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ANOTHER
KIND OF RELIGION!: - HALLOWEEN
Religious teaching is
banned from most public schools. But every year those schools, and even
some churches, pay homage to the religion of someone other than God.
Copyright 1998 / Leslie A Turvey
laturvey@becon.org
Religion is forbidden in most public schools. Yet every year
religion, disguised as fun, is acceptable by our educational systems.
Halloween is a religion - the religion of Satan the devil. And
school children everywhere participate in pumpkin carving and costume
parties, all as part of the religion of Halloween. But, do the same people
who fought to have religion taken out of the classroom insist Satan's
religion be included in the ban? Dumb question!
Where did Halloween come from? And why is it so popular today?
Halloween is popular with the business world, because it's one of
the annual religious events that fills cash registers with coin. So they
strive to keep it popular with their customers of all ages.
But Halloween's popularity ultimately comes from another domain.
It's the domain of darkness ruled by Satan and his demons. And his
Halloween mischief takes place in the dark of an October night.
Why not during the daytime? Because Satan hates the light: that's
the realm of God and Jesus Christ. Sometime in the ancient past Satan
rebelled against God, and now faces an eternity of darkness away from
God's coming kingdom of light (II
Peter 2:4).
But God, through the apostle Paul, says we are the children of
light, and the children of the day. We are not of the night, nor of
darkness (I
Thessalonians 5:5). And Satan hates that, so in the spirit of
amusement he perpetuates an annual festival to his honor. Unfortunately
many people who attend the worship of Jesus Christ each week, bow to Satan
every October 31st.
It's thought Halloween originated among the Druids who lit fires to
ward off the hosts of evil spirits called forth by Samhain, the lord of
the dead. These evil spirits are portrayed today in the costumes of
children who go door-to-door demanding protection payment in the form of
candy.
The ancient Celts also regarded Halloween as an auspicious time to
examine the portents of the future.
But what does God think of those who play games with the devil and
his demons? He commanded Israel, "You shall not permit a witch to
live (Exodus
22:18)." He impressed this upon them again when he decreed,
"A man or woman that has a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard,
shall surely be put to death: you shall stone them with stones: their
blood shall be upon them (Leviticus
20:27)."
Pretty heavy stuff. Yet year after year - indeed day after day on
television - the wizards and the witches and other demons are resurrected
in the minds of our children, all in the spirit of fun.
Was it fun for Jesus when he was whipped unmercifully until his
skin was ripped from his body? Was it fun for him when huge spikes were
pounded through his hands and feet, and he was left on a stake to die? Is
it fun, today, for Jesus to look down from heaven, to see the same people
he died to save from Satan's evil ways, being fitted with costumes in
honor of Satan, the one who is ultimately blamable for his crucifixion?
Fun is fun only when everyone involved enjoys it. But ask the
motorist whose tires are slashed on Halloween, or the home owner whose
house is egged, or worse, if they enjoyed it. Indeed, ask Jesus Christ, on
your knees in heartfelt prayer, if he enjoys it. If his answer is Yes,
then go
ahead and enjoy Halloween. But, if his answer is No.
You may
contact the Life Lines author at laturvey@becon.org.
CHRISMYTHS
- CHRISTMAS:
Most of what is called
Christmas is myth. Perhaps we should ask why Christians perpetuate it.
Copyright 1996 / Leslie A Turvey
laturvey@becon.org
And I heard him exclaim ere he flew out of sight, "Merry
Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night."
The Night Before Christmas is a delightful tale told during the
mistletoe and holly season. It's a myth, of course. But many people don't
realize most of what is called Christmas is myth.
Christmas is supposed to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Yet
the bible gives substantial evidence he was born, not in the bitterness of
winter, but during the warm autumn days. The traditional date coincides
with the ancient Roman Saturnalia, a time of drunken sexual revelry
dedicated to the god of fecundity, Saturn.
The bible narrative tells of shepherds watching their flocks in the
fields. Since Israel's cold winter rains begin about mid-November, had the
traditional date been correct the sheep would have been in the barns.
It was the tourist season. Thousands of people were in Jerusalem
for a month of fall festivals kept, at that time, by the Jews. Mary and
Joseph may have tried several inns around Bethlehem without success. The
only inn keeper we remember did his best to accommodate them.
Modern creche scenes show both the kings and shepherds at the
stable. But the bible indicates the kings didn't arrive until later, and
describes their visit as being in a house. The festivals were ended, and
the people were returning home. Perhaps a fellow Jew gave Joseph and his
family lodging nearby.
Three gifts - gold, frankincense, and myrrh - led to the myth of
only three kings. All Israel had been watching for the messiah, so twelve
kings, one from each tribe, would be probable.
People have theorized the celebrated star of Bethlehem to be a
super-nova, a never-before-discovered star, a comet. Yet science shows
stars and comets move in prescribed orbits, not in a manner that would
direct anyone to a particular house. Those who put an angel atop their
yule tree are doubtless more correct than those who top it with a star.
The bible often refers to angels as stars.
That a gaily decorated tree is honoring to Christ is another myth.
Jeremiah described it as a pagan god hundreds of years before Jesus
visited the earth (Jeremiah
10:2-5). Secular researchers have shown the beautiful globes that
adorn the tree, holly wreaths, and mistletoe are actually sex symbols from
the past.
