I Peter 5:8 (ESV)
I have thought long and hard about writing this blog, and it has taken me several days to compose my thoughts. This is fitting for the season that we are entering into, with almost every retailer catering to Halloween. Let me state up front that my family has never celebrated Halloween, nor will we ever in the future.
I really hesitated and prayed long about whether I should even put this picture on the Blog. I am very cautious about not giving credit to satan, but at the same time I really felt a tugging from the Lord that people need to see evil for what it is worth. Now to me this picture depicts utter evil and the heart of everything satan stands for. To some, it might be this years Halloween mask that they have picked up at their local outlet store.
The question stands, "Have We Become Desensitized?" As always, I would love for you to respond to this Blog and give me your thoughts. I have been studying Numbers 11. When the Israelites were brought out of Egypt during the Exodus, the people cried out to Moses that their souls were dry and hungry for the Fish, Melons, Leeks, and Garlic that they had while in Egypt. Granted they were slaves and treated as utterly despicable while captives in Egypt, they still craved these items. They were in love with what the world had to offer. They would rather blend in with their surroundings, although slaves to the world, then to be set free by Almighty God and have Him provide manna for them on a daily basis.
My point to this is simply that I feel that as society we have become desensitized to the world around us. We crave certain items because it is the "Norm" and everybody else is partaking in these items. It is almost like we, just like the Israelites, have "Stockholm Syndrome." We have fallen in love with our captor, and the thing that binds us up and holds us back.
I know many that say that they are opposed to Halloween, yet they are the first to corral their cars in a circle for "Trunk or Treat" or their local "Fall Festival" at their church. To me this is total Apostasy to what the Bible teaches. We have to be so cautious and careful that we are not forming our churches based off of "Church Growth" strategies, when Christ is the one that grows His Church. WAKE UP PEOPLE!!! God does not want us to blend in with the world by having "Alternatives" to what the world has to offer. My Bible has the following to say:
"Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty."
II Corinthians 6:17-18 (ESV)
I am not finding any passage in the Bible that says that we are to "Blend In" and be "Seeker-Sensitive" to those around us. My friends, we have become desensitized to the things of this world, because we are craving the Fish, Melons, Garlic, and Leeks just like the Israelites were. This might come in the shape of Addictions, Obsessions, and basically anything that is of the world and not of God.
For months now, I have been thinking about discontinuing my cable service. It had nothing to do with saving money (although that is always a positive), but solely to do with the fact that my family and I were watching way too much television. Whatever excuses you want to throw at this, nothing holds water if it is keeping you from communicating as a family, and spending quality time with Jesus Christ. So a couple of weeks ago I called and disconnected all of my cable service (we just get the Network channels). It has been interesting to see two seperate effects of this decision: 1) My family is really going through withdrawals on what they were addicted to watching, 2) My family has read more books in the last week, then the last 6 months. Although my wife and I enjoyed watching the Discovery and History channel, I didn't like what the world was teaching my kids about the dating scene on Disney and Nickolodeon.
So my friends, the question is out there about being Desensitized. Do the things of this world effect you, or are you numb to them? I recently rented a Tom Clancy Audio Book. About 30 minutes into the book playing, I had to turn it off. The cussing was more than my spirit could handle. Could this quite possibly be because The Holy Spirit is perfecting a work in me through the act of Sanctification? I believe that it is. I was at the local movie store the other night renting a few movies. I put most of them back on the shelf after seeing that they were Rated R. I have made a covenant with my eyes and heart not to watch anything above PG-13 (I might even get radical and have to lower this to PG).
So what things of this world are you so in love with that are of satan? What are you willing to give up to not blend in with your surroundings. God is calling us not to be a chameleon and simply blend in and camouflage to Babylon. No he is calling us OUT. He is sending us out from their midst as the II Corinthians passage above states. I am tired of having blinders on and using the excuse that "God just has not convicted me of that." If you would get in the Word of God and wear some holes in your carpet from praying, then maybe you would be able to see clear enough to see and hear what the Lord is calling you out from.
As always, this is meant to convict, challenge, and encourage you to Righteousness in Christ. This is not meant to be judgemental, but rather the Truth spoken in Love.