I wonder how the Psalmist organized his prayers and songs.  Since David wrote at least 73 of the Psalms, how do you think he kept it all nice and neat?   If he had an iPhone, he probably would have used the new app. called, “My Prayer List”.    “My Prayer Lists” helps to organize your prayers into lists and pray for them on certain days or certain times of the day. Forget about trying to remember who or what you wanted to pray for or trying to remember where you left the prayer request slips.

Here’s a demonstration how it works:

This little application will let you organize your prayers into groups, it’ll email your prayers to your friends to remind them of important needs in both your life and others and even has password protection.  Not bad for only $2.99 (until the next update – so if you want it, get it now).

So what do you use to organize your prayer list? Paper? A computer program? Memory? Let us know what system works best for you.

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What do you think about Halloween?  Is it OK for Christians to participate in “trick-or-treating”?

I’ve discovered that a lot of Christians think that it is OK to participate in Halloween festivities.  These people believe that there’s nothing wrong with it.  They say it’s completely acceptable to involve oneself in any or all Halloween activities, besides, we should “become all things to all men so that by all possible means” we might save some (1 Cor. 9:22).

Yet there are many Christians who do not believe it’s acceptable to participate in Halloween.  Those who argue against taking part in Halloween say that it is not a good thing and that Christians should “avoid every appearance of evil” (I Thess. 5:22).

What do you believe?

I believe that most people don’t know much about Halloween. Most people do not know its history, whether it’s good or evil, or whether or not to participate in Halloween.  What about you?  Do you know why you are in favor or against participating in Halloween?

Growing up as a child I remember the fun I had dressing up as Satan himself  (I’ll post the picture in a couple of days right here)  with my brothers and sister and going out trick-or-treating.  We had a blast!   Today, I’m a licensed minister.  I think I turned out alright.   So what’s the big deal?  Am I just lucky not to have been sucked into the dark world of evil and demonic activity?

If you ask me today, would I dress up any of my children as a devil for Halloween?  The answer is a definite NEVER!  I’ve often wondered, what were my parents thinking?

I recently read two good arguments for participating in Halloween. The first is that historically, “festivities on “All Hallows Eve” were the Christian’s way of laughing at death and evil, something that can be done in certain hope of Christ’s victory over the powers of darkness.  The Church for centuries, however, has seen All Hallows Eve not as a glorification of evil, but as a chance to affirm eternal life in the face of the death of our mortal bodies. Just as Easter is a celebration of Jesus’ victory over death and evil, so is Halloween!”

The second reason in favor of participating in Halloween is that “besides serving as the only time many people bother to go up to their neighbors’ houses and actually interact with them, it holds deeper meaning.  It is not about being afraid, believe it or not. It is rather about laughing in the face of fear and the things we fear: darkness, death, superstition, and monsters of every kind.  It’s about mocking the god of fear while meeting our neighbors face-to-face.”

Although both reasons above sound good to me, not everyone agrees.  The arguments go back and forth and have been for years. Here’s a short list of pro’s and con’s on this ongoing dialogue.

Below are several articles that present reasons why Christians SHOULD NOT participate in Halloween.

1. Why NOT TO participate in Halloween.
2. Don’t Sup with the Devil
3. It’s wrong but use Halloween to evangelize.
4. Ten Reasons Christians Should Not Celebrate Halloween

Below are several articles that present reasons why IT’S OK for Christians to participate in Halloween.

1. Halloween as an opportunity to win people to Christ.
2. Christian Halloween
3. Halloween Alternatives.
4. Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?
5. 7 Great Ideas for Halloween

Here’s the best answer I have found, so far, as to whether or not a Christian should participate in Halloween.

Is there a right answer to the question as to whether or not a believer in Jesus Christ should participate in Halloween?  If there is, I think I found it right here. In a nutshell, the article says that since the debate about Halloween has been an ongoing question, it falls under the category of “Romans 14″, a disputable matter.

The article goes on to say that participating in Halloween should be a personal conviction.  If a person does not agree with it, he/she should not judge someone else who does.  Finally, the article concludes by saying that maybe there is no real right or wrong answer to this question.

I believe Christians can and should use the occasion of Halloween to be a light to the world, (why not, we live here).  Whether you’re doing a “trunk of treats”, a Halloween skating party or a drama depicting the power of Christ over evil, teach people about the supreme power of Christ over darkness, (1 John 3:8).  Let people know that Christ can take away all fear (1 John 4:18).  Tell people that if and when they walk through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4) they do not have to fear evil when Jesus is Lord of their lives, just lean toward the Light,  (John 3:16).  Tell people that God loves them, and that He can make a difference in their lives. (Matt 4:17).  Tell people they do not have to fear but that they too can be safe and secure in the hands of a living God.

