Far Away Hearts

Far Away Hearts

Matthew 15:7-9    “You hypocrites,  rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you saying, ‘This people honors Me with their lips,  but their heart is far away from Me.    But in vain do they worship Me,  teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.'”

When Jesus said this from the deepest agony and love flowing from His heart,  He was referring to all sorts of stupid,  ridiculous  and vain things we people do,  claiming that these things are teachings from God Almighty and totally ignoring that history proves they are only teachings from sinful men.

What a mouthful.    So, what’s bugging me?

It’s the same thing that always bugs me in October.    You guessed it!    It’s Halloween.

No fooling,  this is an idolatrous tradition so far away from the truths of the LORD our God  that if we claim to be Christian and yet relish the haunting myths of Halloween,  we are very, very far away from God.    Now, that is a scary thing!

Our Lord teaches us in 1 John 4:16,  “And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us.    God is love,  and the one who abides in love abides in God,  and God abides in him.”

Halloween does not promote the love of God.    It promotes all sorts of fears of evils,  demonic influences,  ghosts,  superstitions,  and witch-crafts.    And what are these?    They are nothings.

Compare any of these things to the almighty powers of our LORD and Creator.    They are absolutely nothing in the realm of God.    Sure,  faithless people fear these things,  even in this modern day and age.    People of the world are afraid of ghosts;  they shiver at superstitions;  and quake at the possible power of witchcraft.

If they knew their God and Savior,  how silly and foolish they would feel.

As we truly know our Lord and Redeemer, we will be ashamed of our sinful tendencies to fear anything but the Lordship of our God.

It’s Satan who wants us to be fearful of powers that have no power in the eternal realm of our Lord and God.

Don’t teach your children to be afraid of the traditions of men.    Rather teach them to fear and love their Savior and Redeemer,  who truly loves them eternally.    Our God has promised to be with us forever.    There is no power in this sinful world that can even begin to match the power of our Lord.    And,  we should be teaching our children this eternal truth.

Why does any Christian teach their children to be fearful of witches,  demons,  ghosts,  and the likes?

I think it’s because they’re afraid of the traditions of the world.    They want to “fit in with the rest of the crowd”.    They’re afraid of what their neighbors,  family,  and friends might say about them.    And,  you know what?    Everybody’s afraid.    We all want to “fit in”.

But….    Who is our very closest Friend?    Who is it that loves us the most?    Who is it that has been faithful to us through all our ups and downs?    Isn’t it our Lord Jesus Christ … our Savior and Redeemer?    Isn’t it Jesus that we should be concerned about “fitting in” with?

Jesus is the One who is in power eternally.    Shouldn’t our children be aware of this?    Do we really want our children to be afraid of “nothings” and then teach our grandchildren to be afraid of “nothings” and on and on through the generations?

Isn’t it time we get a grip and face the truth of Jesus’  lordship over all things?    Why do we, as Christians,  promote what is false and fading away?

Going back to Jesus’ statement in Matthew 15:7-9,  we need to realize that the church from 1500 years, or more, ago,  accepted these traditions of men, only because they wanted more heathens to join the church.    The church leaders were so intent upon adding numbers to their church enrollment,  that they condoned heathen influences,  in order to draw heathens into the church.

Those ungodly decisions have influenced us to this day.    So,  we don’t have to feel alone in our dilemma of dealing with the fears and superstitions we influence our children with.    This sort of stuff has been going on since the beginning of time.

That is why Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12,

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,  but against the rulers,  against the powers,  against the world forces of this darkness,  against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore,  take up the full armor of God,  that you may be able to resist the evil day,  and having done everything,  to stand firm.”

May your “halloween” truly be a hallowed evening,  in which your family praises our Lord for all the freedoms Jesus has given us in His salvation in His cross.

God loves us.    We should never forget that truth.

Love,   Margaret