To Trick or Not To Treat - HALLOWEEN - Part 2 - This Video from "MarksJourney"

I found this video. I couldn't have said it better. This will be my last post on this topic. I am very passionate about this issue. Though I struggle with many things in life, this will no longer be one of them.

The "F" Word.

Hollywood and the media has been intent in recent times on saturating our minds and mouths with the f-word. Jesus Christ has been intent on saturating our hearts with His f-word for over 2,000 years -- forgiveness

This will be the message at November's Men's Breakfast. Contact me for more info.

To Trick or Not To Treat - HALLOWEEN

This topic has been a huge debate in my family for years. I believe the way our society celebrates HALLOWEEN is dark and very contrary to the things we want to teach our children as Christian parents. This is a sensitive issue though as the big caveat comes (starting with the big 3 letter word), "But, Becky is a princess and lil Tommy is a fireman, they just want some candy. I say, Just look at the ghoulish decor and dark, evil decorations found at the "homes handing candy". 

Do we really want our kids to be anywhere near an environment full of Witches, Skeletons, Ghosts, Goblins, Devils, Demons, Vampires, Promiscuously dressed women, Murderers, Evil Characters and Characters with blood, guts, and brains as part of their attire. Your child may dress up to be a lady bug, frog, a super hero like superman, or even someone like Moses. But look around while you're out walking the streets in the neighborhood. What about those people who don't care, or think the evil stuff is ok? Do you want your children to see that kind of stuff? It's just not right. 

I am very passionate about this topic, it doesn't necessarily mean that I am right, it just means you're not going convince me otherwise.  I still believe allowing children to dress up and attend a "Fall Festival is way better than "trick or treating".

I looked up some info on Halloween. What I found is below. (Remember wiki is written by people and can be opinionated, but I have found a lot of times it's very informative)

Christian attitudes towards Halloween are diverse. In the Anglican Church, some dioceses have chosen to emphasize the Christian traditions of All Saints’ Day, while some other Protestants celebrate the holiday as Reformation Day, a day to remember the Protestant Reformation. Father Gabriele Amorth, a Vatican-appointed exorcist in Rome, has said, "if English and American children like to dress up as witches and devils on one night of the year that is not a problem. If it is just a game, there is no harm in that. In more recent years, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston has organized a "Saint Fest" on the holiday. Similarly, many contemporary Protestant churches view Halloween as a fun event for children, holding events in their churches where children and their parents can dress up, play games, and get candy for free.

Many Christians ascribe no negative significance to Halloween, treating it as a purely secular holiday devoted to celebrating "imaginary spooks" and handing out candy. To these Christians, Halloween holds no threat to the spiritual lives of children: being taught about death and mortality, and the ways of the Celtic ancestors actually being a valuable life lesson and a part of many of their parishioners' heritage. In the Roman Catholic Church, Halloween is viewed as having a Christian connection, and Halloween celebrations are common in Catholic parochial schools throughout North America and in Ireland.

Some Christians feel concerned about Halloween, and reject the holiday because they feel it trivializes – or celebrates – paganism, the occult, or other practices and cultural phenomena deemed incompatible with their beliefs. A response among some fundamentalist and conservative evangelical churches in recent years has been the use of "Hell houses", themed pamphlets, or comic-style tracts such as those created by Jack T. Chick in order to make use of Halloween's popularity as an opportunity for evangelism. Some consider Halloween to be completely incompatible with the Christian faith believing it to have originated as a pagan "Festival of the Dead".

Just think, what would Jesus think if he saw you walking down the street in an evil and dark environment like I described above. Well guess what, He will see you. 

October 2011 Men's Ministry Devotional

“He is able to help those who are being tempted.”Hebrews 2:18

An estimated 40 million Americans view Internet pornography on a regular basis. The average age of exposure is 11. What’s worse yet is that 47 percent of Christians polled said that pornography on the Web was a major problem in their home.
In light of these alarming statistics, I wasn’t really surprised when I received a letter from a man who had given in to the lure of Internet porn. Broken and ashamed, he was desperate to climb out of the shame and sludge that Satan had lured him into. He told me that he finally decided to tape a picture of Jesus in the corner of his computer screen. With a sense of relief, he told me that seeing Jesus made his choices clear, and that he couldn’t go where he had gone before as long as Jesus was in clear view in the corner of the screen.
Pornography may not be your problem. But there isn’t one of us who doesn’t struggle with Satan’s pull on our desires. We all know how good it feels to gossip now and then. Taking out revenge on our enemies can seem very satisfying. And cheating on our boss or on our wife is an option that may at times be very alluring. I’m sure you could add a few of your own temptations to the list.
In the midst of it all, we need to remember that every temptation brings us to a critical crossroad. One sign points to momentary thrills that are like jumping out of a plane. Soaring through the air with no restraint can be a thrilling thing, but inevitably the impact of hitting the ground is devastating. Or, we can choose the Jesus road. It’s not always easy at first, but the rewards are out of this world! And perhaps the most important thing we need to know is that at the crossroad, the choice is not just between good and bad—because sometimes you’ll want to be bad. Nor is it just about not wanting to get caught. Satan will tell you that you are clever enough not to get caught. Or, worse yet, he’ll whisper in your heart, “Who cares if you get caught!”
Here’s the real deal: Choosing to sin is choosing to flaunt your desires in the face of Jesus. It’s like telling Him, “I’d rather do this than stay tight with You. I love my sin more than I love You!” It’s a personal thing, and He takes it that way.
At the intersection of temptation, choose Jesus! That person who offended you may not deserve your forgiveness; but Jesus deserves our loyal love, so we forgive for His sake. An affair, a small compromise here or there, overcharging to satisfy a fleeting need, lying to get out of trouble—all may seem very convenient, but all of them are a direct hit on Jesus.



So just say no to sin to show that you love Him more than whatever is luring you away from Him. In fact, you should want to be tempted once in a while just to let
Jesus know in real-life terms how much He means to you!
Jesus is always standing there at the crossroad of temptation. And, as Hebrews says, He is able to help you when temptation comes (Hebrews 2:18). In fact, He has been tested in every way—just like you—and will give you grace and mercy to
help you in your time of need (Hebrews 4:15-16)!
Look for Him. He’s in the corner of your screen of life, welcoming you to the pure joy of going His way with Him!


YOUR JOURNEY…

• Where do you need to place a picture of Jesus or a verse of Scripture to help you avoid temptation? On the refrigerator door, the dashboard of your car, inside your wallet, or somewhere else?
• Pray and ask Jesus to help you resist temptation in the very moment when you are tempted. Ask Him to help you live for what is right, instead of what feels good at the time.
• Read Luke 4:1-13. Make a list of observations about the temptation of Christ. Think of the area where you most struggle with temptation in your own life and compare the two situations. What can you learn from the way Jesus handled temptation?
  
  
  
  
  This Devotional really spoke to my heart and thats why I chose to share it witht the men of C4 this month.
  
  
  As always, We ate, we had fellowship, we prayed, we talked about this devotional, and then we ate again.
  
  
  Thanks to all the men who participated this month. Hope to see you all again next month! Remember, the second Saturday of each month at 8am at Camden Crossroads Community Church!
  
  
  **** AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST. A BIG SHOUT OUT TO ONE OF OUR YOUTHS, GARY, WHO LAST NIGHT DURING A YOUTH FUNCTION, DECIDED TO GIVE HIS HEART OVER TO JESUS CHRIST!!! PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO WELCOME GARY TO THE FAMILY IF YOU SEE HIM ON SUNDAY ****