So I ask again, what do you believe about Halloween?  How does your church respond on this day?  Has this post changed your view?  Agree? Disagree? Agree to Disagree?  I welcome all feedback, the good, the bad and the ugly.

B.T.W. I haven’t even started to address the issue of believers who enjoy watching gory, scary and horror films.   Is it wrong or just “entertainment”.   Isn’t it probably worse than participating in Halloween? (which is only one night a year for just a few hours)

Should a Christian not watch horror movies, like, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Blair Witch Project, The Exorcist, Saw 6 and Paranormal Activities?    What about you?   Don’t you like a good horror flick every now and then?  If a Christian does not participate in Halloween but does habitually watch horror films, is that OK? Talk to me.

As you are probably thinking this conversation can lead us to ask many other questions about the life of a believer in Jesus Christ.  I’m thinking about the basic characteristics of a Christian; living in holiness & righteousness, being a light to the world, being honest, honoring God on a daily basis, being careful to the things you listen to, people you hang around with, being faithful to church, not living a life of sin, etc.  This all started with one simple question, “what do you think about Halloween?”

Maybe the title of this post should not be, “The Theology of Halloween”, perhaps a more appropriate tile would be, “The Theology of a Christian”.  If so, maybe, just maybe, I am asking the wrong question.

.

P.S.  I welcome all comments and corrections about my grammar errors and typo’s.

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]]> http://theolotech.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/the-theology-of-halloween/feed/ 1 NickG Christian Halloween? Is Halloween OK? Halloween happy halloween Saw 1 ok Get Healthy http://theolotech.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/the-theology-of-halloween/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/theolotech/~3/_dpbl-fufig/ http://theolotech.wordpress.com/2009/10/25/its-all-about-god/#comments Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:32:34 +0000 theolotech http://theolotech.wordpress.com/?p=1688 ]]>

I found a great resource that I think you may find very interesting.   It’s called, AllAboutGod.com.  All about God writes compelling websites that reach out to skeptics, seekers, believers, and a hurting world with powerful evidence for God and the Good News of Jesus.  Visit:  http://www.allaboutgod.com

All About God.com

All about God is also great site to visit for personal study and to learn about other issues like: Archaeology, parenting, evangelism and worldviews.  All about God provides a whole bunch of topics to learn about and share.  Here’s a list of their main topics.

http://www.allaboutgod.com

All about God also has created a creative way to reach people wherever you go using Mission Possible Cards.  (It’s an evangelistic business card)  They are designed with your ministry info. on one side and an invitation to visit the AllAboutGod.com web site on the other side of the card.

AllaboutGod.com is also on twitter.  Visit: http://twitter.com/allaboutgod They have pretty interesting tweets.

Related posts:

1. “Dad, I’m not sure I believe in God anymore”
2. Answering Atheists.
3. Biblical Answers to Life’s Questions.
   

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Here lies an opportunity to hear from two excellent theologians (and attend a free Apologetics Lecture). If you can make it, you will definitely benefit from them.   All three events are FREE and will take place in Southern California, in Oct. and Nov.  If you are student of the Word, these may be of interest to you.

Learning the Language of Peace & America's God

The first free event is a Free Kick-Off with Lee Strobel. I’ve been at one of his previous gathering and it was outstanding.  He will be presenting the Gospel and Answering Objections: The Unexpected Adventure.  Date: Thursday, October 22, 7:00 – 9:30 pm. First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton, Main Auditorium.  2801 N. Brea Blvd. Fullerton, CA 92835.   If you can’t make it out to the event you can watch it “on-demand” here.

The event continues with a paid registration and includes speakers; Mark Mittelberg, Erik Thoennes, and Craig Hazen. They will be teaching a powerful synthesis between evangelism and apologetics that can make our Gospel preaching, in St. Paul’s words, “powerful through God” (2 Cor 10:4).  Get more info here.

Got Good Theology?

The second event takes place on November 2nd, 2009 at my alma mater, Azusa Pacific University.  Admission is free.  Register here.  Stanley Hauer was has sought to recover the significance of the virtues for understanding the nature of the Christian life. This search has led him to emphasize the importance of the church, as well as narrative for understanding Christian existence.

