Foofee's Zoo

Another timely Joni devotional for this "season"...

Fighting Fire with Fire

So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.                                                                   --II Timothy 2:22 ESV
 
Our culture is a pushover when it comes to letting passions prevail.  Especially Christians.  It's not at the banquet of the wicked where we stuff ourselves on evil deeds; we've become voyeurs, sampling what we've convinced ourselves is a safe, nibbling-at-an-arms-length distance from the table of the wicked.  It's not pagans who have a problem with the world, the flesh, and the devil; it's believers. 

I'm included.  My spiritual battleground is not over a torrid love affair or the x-rated shelves in the video store.  My paralysis prevents me from reaching for common temptations.  My fight of faith is played out on the field of my thoughts.  What my body can't have, my mind will shift into overdrive to deliver.  But daydreams and fantasies only frustrate, bringing feelings of restlessness and dissatisfaction with the way things are.  

The way you fight fire is with fire.  To combat powerful passions, you need something far more powerful in your arsenal.  In fact, the fire of enticing thoughts must be fought with the fire of the pleasures God offers.  If you try to fight lust with a bunch of threats and warnings alone, you're going to fail.  The fight of our faith against wrong thinking is the fight to stay satisfied with God.  The battle involves more than rejecting evil; it's pursuing God.  It all comes down to knowing Jesus better.  When faith has the upper hand in your heart, you are satisfied with Christ.  He's enough.  He is sufficient.  This is what Jesus means when he says, "He who believes in me shall never thirst."

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If you satisfy your thirst for joy and passion by the presence and the promises of Christ, then the power of sin in your life is broken.  That's real passion.  

"Draw me deeper, Lord, into your presence, and draw me higher into your great joy.  Let the star-bright radiance of your life within me chase away the shadows of lesser desires."

Blessings, Joni and Friends

Taken from Pearls of Great Price.  Copyright © 2006 by Joni Eareckson Tada.  Used by permission.  Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Matthew 11:15

Halloween is not all fun & games. But that is what the father of lies would have, & does have, way too many people believing.

I did a post a couple of years ago discussing the background of Halloween & why, Biblically, it is not something His followers should participate in. You can find it here.

Don't be deceived; satan is real & so many are believing his lies, for the sake of fun.

They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Revelation 20:9-11

But we are not supposed to participate in what the world sees as "fun"... what's more, we're not supposed to want to participate...

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
1 John 2:15-17

The following are links explaining the origins of Halloween & why, Biblically, His followers should not participate.

Halloween & The Occult

Halloween & The Forces of Darkness

Halloween & What You Should Know About It

Dating is not for Christians; it's not Biblical, & it's not conducive to preparing one's heart for "till death do us part". Kelly at Generation Cedar is doing a series on the problems with dating for a Christian. There are several posts. It's very well thought out & well written; please stop by to read, ponder, & pray over this very important topic.

If you're like me & can't get out much, you can still vote. Check your state, but mine allows absentee ballots for anyone, without having to give any reason. It will have to be sent in a bit earlier, so check into it now if that's your situation.