Halloween: Remove Your Mask

The Nerd O Lantern

2008 Pumpkin Carving Winner

I thought this was a funny picture to post.  It got your attention, didn't it?

No, I am not going to tell you whether or not Halloween is suitable for Christians.  I have heard many reasons why Christians think it's okay for their children to go Trick or Treating...

"We don't let our kids dress up as scary goblins, witches or demons.  They dress up as animals or bible characters."

"We don't celebrate Halloween, per se.  We just let our kids get candy."

"We only let our kids celebrate the "Fall Festival" that our church does as an alternative to Halloween."

My motive isn't to talk about the origin, the meaning behind Halloween or even share bible verses that talks about staying away from such traditions.  That's for a different time.

I want to discuss the masks we wear when we are around other believers and the mask we wear when we are talking to God.

Here is a story I want to share with you from Ron Hutchcraft, "I had to stop at a convenience store one Halloween night. No, not to trick or treat, just to pay for the gas I had just put in my car. That's when I saw this interesting sign they had posted - a sign I had never seen anywhere else before. It simply said, "Please remove your mask before you enter." ... Obviously, they didn't want someone to try to pull off a Halloween heist, wearing a mask that would conceal their identity from the security cameras. I didn't see anyone in the store that night with a mask."

What if there was a sign above the entrance doors of your church that said, "PLEASE REMOVE YOUR MASK BEFORE YOU ENTER."?

When we come to worship God we say we want to experience God's glory.  Well, God wants to see us in all our glory as well. Naked.  Spiritually naked before His throne.  Exposing all our sins, all our faults and confess our issues with Him.  "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."  Hebrews 4:13 (NIV)

You see, God doesn't care about our religion or our religious jargon.  He doesn't want us to pretend we have it all together.  Pretending our life is fine.  He wants to know what's at the heart of the matter.  What's discouraging us- what we are struggling with today- He desires for us share every detail of our lives with Him.

God expects the same when we have conversations with other believers.  1 Corinthians 12:25-26 says God wants us to Weep as one and Celebrate as one.  “So that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”

In God's family, it's OKAY!  It's okay to share you're having a bad day.  It's okay to admit your mistakes.  It's okay to say your marriage is failing.  It's okay to show you don't have it all together.

It's OKAY!  It's Okay to celebrate with one another.  It's okay to be happy about your new car.  It's okay to share you lost 10 pounds.  It's okay to shout "Hallelujah" because God is good!

Come to God with honesty and show everyone the authentic and true YOU!

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How Much Do You Love Me?

Whenever my wife asks our 3 year old son, "Do you love me?" His response is, "Yes!"

My wife will say, "How much do you love me?"

In the mind of a 3 year old who doesn't understand how to measure the width and depth of his love (or maybe he does), will often answer by saying, "Three thousand worlds!"

"How much do you love me - three thousand worlds!" Boy, I don't need to tell you how that makes mommy feel! Her face lights up and she gets the biggest smile on her face every time. The warmth and the love she feels makes all the craziness- all the chaos of life worth while.

I believe when you ask God, "Do you love me?" He will always say, "YES!"

"How much do you love me, God?"

"More than anything in the entire Galaxy!"

I John 4:7-11 (NIV)
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

God chose it. Jesus died for it. We need to share it!

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He Walked Across the Cosmos for You!

Philippians 2:6-8 (NIV)

Talking about Jesus. . .

Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

but made himself nothing,

taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to death—

even death on a cross!

Jesus walked across the cosmos, so to speak, to connect with you - to talk to you - and He's holding out His redemptive hand in order to rescue you out of your worst situations in life. He wants to give you an eternal hope so that you can fellowship together - eternally.

Jesus loves you deeply. He never intended for you to go through life alone. Call out to the One who loves you and He can heal you from all your pains and regrets.

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13 (NIV)

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Forgiveness

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

3 Who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

4 Who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 Who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6 The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:

8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.

9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;

10 He does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.

Psalm 103:1-13 (NIV)


Don't hold on to your past mistakes. Don't fester in your guilt. Let go of your sins and pains... Jesus wants to release all your past mistakes if you are willing to make things right with Him. Re-read this passage and realize Jesus wants to toss your mistakes far, far away. There is freedom for your life!

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Keep Running... Don't Give Up!

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)


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All posts are the sole property of the Heart Like Jesus blog. You must obtain permission to use any of the information on this blog.