloodied feet we will stand with the soldiers who went before us & hear the words of Isaiah echoed throughout the halls of Heaven, “How beautiful up the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!” (Isa.52:7)

Do you need a “peace about it”? Then maybe it’s time to go pick a fight. Trade in those sparkly ruby red slippers for a sturdy pair of peace shoes & make your way through the unknown to the Known. It's the only path that will take you home.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Loneliness

(by Lorie Codispoti)

I like being alone…. but I don’t like being lonely.

Being alone means you are physically by yourself; no one else is with you or around you. I am an introvert by nature, so I like to be alone, especially when I am studying, writing, or creating. A better word for this is solitude, which is something I not only need to function well, but it’s something I crave. There’s something glorious about regularly planned times of solitude. (Ask any mother of small children.)

Loneliness is different. There’s a pain associated with feeling alone. It is an emotional state where one can feel disconnected or isolated even in a gathering of people. I battled this feeling when I was bed-ridden for a year and a half. I cried a lot. Not only was I isolated, but even when I had visitors I felt disconnected. Had it not been for my husband, and the Lord reminding me that He was with me, I think I would have gone stark raving mad. The physical pain mixed with the emotional battle was very real.

Loneliness, in our culture, has surged to epidemic proportions. According to one study (Cigna), three in five adults described themselves as being lonely - and that was before the Covid pandemic. The ones suffering the most are young adults & the elderly. In a world that has given us the means to connect more with others than any previous generation, we are more disconnected than ever. It makes no sense, until it does.

One article I read noted that one of the main contributors to this American epidemic is due to the significant rise of individualism over communalism. This state of being goes against the created order, which should be our first clue that this is not going to end well. We were created in the communal image of our God, who by nature is trinitarian (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). Anything outside of that order is going to have negative consequences.

Scripture gives us the stories of men & women who experienced periods of loneliness. The following are some examples that stand out.

~ Joseph was thrown into a pit by his brothers, & then trafficked by them. Later, he’s falsely accused & thrown into another dark hole (an Egyptian prison), where he spends 14 years with only two companions - a wine-bearer (who quickly forgets him when he’s released) and a baker , whose only release from imprisonment is his death. I can’t even imagine the impact this had on Joseph’s mental health.

~ When someone is lonely they are yearning for deeper relational connections. While I know that Moses & Elijah chose solitude as a means of escape from their circumstances, I have to wonder if the prolonged periods of isolation & disconnection from their communities caused them to also suffer intense bouts of loneliness.

~ King David wrote much of the Psalms, many of which express the wide spectrum of emotions we humans experience throughout our lifetime. In Psalm 25 he cries out to the Lord for help, “Turn to me & be gracious to me, for I am lonely & afflicted.” 

~ Jeremiah was a prophet whose story epitomizes what prolonged loneliness feels like. He never married or had children. And because of the truth he preached he was shunned by his community. He lived his life misunderstood, despised by everyone.

~ Job suffered greatly, & even though he had regular visits from his “friends” he was so disconnected from them that he states that his only companions were “jackals & owls.” (Job 30) My guess is that those critters didn’t provide much comfort either.

~ In the New Testament we read the stories of several characters who experienced the effects of being rejected & isolated from their communities - John the Baptist, John the disciple, the woman with the issue of blood, the leprous man, the Samaritan woman, the Apostle Paul, & even Jesus Himself. Given each circumstance, I can only imagine their individual battles.

If we're not careful, loneliness can go from being a feeling to a mindset that can influence our identity & reshape our reality.

So what’s the answer? How do we counter loneliness & change our culture’s promotion & elevation of individualism?

King David's strategy is one we can glean from & follow when we find ourselves in a state of loneliness. 

First, he took his pain to the Lord - expressing his lament & his despair. This is evident throughout his writings. We can do the same - run to, not away from, God.

“I am lonely and afflicted, relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish.” (Ps 68:5-6) 

“Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before him. God is our refuge" (Ps 62:8)

Next, he took those wayward thoughts captive & preached hope to his soul. 

“Why are you cast down, O my soul? & why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.” (Ps 42:5)

He then chose to praise God in the midst of his anguish. 

“I will praise You for the health of my countenance” (Ps 43:5). 

God designed us to be relational, interdependent beings who thrive in community. We were not designed to operate as lone rangers. 

Our greatest example of what this looks like is our Lord, Jesus Christ. From the time of His incarnation until His death, He modeled relational & communal living. But, He experienced loneliness too. And when He did He carved out times of solitude, but this was not for the purpose of being alone. He stepped away from the crowds so that He could connect with & enjoy His communion with His Father. He then reconnected with the people to love & serve them with joy.

Jesus was never alone, and neither are we if we know Him & are filled with His Spirit.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Light Remains

(by Lorie Codispoti)

When I was a child I was deathly afraid of the dark. I could not sleep in a dark room. If someone turned the lights out to say that I experienced panic attacks would have been an understatement. This paralyzing fear followed me into adulthood & I was in my early 20’s before being rescued from its grip.

