Here we are in the 3rd quarter of 2020 and who would have thought it looked like this? Do you feel like life has been a roller coaster ride lately? We want to encourage you to allow yourself to focus on ALL that God has walked you THROUGH in 2020. If you are reading this, then you have come THROUGH something in 2020 and you are still standing! 

During this past quarter, we have continued to host Pre-Marriage BootCamps via Zoom as well as our SYMBIS meetings via Zoom. Thank God for Zoom! We are also involved in a new Emotional Healing and Deliverance training. We are so grateful for this opportunity as many of our couples have endured great heart wounds and need God's unconditional love and healing poured into their lives before they start as husband and wife.

We are indeed living in challenging times and not just because of COVID. The USA and our world need God's divine intervention now more than ever. In November, America will face a very important presidential election. We want to encourage each of you to exercise your right to vote. Seek God and pray diligently as to how your vote should be cast. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak directly to your heart. Regardless of who wins this election, AMERICA NEEDS GOD!

Our prayer during these tough times is for all of us to ask God to search our hearts to seek how we can shine His light and share His glory throughout the world! This world needs more of Jesus and a lot less of us! Continue to look up from where your help comes!

 

This article is written out of obedience to the Holy Spirit. We believe these next few paragraphs are more of a "food for thought" than any instruction on how to act or what to or not to participate in. We feel the Holy Spirit is the one who should lead all believers in our daily walks with Christ.

2 Timothy 1:7 states, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” So, the question we ask is “If God does not give us a spirit of fear, why are so many willing to help others, including young children, become comfortable and familiar with FEAR?” Fear clearly DOES NOT come from God as stated in the Bible!

As you look at the images below, notice how a well known child’s toy such as a "Jack In The Box" has been turned it into something scary. What about the zombie children without eyes? Since we are made in the image of God, is that really the image God wants His children to have placed before their eyes? Of course we realize this is just yard decor, but how many children and adults struggle with extreme fear issues today? 

As believers who are taught to war against “The Spirit of Fear” throughout our journeys, why would we welcome something of this nature into our lives. Does it make sense to become comfortable with gore, evil and demonic?  Each year the manufacturers drastically increase the demonic and gore elements of not only Halloween yard decorations, but costumes, haunted houses and more.

It is sad and interesting to watch young children as they pass this display in the store and others like it. Their natural God-inspired responses are right, “I’m scared mommy. I don’t like that. Hold me.” Yet, many parents in turn try to help these young children be secure with such images. Saying things like “It’s okay. It’s not real. Don’t be such a scaredy-cat.” Our prayer is that the Holy Spirit will keep us ALL uneasy with anything resembling of gore, evil or demonic. Although we do not need to walk in a spirit of fear, we do need to have a great sense of discernment between right and wrong and good and evil.

God has NEVER wanted us to be cozy with the demonic. Jesus was always noted as casting out demons. The Word of God does not ever show Jesus applauding the demonic or fear caused by such or saying "Don't worry about this, it is not real." Quite the contrary, Jesus set the people free of the demonic. The demonic has and will always be in direct opposition to God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit.  

As believers, should we aggrandize the gore and demonic because we don’t want to offend anyone? We want and want our children to be accepted and fit in with "harmless" make believe. But is it really "make believe?" It is evident in the society we live in today, the line has been drawn in the sand and we no longer can stand straddling the fence. We are living in a time that promotes up is down, good is bad, bad is good, the scarier the better, evil, hate, wickedness, etc. Walking through the store and encountering this display is just one more depiction of such. We will have to choose!

1 Peter 2:9, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."  As a peculiar people, a different reaction is what should be expected, right? Many of those young children react just as God created us to react to such. Walking past this display made something jump in our spirits and it was not like John the Baptist leaping in Elizabeth’s womb. It wreaked of NO! This is not something God would desire; however, the enemy takes great pleasure in seeing this display.He wants us all to be desensitized to his way of life.

We want to encourage you to guard your hearts (Proverbs 4:23), stand firm in the evil day (Ephesians 6:13) and be a light in the darkness (John 1:5). By no means are we suggesting we demean, judge or come against those who enjoy such. Each of us can only control ourselves. When given the opportunity, we speak TRUTH in LOVE. Always remember as children of God walking with the Holy Spirit, we get to enjoy: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control.

Let’s all take the fruit of the spirit and spread it out among this hurting world in which we live! Let's be a peculiar people who draws others to the LIGHT!

Finding yourselves with more time together?
Here are a few suggestions to do while we all wait it out:

 

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