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When we hear these words as a timely warning, we immediately think of a physical storm weather wise and make an effort to be prepared. Usually the preparation will be according to the forecast of how bad and strong the storm will be. Windows are shuttered, loose items tied down etc. In other words we take action to prevent as much damage to property, and then find safe locations for ourselves and our families, hoping the storm will pass us by.
In the life of a disciple\believer in Messiah, this storm is a spiritual one and is reflected in Matthew 25, the parable of the 10 virgins and in Yeshua/Jesus own words in Mark 13:33 He told us to stay alert and be ready, in season and out.
Several times we are warned to be awake and ready, to be prepared for spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6. We need to understand we are in a constant battle and will be all the days of our lives on earth. There is a reason this message is repeated often it’s because many of us drift back to sleep immediately the danger is over, as we get through one storm in life then we relax, heaving a big sigh of relief; that is when the enemy will attack when we let our guard down, because being comfortable raises casualties.
In the same way we keep our eye on the weather and physically prepare when a storm is coming, we are to be alert, on guard and watching spiritually for storms in the spiritual realm, the dimension we cannot see with physical eyes. The devil is looking for those he can devour, those who are like the five bridesmaids who were not only asleep but were not prepared, they had no oil. Waiting until the storm hits, is not the time to prepare, we need to be in a continuous state of spiritual preparedness.
We have many gadgets and gauges to help us determine the weather conditions and temperature, thermometers, barometers, hydrometers etc. etc. Weather stations for wind speeds; even in nature pine cones know if is wet or dry.
In the believers life, we have our Heavenly Fathers’ Holy Spirit to help us discern the signs of the times; we need to be aware of the increase in the intensity of the spiritual storm that is coming.
We may know
where we are and
who we are
but do we really understand
where we are?
This too has application in both realms. We know where we are physically, a location and address, but where are we spiritually in our faith walk and relationship with the Lord? Have we grown and matured in the last year?
We know who we are physically, our name, our mode of life, occupation, abilities, identity status etc. but do we know who we are in the spirit? Are we identifying ourselves with what the word says we have become in Christ and are we operating in the spiritual gifts imparted to our born again from above spirit? Are we warring a good warfare by the words spoken over us?
1Timothy 1:18 -21 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before concerning thee, that thou by them mightest wage a good warfare, and, “Hold fast to faith and to a good conscience.”
Finally and probably the most important point, do we know when we are?
In the natural according to age it may mean the stage all being at high school, College, University, career, a level on the occupation ladder or marital status, raising a family or retired etc. All the stages of the natural life. However do we appreciate the spiritual significance of when we are? Meaning our position in the timeline of our Heavenly Fathers plan of the ages.
Since Yeshua/Jesus day, He declared we are in the last days, acharit ha-yamim, the end times and that was two thousand plus years ago. John said little children this is the last hour. 1John 2:18.
The Greek phrase “in the last days” (ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις) refers to the prophesied “End of Days,” sometimes called acharit ha-yamim (אַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים) in Hebrew. Eschatos (ἔσχατος) refers to the end point of a sequence, indicating its outcome or final expression.
Many think the last days are yet to come, but we were born into the last days and they are rapidly coming to a close. The signs of the times are evident all around us, the increase of violence being one of the more obvious indicators. 2Tim.3. The decline in moral standard and family unity, plus the falling away from the truth of God’s word. The days of Noah and Lot were not just destructive floods of water and fire from heaven they were times of horrendous spiritual conflicts caused by fallen angels who perverted and corrupted all of creation. Gen. 6:7. Is.24:1.
So much so that the Lord God had to destroy their meddling. But He also promised in Genesis 9:11 that He would not destroy the earth again by water, so we can expect only localized flooding and fire from heaven in the form of fire balls and other space debris falling to earth. The biggest flood will be spiritual in nature- challenging our beliefs and our faith. 2 Tim 3:1-13 warns of deceptions, false christs, fallen angels of light and temptations fed to us by demonic entities who are inter-dimensional by nature, not from other planets. They will offer alternate explanations of who we are, where we are from, and when we are. It behoves us to be prepared and fixed on the firm foundation of the rock of our salvation in Messiah Yeshua haMashiach. Matthew 7:24-26. See that you are not deceived.