That rescue came in the form of Light!

It was not the kind of light that comes on when you flip a switch, but the kind that pursues & overcomes the darkness, as well as its debilitating sidekick called fear.

I started reading through the Bible again this year. It never ceases to amaze me how every read through brings with it things you didn’t see before. While reading about the plagues in Exodus I was struck by what it said about the ninth plague: a darkness so thick that it could be “felt” (Ex.10:21).

The Hebrew word for this "felt" darkness relates to something you could actually touch. This thick darkness covered the land of Egypt for three days.

Have you ever experienced a darkness so dark that you could not even see your hand?

We were taking a late night walk with some friends many years ago. We didn’t realize how dark it actually was until we got far enough away from the facility where we were meeting with a group of people. None of us thought to bring a flashlight, which was a huge regret as we stepped into the darkest dark I’ve ever experienced. We literally could not see our own hands, nor could we see the road, which was on the side of a mountain. I suddenly became aware of what I could not see - namely the road, those with us, & what might be lurking in the woods. It was scary.

Then, one of our friends frantically commanded all of us to "STOP!" His teeth had just fallen out. Not kidding! Thankfully, he was able to feel for them & find them in that thick darkness. We all had a good chuckle as it lightened the mood a bit, but we still had to find our way back to the facility.

That was the darkest dark I’ve ever experienced, & it’s one I will never forget.

In the Bible, darkness is more than the absence of light, which is how we define it today. Most of the time darkness is a representation of a tangible evil - a blinding force that can affect both the just and the unjust when they are caught in its grip.

It’s fascinating to note which plagues the Israelites endured alongside their Egyptian slave owners, and which ones they escaped due to the merciful hand of God.

Exodus 10:23 says, “…but light remained in the houses of the Israelites…” God spared them from the plague of a darkness - a presence that manifested so intense that it very likely drove many of the Egyptians to the brink of insanty.

“But light remained!”

I don't think this was a light that suddenly appeared when darkness crept in. This was a light that was already present. A light so powerful that darkness could not overpower & drive It away.

"The light shines in the darkness, & the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:5)

That's the Light that rescued me!

Does this kind of indwelling Light reside within you? A Light so bright & present that you can “feel” It? When you do, you will know the freedom of stepping forward with certainty & without fear.

No amount of darkness can put out the Light of Christ. His light will rescue you from fear & "remain" resident within you. It will help you find your faith (or your teeth) when the darkness encroaches and would have you believe that all is lost.

"Shine down your Light on me, let the darkness see, that in Your presence darkness flees, oh, Father of Light shine down on me." (Sandi Patty)

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Valentine Love

(by Lorie Codispoti)

According to the Christian History Institute there are several St. Valentines, who were all martyred about the same time in the third century.

First, we have the Valentine who aided Christians who were being persecuted. He was imprisoned, where he found faith in Christ and refused to deny Him. He was tortured, beaten with clubs and then beheaded. He was said to have written letters to his friends during that time that read, “Remember your Valentine.”

Second, Valentine was said to have been a priest who secretly married couples so that husbands wouldn’t have to go to war during Emperor Claudius’ soldier shortage.

And third, Valentine was a priest who refused to sacrifice to pagan gods. From his prison cell he shared God’s love through his testimony. As a result of his prayers the jailer’s daughter was healed and on the day of his execution he left her a note that was signed, “your Valentine.”

There isn’t enough evidence on any one Valentine to determine which one the day was named after, but, there is one thing that I see common to all three; each one embraced and lived out what it truly means to love.

Today is a great day to remind ourselves of the wonderful truths found in I Corinthians 13…

Love is longsuffering

Love is kind

It doesn’t envy, parade itself, or puff up

It doesn’t behave rudely, seek its own, provoke, or think evil

It doesn’t rejoice in sin, but rather in the truth

It bears all things

It believes all things

It hopes all things

IT ENDURES ALL THINGS!

Valentine endured much, because that's what selfless love does.

Love is hard!

Everything I read in scripture about love demands a kind of love that I do not possess in and of myself. Without my Helper I am not capable of this kind of love. I can’t work it up, I can’t fake it, and I can’t escape it. This kind of love requires something of me that I cannot give; yet, like Valentine, He calls me to it and then enables me to walk in it. Isn’t that so incredibly awesome?

I’d like to challenge each of you this Valentine’s Day (& every day really) to look beyond the shallow, trinket filled, heart fluff our culture promotes. Go a little deeper into what it meant for Valentine to put action to his words and LIVE out his love. Ask yourself if you are willing to love like that… to bear things unpleasant… to believe that God has a plan… to hope in what you can’t see… and to endure the hardships that accompany true love. Jesus was willing and it broke His heart and cost Him his life. You and I are not capable of this kind of love… but He is… and if He lives in you He will enable you to embrace and live out this love. If we say yes to His definition of love, then we must be willing to embrace the “fellowship of His suffering.”

It is hard to love, but the fruit of Christ's love borne out in your life is worth every sacrifice.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35

Happy Valentine’s Day!

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com