Eat Up!

“He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find [in this book]; eat this scroll, then go, speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and He fed me the scroll. He said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll that I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.” EZEKIEL 3:1-3 AMP

This has always been an interesting verse in the Bible to me as we can get asked by God to do some strange things! When we are looking for our purpose in life, it is so great that we have the Maker's Instructions. Even if we don't agree God is the Maker it helps to read the Bible and ask God 'if you are real show Yourself to me'. So here Ezekiel is told to eat what he sees and eat this book! A bit of a peculiar meal but in obedience he agreed and had a full meal and it tasted so good. 'So I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.' 

Having just spent the last month doing a 'Joy for Life' study series with a very special friend who has had a very busy life and not spent a lot of time in the Word of God and to see her new excitement and the realisation that God's Word does 'taste as sweet as honey' it has made me realise afresh how vital it is to get stuck in to this amazing meal that God has given us.

No good just giving the Word a glancing contact. Pray for a passion for the Word, get so you don't want to put it down and you can hear God speak directly to you off the pages. 

When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness He knew the Word to use to tell the devil to get lost. If He needed this how much more must we?? 

I realise more and more that we have to eat our own meal, There is no good in a Word that someone has got excited about and told us or preached to us, unless we get revelation knowledge for ourselves, personally. Other people's regurgitated food does not do us as much good as fresh food for ourselves straight from the voice of God. 

We can listen to a podcast or DVD but we have to go away and look up the Bible for ourselves and take that Word into ourselves by meditating over and over on it, like chewing the cud! We can't eat other people's food and think it will be good nutrition for our growth, anymore than we can think that taking on board what people say they have learned from the Word means we know that as well!

So consume the Word daily and your passion will follow your focus. We can be surrounded by all the different Bible versions we can get our hands on, but unless we read it, believe it, apply it and obey it,

God's Word will just stay on the shelf getting stale and mouldy. This can be hard work but so worthwhile especially if you need God's Word to help a friend or win a personal battle. 

It is no good when a burglar comes to the door to go and get into training, NOW is the hour to be prepared! Often it is not helpful to give our opinion but if we can give God's opinion then that can be Godly and life changing.

So sit down and have a fantastic meal, EAT up, it is the best meal ever. Maybe start at John's Gospel and see what Jesus says to you personally.
For help with this go to www.joyforlife.org or http://www.joyforlife.org/index.php/power-up-course-details/ for a free study in John's Gospel.

WITCH (which) GOD WILL YOU SERVE?

 Are you planning a Halloween party this year?

If you have children, you will want to enjoy the fun with them. If you are a teacher or leader, in a children or young people's organisation, the run up to the 31st October can be a hectic time of making costumes and decorations, dressing up and organising parties.

Harmless fun or.....?

A Halloween party may not be the harmless fun it appears to be ... it can invite young inquisitive minds to become interested in witchcraft, pagan religions and occultism.

Very close under the surface of the ordinary Halloween party is the reality of occult power, witchcraft and satanic activity. No responsible adult should be blind to the fact this kind of fun and games can be a subtle introduction to something very nasty, squalid and dangerous.

This may seem heavy condemnation of ‘harmless’ spooky fun, but we rightly condemn anyone who introduces a young person to the ‘fun’ of their first experiment with drugs. We should also condemn those who invite children to be careless about evil powers.

Jesus Christ gave one of His severest warnings to people who willfully or carelessly caused children to be spiritually harmed. “.....It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.” (Mark 9:42). Strong words from the person whose teaching is universally respected.

What is Halloween?

The Medieval Church feast of All Hallow’s Eve’ was kept on the 31st October which had been the Celtic festival of Samhain. Samhain marked the end of summer, laws were re-affirmed and land tenures renewed. It was the Celtic and Anglo-Saxon new year's eve, a festival when bonfires were lit to frighten away evil spirits. Witches, foul fiends and evil powers were thought to be loosed on that night to disturb the natural order of life.

Modern Halloween owes much of its popularity to a custom imported from America. Halloween American style, is a night of mischief. In the 19th Century, boys and young men went on orgies of vandalism. Today the custom is continued as children knock on doors asking for money, sweets or cakes as an inducement not to vandalise. Few, if any of us, will escape this mini threat of ‘trick or treat’ from neighbourhood children.

Fascinating or....?

There is something in each one of us that is fascinated by the unknown area beyond the physical, astrology, ghosts, unexplained happenings, horror films, weird ancient religions, but these are far from harmless. It is through such interests that evil powers charm their way into our minds to confuse and oppress.

But God is a loving Father  who wants only the best for His family. He directly forbids any dealings with evil powers which corrupt and enslave

"......don't let your people practise divination or look for omens or use spells or charms, and don't let them consult the spirits of the dead” Deuteronomy 18:10-12.

God wants us to find our  spiritual happiness through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He offers us nothing less than a sharing in the spiritual power which enabled Jesus Christ to live such an incredibly rich, full and influential life.

Mothers, fathers, leaders of young people, the responsibility rests with all of us. Yes! Let’s have a party, we do not want to be killjoys! But it does not need to have witches and ghosts to be enjoyable. Have a bonfire, a barbecue, music, games..... and make All Hallows Eve something really happy and harmless for all the children and young people.
What about a “Hallelujah Party”? !!! Or a "Light Party"?

“Fill your minds with those things that are good and deserve praise; things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and honourable.” Philippians 4:8.