How did pagan observances become part of Christian tradition? It
started in the early years of the Romish church when gentile pagans were
being converted. The church didn't have the incandescent displays and
celebrations the converts were used to, so rather than losing their
converts the church adopted their pagan rituals and called them Christian.
But do pagan celebrations and mythology honor Jesus Christ? He
said, "In vain do they worship me (Mark
7:7)." God calls such things abominations. Despite this, church
goers still look forward to the decorated tree in the sanctuary, and adorn
their own at home. Maybe we
should ask why.
You may
contact the Life Lines author at laturvey@becon.org.
A
DAY FOR REJOICING! - PENTECOST
It was June 17, A.D. 31,
and what a day it was! Christians see Pentecost as the birth of the
church. But what does Pentecost really mean? You may be surprised.
Copyright 1999 / Leslie A Turvey
laturvey@becon.org
What a day it was, June 17, A.D. 31.
Jesus had died. His disciples witnessed his crucifixion. They knew
he was resurrected: he spoke with them on several occasions. And they had
watched as he rose in a cloud of angels to heaven.
Now, fifty days after his resurrection, on the first day of the
week, the apostles were part of a group of believers who had gathered in a
large home in Jerusalem.
Perhaps it began as a whisper. But quickly the sound filled the
entire house. It was like a hurricane, but there was no wind. They must
have wondered what was happening.
Then there were the flames. At least they looked like flames. They
landed on each one of the people, yet caused no harm. Not a hair on their
heads was singed.
What next? they must have wondered. They soon found out.
They were all Galileans, but when they spoke their words were heard
as Greek and Cretian and Arabic and Egyptian. Every bystander heard what
was said in his own language. The word spread quickly. Soon a multitude
had gathered, and was amazed to hear the disciples telling of God's
marvelous works. No matter where they were born, they heard the message in
their
mother tongue.
When someone suggested the disciples were drunk, Peter preached the
first sermon of the Christian church, ending with the command,
"Repent, and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus
Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit." The record shows about three thousand people were
baptized that day. What a day for rejoicing.
Today, Sunday May 23, 1999 is the anniversary of that remarkable
Pentecost day. But what is Pentecost? Is it a powerful roaring sound? Or a
flame-like something? Is it speaking in various languages? Or baptizing
thousands of people?
To understand Pentecost, one must first understand God's holy days
beginning with the Passover. They're catalogued in Leviticus
23.
To the Jews Passover looks only back to the exodus. But in God's
grand plan for mankind it also looked forward to the ultimate sacrifice of
Jesus Christ (I
Corinthians 5:7). Immediately following Passover are the days of
unleavened bread, which symbolize sin being put out of our lives (same
verse).
Regardless of the date of Passover, there's always a Sabbath during
the days of unleavened bread. On "the morrow after the Sabbath"
the priest waved a sheaf of the first-cut grain (Leviticus
23:10-11), looking forward to the morrow after the Sabbath when Jesus
Christ would be accepted by his father as the Firstfruits of those who
have died (I
Corinthians 15:20,23).
The Israelites were then to count forward fifty days (Leviticus
23:15-16). On the fiftieth day the priest waved two loaves of leavened
bread (verse
17,20), representative of the two segments of God's coming church: the
Israelites and the gentiles.
Coming forward two millennia, we arrive at that great day for
rejoicing, the Pentecost day when the church of God was born amid
marvelous manifestations of the Holy Spirit.
But all the amazing events of that day still don't answer the
question, What is Pentecost? It comes from the Greek meaning fiftieth:
nothing more.
You may
contact the Life Lines author at laturvey@becon.org.
DON'T
BE IN THE DARK ABOUT HALLOWEEN!:
Darkness carries a sinister
implication with it. And satan wants to keep you in the dark about the
annual festival in his honor.
Copyright 1995 / Leslie A Turvey
laturvey@becon.org
One of the plagues God brought on Egypt was darkness: darkness that
could be felt (Exodus
10:21).
That's hard to comprehend. When we turn off the lights at night we
really can't feel the darkness. We're in control. We have the switch.
Spelunkers may have some comprehension of such darkness, but they
still control their lights.
Visitors to the Mark Twain cave in Hannibal, Missouri, are treated
to darkness that can be felt. The tour guide turns out the lights to give
people an idea of Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher's experience. What makes
the difference is the visitors can't control the lights. That's in the
hands of the guide.
Satan is called the prince of darkness, and not without cause.
Throughout the bible Satan is seen to pervert mankind's idea about what
affects the devil himself.
He refuses to keep God's laws, so tells church-goers they don't
have to keep them either.
He invaded heaven to take over God's throne. His coup failed so
he's duped Christians into believing they can go to heaven.
Satan and his demons are "wandering stars for whom is reserved
the blackness of darkness forever (Jude
13)." Knowing his unappealing fate, Satan makes darkness
appealing to humans.
The darkness of night is the thief's ally. Bar patrons enjoy the
darkened atmosphere: they can't be so easily recognized. Ghost stories
seem spookiest when the camp fire is just a glow of embers, and the dark
of a moonless night surrounds the listeners. Even Santa Claus travels in
the dark. Wonder why.