We must wake up to the realization of when we are in the plan of the ages. Time is short, don’t let it run out before we are ready. Don’t be caught unawares or taken by surprise. We are not to be afraid or scared whether the storm is physical or spiritual, we are to be prepared; and the time for that preparation is now. If we are following the days of counting from the Omer to Shavuot/Pentecost this is also a reminder for spiritual preparation. The disciples were told by Yeshua/Jesus to wait in Yerushalayim/Jerusalem for 49 days, preparing, so they would be ready for the Ruach haKodesh/Holy Spirit, to be imparted to them at Shavuot/Pentecost. They received power from on high, to equip and enable them to fulfill their callings and destiny in Him. We have freely received and should also be ready, following the count to Shavuot helps in that preparation, especially if we have been taking a spiritual nap!
Fill that oil lamp today, don’t be distracted and put off what we know we must do and be about our Father’s business. Be ready so we can help others and point them to the answer to life; to the truth of where we are, who we are, and when we are… because a storm of supernatural proportions is surely coming and having done all, we are to stand and see the salvation of our Lord. Be certain that He will come as surely as daylight chases away the darkest night. Let us be ready, prepared and looking for His return and be found that good and faithful servant, then we will enter into the full presence and joy of our Heavenly Father. Matt. 25:23.
Shalom, shalom mishpachah/family
and cheverim/friends!
It’s all about Life and Relationship,
NOT Religion.
You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.
NOT SURE?
YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen
Open The Eyes Of Our Hearts Lord…
Is Halloween An Invitation to the Occult?
Hidden dangers that we may not see, are often subtly just under the surface and cunningly disguised by the enemy of our souls as seemingly ‘harmless fun’.
Despite economic gloom casting a spell on consumer confidence, this year America’s darkest holiday is looking bright for retailers. According to industry research firm IBISWorld , Halloween sales are expected to exceed a record-breaking $6 billion, sales are up in treats, candy and costumes for even more scary numbers.
Let’s not be among those who line the pockets of greedy retailers and the fat cats of commerce, who would like to get their hands on our hard earned income and who also seek to profit from scaring and frightening our children at such a young and innocent and impressionably tender age.
Rather let’s
protect our children
from anything that would frighten them
and cause them to have sleepless nights and nightmares;
and not subject them to fears and anxieties that may
follow and torment them for years to come!
Jesus said suffer, (do not prevent),
the little children from coming to Me,
(not to the occult things of darkness)
for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
The scriptures encourage us in Eph 5:11 KJV: And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
Amp: Take no part in and have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds and enterprises of darkness, but instead [let your lives be so in contrast as to] expose and reprove and convict them.
Phillips Translation: For of this much you can be certain: that neither the immoral nor the dirty-minded nor the covetous man (which latter is, in effect, worshipping a false god) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Don’t let anyone fool you on this point, however plausible his argument. It is these very things which bring down the wrath of God upon the disobedient. Have nothing to do with men like that—once you were “darkness” but now you are “light”. Live then as children of the light.
The light produces in men quite the opposite of sins like these—everything that is wholesome and good and true. Let your lives be living proofs of the things which please God. Steer clear of the activities of darkness; let your lives show by contrast how dreary and futile these things are. (You know the sort of things I mean—to detail their secret doings is really too shameful). 
For light is capable of “showing up” everything for what it really is. It is even possible (after all, it happened to you!) for light to turn the thing it shines upon into light also. Thus God speaks through the scriptures: “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
Habbakuk 4:6 says ‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge’. When we have all the facts and understand the truth behind the curtains of seducing deception and we are educated, then we can make an enlightened and informed decision concerning future actions and participations. This is not a ‘party pooping exercise’, simply a heartfelt effort, with only a humble and loving motive, to protect and enlighten, while exposing the enemy.
It’s always helpful to remember that darkness is looking for any way to capture our children and as fear is the opposite of faith, he uses things and events that scare and produce fear. The kingdom of darkness is based on fear and hate. Gods kingdom is the total opposite and is based on Faith and Love. It’s a good thing to consider which of these we would rather have our precious children exposed to. All the devil comes to do is steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).
