Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Today will be a very strange day in America. It’s Halloween. Recently a new store opened in the town where I live. It’s called “The Spirit of Halloween” and I regret to tell you that every time my wife or I drive by that store, at any time day or evening, any day of the week including Sunday, the parking lot of that store is full of cars and a steady flow of shoppers are going in and out of the store. No, we’ve never been inside, but the window displays are sickening and frightening. In my humble opinion this store is a reflection of the moral drift of America and the almost insatiable appetite, in every generation, for ‘the darkness’.
It’s very practical evidence of what Jesus said: “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” (John 3:19-21)
Each time I read those words in John 3; I wonder how Nicodemus the Pharisee responded as he heard Jesus speak these shocking words? The truth is, these words, and others like them, have been rejected by hundreds of millions of people who’ve heard them in the generations since Jesus spoke them. Perhaps you remember Jesus said at another time: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
As you and I look at the city in which we live, or even our own extended families, and look back into your family and city history as far as you know it, do you see the truthfulness of these strong words from Jesus? Do you see people attracted by the irresistible gravitational pull of moral darkness? Do you see the disregard or resistance or even rejection of the light of Jesus and His truth? And can we see, will we acknowledge, the damage done in our extended families and our cities as a result?
Now look forward… to this evening, Halloween in America, and the weeks and months beyond! What will you see in your neighborhood if you live in America? And look more closely, beyond the carved pumpkins and the cute costumes worn by little children and the bags of candy. Look deeper into the darkness, especially the adult version of Halloween, what do you see my friends? Has God given you eyes to see clearly and minds to understand the diabolical, devious, deception and deep influence of the evil kingdom in Halloween? Do you see how our confused society has branded Halloween to be so innocent for little children, so tasty with the candy, so family oriented with parents walking children around to get candy… that the dangerous influence of the dark kingdom of the demonic is overlooked by almost everyone?
Yet do you also see the fascination with death related things displayed everywhere… skeletons, ghosts, graveyards, even weapons of death? Do you see how that feeds the growing death culture in America and other places as seen in the demand for public approval and even tax funded slaughter of unborn children? Do you see the dramatic increase in violence in movie and video game entertainment and the corresponding street violence and domestic violence filling our prisons?
Now I call us to see the great contrast of lifestyle God invited His people to live in Isaiah 61:3b “They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor!” Over the past several days we’ve been looking closely at this remarkable message from God to the prophet Isaiah about 2700 years ago found in Isaiah 61.
While there are many statements from God in the Bible which define what it should LOOK like when God’s people live their normal life every day, this statement in Isaiah 61:3 comparing us to solid oak trees, planted intentionally by God and living for God’s glory, is one of the most powerful statements of God, isn’t it?
In the community where I live there are many ‘centennial’ oak trees. Professional arborists have evaluated these trees and put little tags on them indicating they are at least 100 years old and in some cases 200 years old or more! Now as compared to olive trees in Israel, that’s not very old, but where I live these huge oak trees provide not only shade and beauty but as they withstand hurricanes and thunderstorms, they demonstrate great strength which is encouraging to the aging population of retirees who live in my neighborhood. On this Halloween day, what wise insight and warning could elderly Christian people, who’ve walked with God for many decades, give us about the dangers of dabbling with the darkness on this Halloween day?
“Oaks of Righteousness”, what a powerful picture! What does it mean when applied to a person? An oak tree is symbolic of strength and grandeur and durability. Righteousness is, of course, holiness, purity, a life lived ‘above reproach’. (1 Tim. 3:2) So who can you think of who fits this description of a person who could be referred to as an Oak of Righteousness? And how have they protected themselves and their family from being drawn into dabbling with the dark kingdom, not only on Halloween but in any of the multiple devious strategies of the dark kingdom?
“A planting of the LORD” is a very powerful description of a person who is living their life in the place they believe God has positioned them on assignment as God’s Ambassador! (2 Cor. 5:20) That means the neighborhood in which they live, the school they attend, the workplace where they are employed, and the social groups they are part of. Each and all of these is an intentional assignment from God in human relationships. Why? For the purpose of influence which is why the last phrase in this statement is so powerful and significant.
“For the DISPLAY of His SPLENDOR” There it is my friends… the reason why you and I are alive and breathing! Now watch this: EVERY human being is created by God for this purpose! Every person, at every age, in every place, exists to display the Splendor of being made in God’s image!
And when a person made in God’s image comes into the sin-forgiven relationship with God which Jesus Christ made possible through His death and resurrection, then that person becomes a born-again, Holy Spirit filled, follower of Jesus Christ! That is when that person’s life becomes a living billboard, an advertisement, a representation of Jesus and everything about that person should DISPLAY God’s SPLENDOR!
Now think about that for a few seconds and look closely at your attitudes, your vocabulary, your relationships with other people, your decision-making process and the choices you make, your life agenda, your priorities… are ALL of them ‘For the DISPLAY of God’s SPLENDOR’? Can you see how this gives life true purpose? Significant, influential purpose?
In fact, may I suggest we write this short life purpose statement on a card and carry it with us, reciting it several times a day, until it is permanently etched in our minds, and then let’s make it a practice of declaring it over ourselves several times every day for the rest of our lives? I assure you it will give us life purpose and direction like never before and it will help us stay clear of dabbling in the darkness! Here’s a great worship song which reflects this God given life purpose…
Today’s Scripture: Is. 61:3
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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