God's new day begins while it's still light (Leviticus
23:32). Satan's new day begins in the darkness of midnight.
When people don't know something they're said to be in the dark.
"It's a dark day" has sinister connotations. And the excitement
of All Hallows Eve takes place after dark.
Part of the Halloween adventure is the wearing of masks so others
won't know who the wearer is: they're kept in the dark. Halloween parties
are held in dimly lighted rooms: witches in dark clothing gather in dark
corners.
Satan is pictured as a red being with horns and a long tail. While
Satan has convinced many people to use the expression "black as
sin," the bible says, "Though your sins be as scarlet... (Isaiah
1:18)." New testament Christians are very much in the dark
concerning the rest of the
bible: Satan wants it that way.
Sin can be pleasurable (Hebrews
11:25), and Satan has made Halloween a lot of fun. But it still is a
night dedicated to Satan, to sin, and to evil.
Yet knowing this, many churches professing to eschew evil have Halloween
parties. Satan has actually convinced religious people it's OK to worship
him one night a year.
You may
contact the Life Lines author at laturvey@becon.org.
HAPPY
NEW YEAR! - 1999
People
celebrate a night in the dead of winter, named for the two-faced Roman god
Janus. But the bible says God has a different new year.
Copyright 1999 / Leslie A Turvey
laturvey@becon.org
Happy New Year to all my Life Lines readers.
No, I don't have my seasons mixed up. Thursday, March 18, will be
new year's day.
Many nations celebrate the new year on January first. The Chinese
celebrate a different date. The Vietnamese celebrate their new year, the
Jewish have theirs, and other cultures observe their own new year's days.
But March 18 is a special new year's day.
Exodus
12:2 states, "This month shall be unto you the beginning of
months. It shall be the first month of the year to you."
God continued instructing Moses and Aaron that the Israelites were
to set aside a lamb for each household on the tenth day of the first
month, and keep it 'til the fourteenth. On the fourteenth they were to
kill it in the evening.
The story is well known. The lamb's blood was to be sloshed on the
side posts and lintels of the doors of their houses, so when the death
angel went through Egypt he would pass over the homes with the
blood.
If we count back fourteen days from Passover day we arrive, this
year, at March 18, God's new year's day.
But looking forward, on December 31 people will flock to New York's
Times Square, and count down the seconds as a huge crystal ball is lowered
to the base of its tower, heralding the new year and the new century.
There will be cheers and hugs and kisses. Champagne will flow
freely. The streets will be littered with paper streamers and other debris
left by the merry makers. And, for a few hours, the Y2K bug will be
forgotten as people celebrate what? a night in the dead of winter named
for the two-faced Roman god Janus.
Yet no one celebrates God's new year. Why?
A search of the scriptures instructs us to observe the Sabbath, the
Passover and days of unleavened bread, the feast of Firstfruits or
Pentecost, to celebrate the day of atonement, and the feast of
tabernacles. But nowhere is there instruction to celebrate or observe the
first day of God's year.
But God does give instructions about celebrating January first.
Surprised?
Most Christians have a fair idea of the ten commandments: there's
something about not killing people, or stealing from them, and we're not
to commit adultery. And there's something about having no other gods.
Oh yeah. That's the first one, isn't it? And God spoke all these
words, saying, "You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not
make unto you any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in
heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water
under the
earth. You shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them (Exodus
20:1,3-5)."
We could go into the symbolism of the ball being the egg from which
the new year is born, and the tower on which it stands as being a phallic
symbol, but we won't.
But we can't ignore the fact that the new year's celebration is not
devoted to the eternal, almighty, creator God, but to the Roman god of
beginnings, the god more people serve in one night than generally attend
church throughout the entire year.
So I wish you happy new year now, because at midnight December 31
I'll be sound asleep in my bed, while revelers pay homage to a pagan Roman
god, rather than to the one God who deserves our undivided service and
devotion.
You may
contact the Life Lines author at laturvey@becon.org. |
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Groundhogs,
Witches and Prosperity: Ground Hog Day
February 2nd is always a
bit of fun when the groundhog peeks out to predict how long winter will
last. But what does God think of fortune tellers and horoscopes?
Copyright 1999 / Leslie A Turvey
laturvey@becon.org
Punxutawny Phil. Wiarton Willie, or Pierre du Plaisance. Whatever
you call him, the pudgy prognosticator of frosty precipitation will soon
venture from his den to look for his shadow. If he sees it we'll have six
more weeks of winter.
What does God think of this? I imagine he doesn't give it a
thought. Count back six weeks from the first day of spring and you arrive
at February 2nd. So whether the groundhog sees his shadow or not, there's
still six weeks of winter.
But God is concerned with forecasting. In giving his laws to
Israel, and thus to the world, God said, "A man or woman who has a
familiar spirit, or is a wizard, shall be put to death (Leviticus
20:27)."
The commandment is repeated in Deuteronomy
18:10-12, "There shall not be found among you anyone who performs
infant sacrifices, or who uses divination, or is an observer of times, or
an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar
spirits, or a wizard, or a
necromancer. For all who do these things are an abomination to the
Lord."