He uses seduction, temptation and deception among his arsenal of weapons. Many problems in adult life can be traced back to harrowing experiences associated with scary incidents at times such as Halloween. 
With this in mind… and not wishing to dwell on the subject more than to highlight its dangers...
Do we know where the word Halloween came from?
Halloween a day celebrated around the world when people dress up in costumes, collect candy from neighbors and have parties, but do we ever take time to think about the origins of Halloween? Most people don’t think twice about participating in it saying ‘It’s all in fun’ or ‘Its not evil to me’, but is this so called hallow evening really so innocent?
Do we know that a holiday named Samhain was celebrated on October 31st for centuries before the word Halloween was invented?
Do we know that Samhain is still celebrated by many, many people today?
Do we know that many Halloween traditions of today can trace back to the pagan practices of ancient peoples?
Do we know that the Lord commanded us not to be involved in the types of activities that take place on Halloween?
Once we learn the truth behind Halloween we’ll be stunned.
The Biggest Pagan Holiday Of All
“Halloween has been imposed by an esoteric- satanic culture which induces the community to perform rituals of witchcraft, spiritualism and satanism which can even lead to ritual sacrifices and violence. For satanists, Halloween is the most magic day in the year and during this night they perform black masses, esoteric-magical ceremonies and encourage witchcraft.”
“Christian parents and all those who believe in the values of life should know that Halloween is the adoration of Satan which has been disguised through games and parties for young people. Halloween is especially dangerous for young people because it encourages an esoteric-magical mentality which seeks to subvert religion by attacking spiritual values and what is sacred through an initiation of occult arts and images.”
No fascination or pictures! – just the Facts!
This is always a difficult time for Christians, especially those with children. It has been suggested that for a Christian to be asked to celebrate Halloween is like asking a Holocaust survivor to celebrate Hitler’s birthday!
It is also a dangerous time for some, since many of the seemingly harmless involvements associated with Halloween can also be entries for the occult, and can prove very tragic for the unwary.
In ancient Britain and Ireland, the Celtic festival of Samhain was observed on October 31, the end of summer. November 1 was the new year for both Celtic and Anglo-Saxon calendars and was one of the most important and yet sinister calendar festivals of the Celtic Year.
Settling in northern France and the British Isles, the Celtic people engaged in occult arts and worshiped nature, giving it supernatural qualities. The ancient Druids were the learned priestly class of the Celtic religion. Many of their beliefs and practices were similar to those of Hinduism, such as reincarnation and the transmigration of the soul, which teaches that people may be reborn as animals. The Druids believed that on October 31, the night before their New Year and the last day of the old year, Samhain, the Lord of Death, gathered the souls of the evil dead who had been condemned to enter the bodies of animals.
The Druids also believed that the punishment of the evil dead would be lightened by sacrifices, prayers and gifts to the Lord of Death.
The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on this day, and the autumnal festival acquired a sinister significance, with ghosts, witches, hobgoblins, black cats, fairies, and demons of all kinds said to be roaming about. It was the time to placate the supernatural powers controlling the processes of nature.
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther drove a stake into the heart of many of the prevailing non-Biblical concepts by nailing his famous 95 theses to the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany, which started the movement known today as the Reformation. The single most important event in modern history. and appropriately, he did this on Halloween.
In the eighth century Pope Gregory III decided to turn the pagans important day into a day of the church by calling it All Saints’ Day.
Chosen to be a spiritual counteract against the previous nights occult activity; in the same way as many churches were constructed over pagan sites, to encourage those who were unsaved to participate in the Christian services that were then held in the same location.
In Western Christianity it’s celebrated on 1 November by the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, the Methodist Church, the Lutheran Church, and other Protestant churches.
Also known as All Hallows’ Day, Hallowmas, Feast of All Saints, or Solemnity of All Saints. This became a Christian festival celebrated in honor of all the saints, known and unknown.
So now we call Oct 31st All Hallows Eve or evening, or as we are familiar with today, Halloween.
Various customs have developed related to Halloween. In the Middle Ages, poor people in the community begged for soul cakes, and upon receiving these doughnuts, they would agree to pray for departed souls. This is the root of our modern day trick-or-treat.
