We actually did carve pumpkins this year, but we had little candles for them! We didn’t plan ahead enough to hand out candy and there are very few kids who come on our street anyway….it seems that no one on our street really celebrates. We don’t normally either..other than the fun of carving pumpkins or sometimes going somewhere with the kids.

I’m glad you all had a good time! It sounds like you have a good neighborhood for trick or treating!! How fun that the one guy had the bounce for the kids!

I miss Pot Providence meals too. I miss a lot of things from The Village. Not everything was bad. There were a lot of positive things to that entire lifestyle.

But like you said – I don’t miss it enough to go back!

I really don’t have any strong objections TO Halloween, I’ve just never been able to explain to my kids why it’s OK to celebrate it. As we were walking around I realized they don’t care about semantics. They are much more easily able to let loose and have fun with a stupid event like Halloween and not confuse that with abandoning their faith. Kids are so great. I think that’s why God says we should be more like them where faith is concerned.

I am SO glad you found the freedom to go trick-or-treating with your kids. Freedom in Christ is a wonderful gift that many of us have been like a reverse Indian giver — given our freedom back to Christ. What an insult.

So, Reformation Party next year? Hey, we’re free to celebrate either one, or both!

” Let us be wary lest we end up following another gospel”

Does that make sense?

Sarah says, “I believe B means C and that B doesn’t mean A.”
Cornelius says, “You are wrong. B means A and can’t mean C because B means A.”

That is not a strong response.

I would love to hear your opinion on the specific passages I posted in the article.

There are two “feelings” we can experience after we’ve sinned. One is conviction and the other is condemnation. Conviction is from the Holy Spirit, prompting us to confess and be restored to fellowship so God can continue to bless us. Its purpose is to draw us closer to God. Condemnation is from Satan, trying to convince us that we’re no good, and that God will never forgive us. It’s purpose is to keep us away from God by making us feel guilty.

“As soon as we confess our sins, we’re forgiven and the sin is forgotten as God immediately purifies us from ALL unrighteousness” (See: 1 John 1:9). John are talking to believers here. Now how do ‘they’ know WHAT [specific sin] to confess if the Holy Spirit ONLY convicts GENERALLY and only the world – referring to convicting the world of sin(John 16:7-11) [believing in Jesus] ?

The ministries of the Holy Spirit are many, and CONVICTION is one. Conviction is a NECESSITY and a POSITIVE experience. I thank God for the conviction of the Holy Spirit through my righteous CONSCIENCE.

So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.
(Acts 24:16)

Hebrews 9:14 (New International Version) 14How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,[a] so that we may serve the living God!

“Romans 9:1 – I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit— 2I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.”

I see conviction as “guidance”, “leading”, “Counsel”, “revealing”, “The Holy Spirits VOICE”, – in some sense it might be part of ALL the Spirits work in me to live RIGHTEOUSLY before God at all times. So WHY the negative connection to it?

Off cause it has NOTHING to do with foolish things like, ‘the Holy Spirit convicted me to wash my cat, yesterday…’, we all know that.

Thanks and be BLESSED

Ps Cornelius