What's so bad about fortune tellers? Ask my friend who visited a
side-show gypsy and was told a tragedy would soon enter her life. Two
weeks later her son drowned in a swimming accident.
Circumstance? Chance? Could be. But there are people who can
predict future events.
One group can rightly predict the loss of large sums of money.
They're the telephone psychics. Once they've got you hooked you'll spend a
lot of money on 1-900 calls to determine if you should marry the guy,
whether you should take a Caribbean cruise, or whether you'll be
successful in business.
If they're fakes, they should be refused access to the telephone
system - except the phone companies make good money from 900 calls. If
they're not, God says they're to be put to death.
When Israel looked to God for guidance they prospered. But when
they looked to the gods and necromancers of the nations about them, they
found themselves in deep trouble.
When the Philistines gathered for war against Israel, King Saul
asked God what he should do. God didn't answer, at least not immediately.
Saul found a witch at Endor who brought up a demon masquerading as
Samuel. (I
Samuel 28:5,11).
Through the demon God told Saul, "The Lord has taken the
kingdom of Israel from you and given it to David. Tomorrow, because you
didn't obey God, you and your sons will die (1
Samuel 28:17-19)." Pretty stiff punishment.
God likely laughs at the groundhog's predictions. But he is
concerned when his people look to astrologers and the like for guidance.
Why?
King David answers, "Obey the Lord your God. Walk in his ways
and keep his statutes, his commandments, his judgments, and his
testimonies...that you may prosper (I
Kings 2:3)."
You may
contact the Life Lines author at laturvey@becon.org.
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Hark,
The DREADFUL Angels Sing!:
Have you seen an angel?
Would you really want to? Remember, the shepherds were terrified at seeing
one.
Copyright 1995 / Leslie A Turvey
laturvey@becon.org
When people do something nice we often call them angels.
A little girl, especially if she's got blond hair, is a precious
little angel.
In December Hark, the Herald Angels Sing is sung in churches
throughout Christendom. And mannequins with wings decorate the malls.
But have you ever met an angel? Would you know one if it knocked on
your door? Are you sure you'd even want to meet one?
Dale Evans wrote a book when her daughter died. The title Angel
Unaware comes from the bible admonition, "Be not forgetful to
entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares (Hebrews
13:2)."
Angels appear throughout the bible. Abraham entertained angels
which looked like men. They talked with him, and they ate a meal together
(Genesis
18:1-19).
An angel appeared to Elijah, and prepared food and drink for him (I
Kings 19:5-7).
The most famous angel, perhaps, is the one which told Mary she
would conceive while she was yet a virgin. Or perhaps the two who greeted
the women at Christ's tomb.
These all seem like the kind of angels you might like to meet.
But most of the angels in the bible would make your hair stand on
end!
The first angels mentioned in the bible were cherubim, not the
soft-skinned, bare-bottomed cherubs pictured on valentine cards, but
powerful angels sent to stop anyone from returning to the tree of life (Genesis
3:24).
An angel appeared to Balaam, but that wasn't a harp in his hand:
the angel had a sword (Numbers
22:22-31).
The angels that appeared to Ezekiel were not like the ones on
Christmas cards. They had human-like bodies, but each one had four faces
and four wings. One was a human-like face: the others were faces like
lions, oxen, and eagles. These angels had calf-like feet that shone like
polished brass (Ezekiel
1:5-10).
Ezekiel says they had eyes on their bodies, their backs, in their
hands, and in their wings (Ezekiel
10:12).
Daniel saw an angel whose body was transparent as glass, whose face
was a bright as lightning, and whose voice sounded like thousands of
people all shouting at once. Daniel went weak in the knees at the sight of
it (Daniel
10:5-8).
And when a hand wrote on the wall, King Belshazzar's bladder
let loose (Daniel
5:5-6). There's no reason to doubt he saw an angel's hand.
When the shepherds saw the angel that announced Jesus' birth, we're
told they were sore afraid -- terrified!
This angel was obviously not a gentle looking female with wings.
Perhaps it was one of the four-faced, eye-covered angels Ezekiel saw.
Have you ever seen an angel? Would you want to meet one? Don't be
too sure.
You may
contact the Life Lines author at laturvey@becon.org.
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PUT
CHRIST INTO XMAS, MAYBE NOT!:
Christmas: a time of good
cheer. But will you share your good cheer with the man at your door?
Copyright 1994 / Leslie A Turvey
laturvey@becon.org
Xmas. Tinsel and lights and carols and holly. A time of cheer and
good will and friends coming to visit. There's a special glow in the air,
and sparks in the fire-place as another log is added to warm the room.
Xmas is a time for singing songs, drinking too much, having a
creche on the mantle. And of course there's snow and Santa Claus and
gifts.
Over the years Jesus Christ, who is said to be the reason for the
season, has been almost lost amid the celebrations. Several years ago this
prompted a popular message, Let's put Christ back into Xmas. But would you
want to?
If we put Christ back into Xmas, the first thing we'd have to do is
consider where our Xmas ideas come from. It takes little reading to
discover the non-Christian background to nearly everything connected with
the Xmas season. Would you want to get rid of the tree in the living room,
the wreath on the door, and the mistletoe?