His work cuts across disciplinary lines as he is in conversation with systematic theology, philosophical theology and ethics, political theory, as well as the philosophy of social science and medical ethics. He was named “America’s Best Theologian” by TIME in 2001. Hauerwas, who holds a joint appointment in Duke Law School, delivered the prestigious Gifford Lectureship at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland in 2001.

Thoughtful Evangelism

If you’re a learner and live in the area, I highly recommend these events.  Did I say it was free yet? BTW, here’s a short definition of theology that I find pretty accurate.

I just received this invitation so I’m adding this info here:

This Fri. Oct. 23, 2009 there will be a
FREE Apologetics Lecture.

Multiple short presentations from Biola university faculty are being recorded for promotional use and DVD/web distribution.  Lecture content will be on Christian Thought & Worldview issues such as: Existence of God, Problem of Evil & Suffering, Science & the Bible, the Resurrection of Jesus, Comparative World Religions, etc.

They need extras to play students/audience members in class sessions (non-speaking).  Filming will begin at 10:00 am and will conclude around 5:00 pm. Food and a copy of the finished product (when it is ready) will be provided. Everyone is welcome but you must let them know you are attending by sending email here:  apologetics at biola dot edu.

Paul at Marshill interfaced with the philosphers in Acts 17.

This Friday, October 23, 2009,  9:30am – 5:30pm,  BIOLA UNIVERSITY,  13800 Biola Avenue,  La Mirada, CA   90639, Business Building, Moats Lecture Hall (Room 109).  Featuring: Craig Hazen, Scott Smith , Clay Jones, John Bloom, Tim Muehlhoff, and Fred Sanders!

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If you’re looking for new Christian music that’s free, check out the weekly, “absolutely FREE and completely legal”, download from the Gospel Music Channel.

This week’s featured artist: Downhere with “My Last Amen” from their just-released Ending is Beginning.  They are pretty good but the best part is that the price is right!

A few of the previous weekly downloads include, “A Heart That Forgives” from Kevin Levar and “Spirit of God” from Phillips, Craig & Dean.  One of my favorite free weekly downloads from the Gospel Music Channel has been God is Faithful from Norman Hutchins. Take a listen and enjoy!

Discover new music before all of your friends with Gospel Music Channel’s Download of the Week! Every week a new artist will showcase their talent with free mp3s.

Another source for free Christian music is FreeCCM.com.  They also provide weekly free download but you have to register first.  Still, the price is right.

If you know of any other good quality free Chrisitian music download sites please click on comments and let us know.  If you liked this post check out a couple of my other music related posts; Free Personalized Internet Radio and Listen to the Radio on your PDA, FREE!

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BibleTranslation

“Before the year 1881, you had three choices for an English Bible Translation: the KJV, the KJV, or the KJV.  Obviously, this is no longer the case.  How did the King James Version get dethroned?  Which translation is best today?  Are any of the modern translations faithful to the original?

Many people today think that a faithful translation of the Bible means a “word for word” translation.  If the original has a noun, they expect a noun in the translation.  If the original has sixteen words, they don’t want to see seventeen in the translation.  This type of translation is called, “formal equivalence.”  The KJV, ASV, and NASB, come closest to this deal”.

This is just a snippet from the article “Choosing a Bible Translation” by Daniel B. Wallace.  To read the rest of this article in pdf format click here.    I first read this article in the Nov. / Dec. 2008 issue of BibleStudyMagazine.com which they sent me free.  (Thanks Ryan Burns!!!) I found it very helpful and easy to read & understand.  If you qualify, you can get a free “review copy” of their first issue here.

Library Journal, the premier magazine for librarians, featured Bible Study Magazine as one of the top 10 magazines launched in 2008.  According to Michael S. Heiser, Editor of the magazine, “Bible Study Magazine will enhance your study of God’s word in variety of ways, suggesting methods of Bible Study and offering tips on Bible study tools”.  I agree.

BibleStudyMagazine.com

BibleStudyMagazine.com provides lots of interesting and challenging content.  You can check out other articles available free here.  Check back often because every month they post a new article.  To subscribe at almost 50% off the cover price click here.  If you like Bible Study, I think you will enjoy Bible Study Magazine.

Here’s John Barry, Associate Editor, introducing the very first issue of the magazine on YouTube.

So, what’s your favorite Bible translation?

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Are you spiritually healthy, or just spiritually busy? Ask yourself these 10 probing questions that will help you look beyond your spiritual activity to assess the true state of your spiritual health.