Modern Halloween Traditions
In early American history, Halloween was not widely practiced until the 20th century, when it was introduced by the Irish Catholic settlements. Gradually, Halloween became a secular observance, and many customs and practices developed. 
The carved pumpkin may have originated with the witches’ use of a skull with a candle inside to light the way to coven meetings.
The Occult is Increasingly Popular
Halloween is, for many, a crossover involvement in which innocent games can lead to serious entanglement with real witches, neo-pagans, New Agers, and other occultists.
A common pastime is the use of a Ouija board to attempt to contact ghosts or spirits that are believed to be roaming about. This can lead to serious consequences including unwanted activity from evil spirits.
Evil spirits have a vested interest in Halloween because it supports the occult, and it also offers novel and unexpected opportunities to control and influence people.
Occultism includes Satanism, astrology, Kabbalah, Gnosticism, theosophy, witchcraft and many forms of serious magic. It includes activities seeking the acquisition of hidden things, which are expressly forbidden by God in the Bible.
Jesus paid the price for our freedom with His Blood. 
The Biblical View
Halloween practices can open the door to the occult and can introduce forces into people’s lives that they are not equipped to combat.
There is genuine power in the occult, but it has its origin from darkness not the power of God through His Holy Spirit.
Any serious study of Biblical demonology will reveal Satan as the power behind false religion, witchcraft, idolatry and the occult.
The Word of God makes it clear that these are all to be shunned as dangerous. There were many superstitions and false concepts in ancient Israel about which the Bible is silent. However, occultism, in any form, was punishable by death! Why?
Because – The spiritual power and reality behind idols involves evil spirits.
A Halloween Project?
Every year, many people are perplexed as to how to deal with the children’s celebrations surrounding Halloween. On the one hand, participating in the perpetuation of the usual pagan (and occult) rituals are hardly the enterprise of a Biblical Christian however on the other hand, creating constructive alternatives can be challenging.
Many churches and families organize a ‘Harvest’ festival with games, prizes, etc., as an alternative.
Your Protection
Intellect alone is insufficient.
“If it were possible, it would deceive the very elect.”
This is another example of the necessity to truly understand the Armor of God as outlined in Ephesians 6.
It’s not just the physical dangers of Halloween, of pranks gone too far, or the dangers of tampered with treats, as serious as those are, there are real spiritual dangers of this season.
There are other activities though that go on around Halloween that we who are Christians must be aware and wary of. In the past two decades there has been a resurgence of paganism and witchcraft in our culture, largely in response to the secularization of our nations.
If people feel a spiritual void, they will fill it with something.
The often colorful, folksy rites and accoutrements of popular witchcraft and paganism are attractive and can be quite appealing to the senses.
Anything that is used to find power apart from our Holy God, can be dangerous to our immortal souls.
It seems that it’s at Halloween time that many otherwise devout, God-fearing people will go to a seance, allow someone to read the Tarot for them, will dabble in a little harmless white magic and otherwise play around with things forbidden by Scripture.
(In truth, there is no such thing as harmless magic.)
THAT is where the danger lies. The Powers of Darkness draw us in, not so much by great temptations, but by little enticements. “Oh, but that Tarot reading was just silly fun! (But, the reader did seem awfully accurate, didn’t she?)”, “I know we Christians don’t believe in reincarnation…but that little past life regression game…well, it was so real!”, “Oh, I don’t really believe in these candle burning rituals, but the colored candles are so pretty and, well, they do help me feel better.” And on and on. But doing these things…small and innocent as they may seem to us…not only opens the door, (even just a little) to evil, these are sinful in the eyes of a loving and Holy God.
They contradict the honor,
respect, and loving fear
that we owe to God alone.
Spiritual Plumbline
When in doubt?… Don’t
As we accept Jesus,
we are saying
YES to LIFE
and
NO to DEATH 
Halloween is a celebration of death!
Just say NO because 
When God gives you light… 
walk in it
we are encouraged that…
so here are some real treats
to look at and think on..
The God we love who sent Jesus
has created so many, many beautiful things…
He is The
Lets fill our hearts homes and gardens with
His love, beauty and peace…
Be Safe this week..
you are greatly loved!
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