But there's another thought. If we put Christ back into Xmas we
might be called upon to feed the poor.
"We've already done that," you say. "Just last week
we donated some soup to the food bank."
But what about personally feeding the poor?
Picture this: Your family and guests have just settled down to a
sumptuous Xmas dinner. Grandfather has asked God's blessing on the meal,
and since it's blustery and cold outside he remembered to give thanks for
the warmth of the home.
The turkey's being passed. The aroma of gravy fills the air as it's
poured over mounds of mashed potatoes. A serving dish of winter squash and
a bowl of deep-red cranberries adds color to the table, and enjoyment to
the meal. Mincemeat pie topped with whipped cream waits on the side-board.
There's a knock at the back door. Thinking it's the neighbors with
the gift they always bring at Xmas, you answer it.
But it's not the neighbors. It's a sad-looking man wrapped in a
shabby old coat, and wearing worn-out shoes. There's holes in his gloves
that don't match. And his dilapidated hat does nothing to protect his
ears, crimson with the cold.
"Please, ma'am," he says, "could you open this can
of soup I got at the food bank? And is there a place I could get out of
the wind to eat it? Maybe behind your garage?"
An Xmas carol plays softly in the background. Come rest ye merry
gentlemen, let nothing you dismay. Remember Christ our saviour Then comes
the chorus, O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy! O tidings of
comfort and joy!
Inside there's comfort and joy and lots to eat. Standing in the
cold is an unfortunate scrap of humanity holding a can of soup.
Put Christ into Xmas? Do you really want to?
You may
contact the Life Lines author at laturvey@becon.org.
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SPECIAL TO GOD: -
SEPTEMBER
God doesn't keep track of
days and months like we do. But when he looks at mankind's calendar, the
autumn has special significance to him.
Copyright 1999 / Leslie A Turvey
laturvey@becon.org
This month is special to God.
Not that September '99 has special significance. God doesn't keep
track of days and times like we do. This month is special because his fall
holy days take place, this year, during September, and the first two days
of October.
Centuries ago God catalogued his holy days for us. Most people
think of them as Jewish holidays, and references in the new testament seem
to verify their belief. But Leviticus 23:2 states, "Concerning the
feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even
these are my feasts."
By Jesus' time only the Jews were observing God's holy days. Hence
the mistaken identity. But God said, "...these are my feasts."
Even if everyone stopped observing the holy days, they are still God's
days, not yours, not mine, not the Jews'.
The first day God catalogued is his weekly Sabbath. Leviticus 23:3
says,
"Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of
rest,
an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the Sabbath of the
Lord in all your dwellings." The seventh day Sabbath belongs to God,
and
Jesus said it was made for you and me (Mark
2:27).
The next holy days catalogued are the Passover (with its attendant
days
of unleavened bread) and Pentecost (Leviticus
23:5-8; 15-21). These are
the spring holy days which, as the text shows, are based around the spring
harvest in Israel.
In the autumn is the festival of trumpets (Leviticus
23:23-25), the
day
of atonement (vss 26-32), the feast of tabernacles, and the last great day
(vss 33-39).
Christians say these are old testament days, and have no relevance
today. But four times God says, "...it shall be a statute for
ever...(vss
14, 21, 31, 41)," not just until Jesus came.
God's holy days show his plan of salvation for all mankind,
beginning
before the genesis account, and continuing to a time even beyond the 21st
century.
In Egypt the blood of the Passover lamb gave salvation to the
Israelites. The blood of our Passover lamb, Jesus Christ, was given for
salvation of the entire world from their sins.
Pentecost shows the birth of the Christian church, and the awesome
experience of the general administering of God's holy spirit to man.
The feast of trumpets is shown, from the bible, as the most likely
date
of Jesus' birth. It will also be the probable time for the return of Jesus
Christ as King of kings, amid the majestic fanfare of angelic trumpets.
Atonement pictures Satan no longer able to influence mankind, and
man,
at last, being at one with God. And the feast of tabernacles pictures the
establishment of God's glorious kingdom, beginning at Jerusalem and
spreading throughout the universe.
The last great day (John
7:37) shows the resurrection of the
billions
who have lived since Adam and Eve, being taught God's truth for the first
time, and being given an opportunity to become a member of the great
growing family of God.
God made his holy days special. Why do so many Christians reject
them?
You may
contact the Life Lines author at laturvey@becon.org.
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A
STRUGGLE IN THE SNOW:
God used an old lady's
struggle through the snow, to bring home a lesson to the author.
Copyright 1999 / Leslie A Turvey
laturvey@becon.org
I saw Jesus struggling through the snow, and never stopped to help
him.
Not literally, of course. But the bible says I'm guilty.
It was an old woman I saw, and although the snow only an inch deep,
it was enough to make the going difficult as she dragged her cart full of
groceries toward home. She could use a ride, I thought, as I passed her in
my car.
We are not rational people, but rationalizing people. As I drove by
I rationalized, It's not a very safe place to stop. Then I thought, She
doesn't know me, so wouldn't likely accept a ride anyway. As the distance
between us increased my rationalizing mind said, If I go back she'll
likely be almost home. Then, of course, I've got important things to do,
and I'm already behind time. So on I drove.
