With Halloween just past us, I thought it might be helpful to dwell a bit on the mysterious world of the invisible. Business and even entertainment has commercialized the mysterious and the invisible. It is ironic that as the world is becoming more secular and questioning of the invisible, entertainment in the form of horror films, and spooky costumes on Halloween has become more popular. Even though we might dismiss this as harmless, we would do well to be careful to avoid dabbling into witchcraft and horror programs which could have demonic roots.
We may not take all of this very seriously, but remember the devil is looking for someone to devour and could use these harmless events as an entrée into our lives. That is why instead of horror costumes some churches sponsor “All Saints” programs. We should be aware that Halloween is in reality a preparation for the holy day of “All Saints,” November 1st. Halloween means “holy evening”.
Let’s move next into a consideration of the invisible world of the supernatural. It is possible to become aware of the invisible and the supernatural through holy and spiritual means. Prayer brings us into the dimension of the supernatural, and even though faith is deeper than feelings, we can often sense a Divine presence when we raise our minds in prayer. This awareness is not necessarily an emotional feeling, even though often God gets our attention though our good or even distasteful feelings. Faith is an awareness, not necessarily emotional, but an awareness of the presence of God. That is why we often have to collect ourselves and consciously and deliberately “place ourselves in the presence of God” when we get ready to pray.
This brings us into an awareness of sin. Guilt feelings can be good or bad. Good guilt leads us to repentance and eventual joy. When we realize we have done something wrong and sinned and then repent to the Lord, this is good guilt. Bad guilt makes us discouraged and leads to just giving up, instead of trusting the Lord and receiving His forgiveness. We all sin and “fall short,” but God is superior to even the most violent temptations. We should pray for and desire a healthy sense of sin. It is better to see the sin before doing it rather than to repent after the sin has produced that profound sense of guilt.
As we become more aware of the enemy in the form of sin and temptation, we at the same time become more aware of the consoling presence of the triune God who dwells in us and loves us. Inner awareness is a great spiritual gift. Pray for it, and let this contemplative awareness carry you through the challenges and burdens of life.
Let’s move next into a consideration of the invisible world of the supernatural. It is possible to become aware of the invisible and the supernatural through holy and spiritual means. Prayer brings us into the dimension of the supernatural, and even though faith is deeper than feelings, we can often sense a Divine presence when we raise our minds in prayer. This awareness is not necessarily an emotional feeling, even though often God gets our attention though our good or even distasteful feelings. Faith is an awareness, not necessarily emotional, but an awareness of the presence of God. That is why we often have to collect ourselves and consciously and deliberately “place ourselves in the presence of God” when we get ready to pray.
This brings us into an awareness of sin. Guilt feelings can be good or bad. Good guilt leads us to repentance and eventual joy. When we realize we have done something wrong and sinned and then repent to the Lord, this is good guilt. Bad guilt makes us discouraged and leads to just giving up, instead of trusting the Lord and receiving His forgiveness. We all sin and “fall short,” but God is superior to even the most violent temptations. We should pray for and desire a healthy sense of sin. It is better to see the sin before doing it rather than to repent after the sin has produced that profound sense of guilt.
As we become more aware of the enemy in the form of sin and temptation, we at the same time become more aware of the consoling presence of the triune God who dwells in us and loves us. Inner awareness is a great spiritual gift. Pray for it, and let this contemplative awareness carry you through the challenges and burdens of life.