I was watching Regis and Kelly yesterday and was briefly surprised by a comment that Kelly Rippa made.  The theme of the day was obviously about Halloween.  Kelly was asked by the co-host of the morning, Jimmy Kimmell, if Halloween was a big deal around her house.  She said that Halloween was a bigger holiday than Christmas in her home. Does this give you an idea where the world is headed? 

 

Many of us that grew up in the church were taught to be separate from the world.  Some have taken that to mean inoculate yourself  from the world, crawl into your Christian closet.  Is this really what God means?  This sounds more like fear that we will be tainted by the world.  Should this really be our fear?  If Kelly’s admission is any indication of our worldly direction and we are actually supposed to keep putting distance between us and the world then we will be backing ourselves into an ever decreasing corner.

 

The description of believers in scripture is one of faith and boldness.  We are to rule, increase and fill the earth.  This cannot be accomplished by running away from the world.

 

Jesus was accused by religious leaders as being worldly because of His association with sinners and being found in places where sinners were.  Jesus seemed to run into the world not away from it. So what do we separate ourselves from and what do we run after?

 

We are to be in this world but not of it.  When we are born again, we are no longer of this world.  We are now born from above.  We most definitely are not of this world.  So, now what does the scriptures tell us to do?

 

“For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give

the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”   2 Corinthians 4:6

“In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”   John 1:4-5

 

 If I want to enter into a dark room, I turn the light on and the more light for me, the better.  My understanding is that my father owns all the rooms.  You cannot eliminate darkness without light.  Bring the light, dispel darkness.  So, bring it!  We cannot be of the world.  It would be contrary to our true nature to participate in deeds of darkness, but it is our command to storm into the darkness and bring the light – to rescue those in darkness by showing them the way. 

So, I’m excited it’s Halloween.  What an opportunity to bring the light into dark places and help those who are held by its power to find their way.