I was through with the old woman, but God wasn't through with me.
He reminded me of the good Samaritan story. You know it well: a man was
mugged on the Jericho road, and left half dead.
A priest came by, took a look, then continued his journey on the
other side of the road. Then a Levite looked on the man, and went on his
way.
I can hear the priest rationalizing, He's not from my synagogue.
Besides, it's getting close to Sabbath, and I've got to get home before
the sun sets.
Then the Levite: Poor devil. He's so far gone that anything I do
won't help. He'll die anyway.
Yeah. God made sure I recognized myself in the priest and Levite.
But God still wasn't finished with me. Oh, no. He had another
lesson for me. It's found in Matthew
25, beginning at verse 35. Jesus related a parable of a King saying,
"I was hungry, and you gave me meat. I was thirsty, and you gave me
drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in. Naked, and you clothed me. I
was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me."
The righteous people in the parable asked when they had done these
things, and the King answered, "Inasmuch as you have done it to one
of the least of these my brethren, you have done it to me."
I would prefer the parable to end there, but it doesn't. The King
said to the unrighteous people, "I was hungry and you gave me nothing
to eat. I was thirsty and you didn't give me anything to drink. I was a
stranger and you left me out in the cold. I was naked, and you didn't even
give me an old coat to wear. I was sick, and even imprisoned, and you
didn't care enough to visit me."
Then the unrighteous people asked when they didn't do these things.
And the King answered, "Inasmuch as you didn't do it to one of the
least of these, you did it not to me."
I was able to rationalize away the old woman's predicament. But I
could not rationalize away the fact she was one of the people I didn't
help. And in not helping her, there was no rationalizing that I did not
stop to help Jesus Christ struggling through the snow.
You may
contact the Life Lines author at laturvey@becon.org.
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NIGHTMARE
ON HALLOWEEN STREET:
It's just a lot of harmless
fun. Oh? You'll think otherwise when it's your son or daughter who doesn't
come home from trick-or-treating.
Copyright 2000 / Leslie A Turvey
laturvey@becon.org
"If your failure rate is only one in a million, what do you
tell that one customer?" This advertisement from the '60s has a
modern-day application. If your child is the only one abducted in Ourtown
today, what do we tell you?
What if your child was abducted and abused in an orgy of sex and
bloodletting by men and women whose only identification is a hideous mask?
Would it make you feel any better that it was done in the spirit of
halloween?
Children are abducted every day. Few are recovered alive. But the
number of abductions and murders increases with each day closer to
halloween. And on that night razor blades are slipped into apples and
candy bars, poisons and drugs are injected into wrapped candies, and
parents everywhere say, "It won't happen in Ourtown." Their
denial turns to horror when the
morning paper shows pictures of a young child who never returned home from
trick-or-treating.
"Halloween is harmless," you may say. "It's just a
lot of fun for the kids. Besides, our teenage daughter takes them
door-to-door so we know they're safe." But are they?
Maybe this year. Maybe even next. But soon they'll want to go on
their own, so you give them instructions about where to go, and what not
to accept from the neighbors. Then somewhere, in a darkened area, a car
pulls up and your child is scooped up by a man? a woman? wearing a hideous
mask. Halloween suddenly is not a lot of fun for the kids.
When I was a kid halloween seemed like fun. Teenagers would
overturn a farmer's outhouse, store windows would be soaped, and a bonfire
might be lit in the main intersection of town. But even then the seeds of
violence were being sown, as older kids would run by and rip off a kid's
candy collection.
One year I volunteered to obtain the cider for our church's
halloween party. At the mill I bought four gallons of fresh-pressed juice,
and mixed it with a gallon from a barrel in another room. For a bunch of
unsuspecting teetotaller Baptists, the cider went awful fast.
But was it just a harmless prank? Or might I have started a young
person on the road to alcoholism? Our actions today can have serious
consequences tomorrow.
Where did halloween come from? Why, on one night of the year, do
parents dress up their little ones as ghosts and ghouls and skeletons?
Fifty years ago we had little idea of the background of this night of the
living dead. But more recently the media has made it possible for us to
know.
Family magazines will tell of the Druidic rites of England, and the
Beltane fires of Ireland and Scotland. They'll tell you how to decorate
for an authentic Celtic halloween party. But they won't tell you the
author of all this is the most evil being of all time -- Satan.
Now it might not be chic, or cool, to believe in the devil, but he
does exist. And he wants you to believe halloween is just a lot of
harmless fun. Why? You might not think of it this way, but halloween is a
night of worship of the arch-enemy of all mankind.
Most families would refuse to set a night aside to honor Adolph
Hitler or Charles Manson or David Koresh. Yet they think nothing, one
night each year, of honoring the devil who inspired these men and their
evil lives. And that same night gives praise to the devil who inspires
abductions and orgies and murders.
We need to stop this satanic holiday from perpetuation by our
future generations. You will agree when the police ask you to identify the
body of your son or daughter who was raped and murdered in an occult
ritual in your Nightmare On Halloween Street.
You may
contact the Life Lines author at laturvey@becon.org.
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NOT
KEEP CHRISTMAS! UNTHINKABLE!
God
has a plan for all humanity, and it includes something far better than the
traditional holidays celebrated today.
