I guess this makes it official,
I formally declare it's time to get out the winter coats
Hats
and scarfs.
If you are interested in techniches here's a cornucopic website!
On the rabbit trail today,
the hook of all hooks ...
for halloween decorations for me, is papier mache and as a public service (wink) I am sharing my unbelievable luck at finding this website
I think Halloween is so popular because it is a way to vent some uncomfortable feelings in a way that is comfortable. It takes scary stuff and makes it a cartoon or a fantasy for an evening.
I have a whole lot more trouble understanding the truth sometimes, for example in my devotions this am:
Acts:5 5Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ[a]there. 6When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7With shrieks, evil[b] spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. 8So there was great joy in that city.
If I was in that crowd, and heard the many shrieks due to evil spirits leaving bodies and seeing the crippled and the paralyzed walking around dancing and jumping for joy, I think I would be a bit amazed. And I think that should be a costume ...some guy in loose flappy bandages with his crutch lifted high dancing in the street.
And then the tale of Simon the Sorcerer, a guy who just didn't have it quite right...
9Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power." 11They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic.
I tend to be human and do the same thing...follow something because I think it's neat. I probably would have been tricked too by the magic of this sorcerer and his convincing speech on his greatness.
12But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
Ah, big, obvious difference here I think, of the genuine power of God, and the phony power of the devil... the words are so telling. It says that Simon the sorcerer himself was astonished by the great signs and miracles he witnessed, so much so that he got baptized with the rest of them.
14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. Now there is something worthy to celebrate the receiving of the Holy Spirit.
18When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money 19and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." ooooo... not good. The Holy Spirit was gifted to mankind at the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a gift that you have to believe and receive. There is no way that a person can purchase this gift. And I find that that is the way with the devil. There is always a price, a very costly price and with Jesus the price has been paid by his death and resurrection.
20Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin." Again, a very telling clue is here for us as to the attitude of the human heart... The Apostle peter said,"Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord" here is what happens next:
24Then Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me." Oh that poor guy. He was so lost in his own self centeredness and need to perform for people to impress them and be the big Kahuna, he missed it again! How often are we like that, we completely miss the point. Peter says, repent and pray to the Lord, and Simon the Magician says..pray for me, he doesn't say OK I'll pray, he says to them -you do the praying.
Peter says he was full of bitterness and captive to sin. That tends to blind a person to the truth. May we walk with the Lord, freed from our bitterness and set free from the bondage that we enslave our selves in, only through the power of the Holy Spirit.
May all your spiritual pursuits this season be seasoned with the Love of God, no matter if you do eat the candy that you got for the trick or treaters or not! Go with God.