Top 10 questions to diagnose your spiritual health

Authored by Donald S. Whitney in 2001, this 144 page paperback by NavPress Publishers is available directly from their website or you can search for the best price on the web here.

I can tell you right now, the first question to always ask yourself is, “Am I praying?” Am I really seeking the Lord”. What I like about this book is that it goes deeper into the character of a person. It really does probe your spiritual walk in Christ. Ask yourself these 10 essential questions to find out how your spiritual health is doing.

To download and read a sample chapter of this book click here. You get to read chapter 8, which asks the question, “Do you still grieve over sin?”. If you want to see the remaining 9 essential questions check out the table of contents also included in the free chapter.

Ask yourself these 10 essential questions to find out how your spiritual health is doing.

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What does Easter and Technology have to do with each other?

In my recent experience, Easter and Technology have a lot to do with each other.   Just the past week I was invited to 3 Easter celebrations through the use of technology.

The first invitation was an email I received reminding of “The Greatest Sacrifice Our World Has Ever Known” from Tangle.com check it out below.   Tangle is a Christian Network (similar to YouTube.com) with millions of users and a unique appeal.

What I really liked about message is that it gave me the opportunity to share it with my friends on Twitter and MySpace.   Since I don’t really use my MySpace account I clicked on the Facebook link to share it with all my friends on Facebook.   That was cool.   Check out my Facebook here.

Soon afterward I received my second invitation.  I was sent a message from my Pastor friend in San Diego, Ca.  He invited me to his Church Good Friday Easter Celebration using Twitter.   Here’s what he wrote:  “Watch us live tonight @ sdvoc.org. Live streaming video. Who Killed God? Illustrated sermon“.  You can follow him at:  http://twitter.com/alvaldez

So what did I do?  I turned around and invited all my twitter followers to my church’s live drama presentation.  Here’s what I wrote: “Live in So. Cal? Check out the live drama, “Jesus Remember Me” at my church, visit: vochino.com this Sunday @ 9am & 11am. Free!” You can follow me on twitter here: http://twitter.com/nickg

Twitter is free service that allows you to send short, quick messages to your friends.  Messages can be sent and received on any cell phone that accepts text messages or on the web.   Twitter messages are called, “tweets” and people who send twitter tweets are called twits (just when you thought you heard everything, it’s now cool to be a twit).

If you are already on Facebook and don’t see the need for joining another social network not to worry. Twitter has a free little program that allows every message you tweet to be automatically sent to your Facebook.

If you’re not a “twitter’er” and are not sure how you can use it, just check out how others are using twitter.  Sign up, start following a few interesting people (just check their profile and see if they have anything interesting to say [or tweet]) and soon you’ll be twitting away too.  It’s really fun, especially when you get some of your distant family, friends, co-workers on it.    It helps to stay connected.  For those who say, “I’m too busy for twitter” I suggest not think if it like work, think of it more like a game or fun or recreation.

O.K. back to my story, I was watching TV the other day and I ran into a TD Jakes commercial inviting me to share in “Holy Communion” through his live web broadcast on Good Friday.  This was my third invitation.  I thoroughly support his creative use of technology to spread the Good News.   Click below to it check out.

TDJakes Live Web Communion Service

What’s really cool is that not all of my facebook, twitter, Ning and other social network friends and family are believers.  They all receive my messages.  Sometimes my messages refer to Jesus Christ and sometimes they do not.  Who knows how God use’s these tools.   The Lord moves in mysterious ways.   My friends and family can block or stop receiving my messages anytime they want but know one has so far.

I am really excited to see how ministries are beginning to take advantage of technology to celebrate theology.  Can God use Facebook, Twitter, Ning, etc. to remind people of His great love for them?

Of course He could!  Don’t you think?

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Check out this Free Easter gift from Zondervan.

Reflect on Christ’s final hours with a passionate presentation from The Bible Experience.

Track Christ’s final journey with The Bible Experience. The selections are a variation on the Stations of the Cross known as the Scriptural Way of the Cross. Follow along by listening to the audio clips, reading the passages of scripture, and then taking a moment of quiet reflection with each accompanying prayer.

“The Bible Experience” provides an excellent method to enjoy the Bible by hearing it in dramatic form. If you don’t have much time to read, but want to “redeem the time” listen to the Bible on your way to work, during lunch or while you are on the go.

After experiencing Easter through the world’s most celebrated audio Bible, you’ll truly understand why hearing is believing.  Click here to view my previous review of The Bible Experience.

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