Copyright 1994 / Leslie A Turvey
laturvey@becon.org
Not keep Christmas? Not observe it as Christ's birthday? Some
people don't, and they call themselves Christians.
They see Christmas and other such events as being rooted in
paganism, so shun observance of the festival that fill cash registers with
coin, and church pews with people a couple times a year.
But is non-observance enough? No, they say. They see the entire
bible as God's word, and observe other days.
Sunday Christians see the old days as having been nailed to Jesus'
cross. But those who observe the old testament days note Christ and his
disciples observed them throughout their lifetime. Ecclesiastical history
shows Christians kept them well beyond the first century.
A veil is drawn across early church history. When it re-opens
Christianity has realigned itself with the ancient rituals of paganism: a
tree is decorated during the Roman Saturnalia; a day named for Ishtar, the
Babylonian sex goddess, replaces Passover; and the day of the sun has
replaced the Sabbath day.
Why do these odd groups observe the Jewish festivals? They don't,
they say. God calls them his holy days.
These small Christian groups see a plan God has for all humanity,
beginning before the genesis account, and continuing to a time beyond the
20th century. God's holy days, they claim, show parts of his plan.
The Passover looked forward to Jesus' sacrifice to redeem humans
from their sins.
Pentecost looked to the birth of the Christian church, and the
awesome experience of being empowered by God's holy spirit.
The festival of trumpets looks to the time when Christ will return
to earth as King of kings amid the majestic fanfare of angelic trumpets.
Atonement pictures Satan being no longer able to influence mankind,
and man, at last, being at one with God.
The feast of tabernacles pictures the establishment of God's
glorious kingdom, beginning at Jerusalem and spreading throughout the
universe, fulfilling Isaiah's
prophecy read every Christmas: "Unto us a child is born, unto us
a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his
name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the
everlasting Father, the Price of Peace. Of the increase of his government
and peace there shall be no end."
The last great day shows the resurrection of the billions who have
lived since Adam and Eve. For the first time, say the non-traditionalists,
they will be taught the truth. Nearly everyone will eventually be given a
spirit-composed body, and thus become a member of the great growing family
of God.
If this is true, why are God's holy days being kept just now in the
20th century?
This is a mistaken premise say the holy-day keepers. Christians
throughout Europe and the Americas have observed them for centuries.
But the revelry and glitter of the pagan observances was more
enticing to the converts who wanted to continue celebrations kept for
thousands of years before the birth of the son of God.
You may
contact the Life Lines author at laturvey@becon.org.
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THOSE
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS:
How
long will your New Year's resolutions survive? Learn from a toddler how to
turn your resolve into reality.
Copyright 1995 / Leslie A Turvey
laturvey@becon.org
New Year's Eve. Horns 'n hats 'n champagne. It's party time!
Time to ring the old year out and the new year in, to sing Auld
Lang Syne, and to kiss your neighbor's wife (something you've secretly
wanted to do all year).
Time to make resolutions for the coming month. They're supposed to
be for the coming year, but few make it past the first thirty days.
Yes, 1996 is the year you're going to take off those excess inches.
You'll stop smoking, and you're going to pay more attention to the kids.
But resolutions are fragile.
An old axiom says the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Maybe New Year's resolutions should be called New Year's intentions.
A simple way to turn those intentions into resolutions is to write
them down. There's something about committing anything to paper that makes
it substantial. Perhaps the combination of thinking and writing makes it
more tangible. But a resolution that's simply verbalized is gone with the
wind.
Put your resolution where you can see it. Having it stuck to the
bathroom mirror so it's there every morning as you shave, etches it into
your mind.
But are New Year's resolutions really necessary, especially when
the dust under the bed will be around longer than the resolutions?
Maybe we should think of New Day's resolutions instead. A year
seems a long time for a commitment. But twenty-four hours, that's not
nearly so long.
Instead of three cigarettes an hour, can you cut down to two, just
for today?
Can you do with only one drink at dinner, instead of joining the
second-martini-for-lunch-bunch?
And if today, can you do it again tomorrow? Certainly.
And if you blow it? No problem. Review your New Day's resolution
and start over. You may even have to work on a New Hour's resolution.
A toddler doesn't quit when he falls down. His desire to walk is
greater than his desire to sit, so he starts again. A toddler's
determination may be based on a New Minute's resolution.
But whether it's a New Year's resolution, or a New Hour's
resolution, write it in heavy black letters and post it where you can see
it. "For this day only, I will ."
As you work on it hour-by-hour, day-by-day, your resolution will
soon become part of your life.
What's next? Another resolution, of course.
You may
contact the Life Lines author at laturvey@becon.org.
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WHEN
IS YOUR BIRTHDAY?: - CHRISTMAS
It's your special day, and
your friends are throwing a party. But you're not invited.
Copyright 1999 / Leslie A Turvey
laturvey@becon.org
It's your birthday. Well not really. Your birthday was a couple
months ago, but your friends ignored it then, and have decided to
celebrate it this month.
They're throwing a great party, but you're not invited. They'll
talk about you a bit, but the party is really more important. And instead
of giving gifts to you, they're giving gifts to each other; even bought
some for themselves. How do you feel?
What if your name is Jesus?
Isn't that what millions of Christians do every year? They know
from the newspapers, and from the pulpit, that Jesus wasn't born anywhere
near December 25, but they continue to observe that date in
celebration.
It's a great mid-winter party, and a bit of the conversation is
about the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay. When the offering plate is
passed, conscience dictates there should be something more than what is
given week-by-week. But compared to the money spent on gifts, not for
Jesus but for each other, the added money in the plate is a pittance.
When was Jesus' birthday? Have you asked your minister or priest?
Or are you even interested in knowing?
Let me guess at the answers you'll hear if you have the temerity to
question your church's spiritual leader. You'll be told: "We don't
really know when he was born;" "The bible doesn't give us any
indication of the date;" "It really doesn't matter, as long as
we observe it."
If you ask why you observe December 25, the answer will undoubtedly
be, "It's traditional."
Pam Clark wrote, "Any time you are seeking God for a new
thing, the old order in your life will stand up for its authority.
Tradition will shout loudly, 'This is the way we have always done it! This
is the way that is right!'"
Tradition shouts loudly every year, generally beginning about the
actual time of Jesus' birth. It blares its message from loudspeakers in
the malls, from houses decked out with lights and candles and santas and
reindeer, and from the Cyclops in your living room. Jesus is traditionally
a cheap plaster doll in a creche on the mantle.
So, if Jesus was not born in the winter, when was he born? Is there
a way to know? And does it matter?
There is a way to know the approximate date of Jesus' birth, and it
comes from the bible. It also relates to the time of his eventual return
as King of kings and Lord of lords.
The exact time of Jesus' birth will likely remain a mystery so it
won't become a time of celebration and festivities. It's amazing how the
real meaning of important events can become lost amid the hoopla that
surrounds them.
But even if your December 25 has more of Jesus in it, and less of
Santa Claus, you still must consider, If Jesus wasn't born on that day,
why should you celebrate it then? This question becomes even more
important when you can learn from the holy scriptures, that Jesus was born
during the warm days of autumn, likely on the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus
23:23-25).
While you're asking these questions of your pastor, be sure to ask
him what the words "of the course of Abia" mean in Luke
1:5, and how they relate to Jesus' birth. If he doesn't know, your
congregation may well wonder why they hired him. If he does know, they
have the right to ask why he doesn't reveal it. He reads the words every
December.
For those who learn the meaning, those five words have the power to
change your life forever.
When did you say your birthday is? I think you'd better tell your
friends.
You may
contact the Life Lines author at laturvey@becon.org.
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YOU
CAN'T GIVE UP ENOUGH FOR LENT:
Is
giving up beer or chocolates for a few days a fitting way to remember
Jesus Christ's sacrifice for us?
Copyright 1998 / Leslie A Turvey
laturvey@becon.org
What did you give up for Lent? Absolutely nothing!
If giving up something reflects Jesus Christ's sacrifice to us,
then giving up chocolates, beer, or whatever, is a poor substitute - a
slap in his face.
Consider this. You're trapped in a burning building and your best
friend plunges through the flames to rescue you. Next day he dies of burns
sustained so you could live.
On the anniversary of his death you say, "I won't eat any
roast beef today to reflect on John's sacrifice for me." Some
reflection!
Through the year you'd more likely work toward having a street
dedicated as an on-going memorial.
Yet even that can't really express your thanks to John for his
sacrifice.
There's more to Jesus Christ's sacrifice than merely his human
life. If that's all he gave up he's no better than the lads who died at
war so you and I can live in peace. He's no better than John who died to
save your life.
And anything you or I might give up for Lent is no more meaningful
than a day without roast beef.
Whatever we may imagine heaven to be, is nothing compared to what
Jesus Christ's home is really like.
If we imagine streets paved with gold, and buildings studded with
magnificent precious stones, that's just the beginning.
Christ has tens of thousands of angels to cater to his every wish.
Music? The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is just one voice in the chorus
that sings for Jesus.
Artwork? Michelangelo and da Vinci were amateurs compared to the
one who designed the heavens and the earth.
We can't imagine what Christ's home is like (I
Corinthians 2:9). Yet he gave it all up - not just his life - so we
might live eternally in his kingdom.
But his sacrifice was even more than that.
While Jesus was human if he had sinned just once - just one
fleeting sinful thought - he could not have been our savior. Nor could he
have re-entered heaven with all that waited for him there.
Jesus must look on his crucifixion as graduation, much like a
doctor looks on his graduation after sacrificing time and energy and money
to claim the title bestowed by the college. Christ's title, however, is
savior of all mankind.
The medical student could have disqualified himself from becoming a
doctor by failing one crucial exam. And Christ could have disqualified
himself from becoming our saviour by sinning just once.
If giving up roast beef for a day is a poor reflection on John's
sacrifice, then what can we give up for a few days of Lent as a fitting
memorial of Jesus Christ's life-long sacrifice?
What Christ looks for is a lifetime of overcoming sin. We may have
to work on one fault 'til we have purged it from our mind. Then another,
and another, and another.
Give up chocolates or beer for Lent? We must present ourselves
every day as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God (Romans
12:1).
You may
contact the Life Lines author at laturvey@becon.org.
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