Ep 71: Spirit Halloween

Speaker 1: Well, good morning and welcome to the show. I'm Daniel Daub and this is for your Sunday Morning Drive, the short podcast with the goal of providing some motivation, some drive and encouragement on your way to worship and helping you recenter your mind on those spiritual things. On a hectic Sunday morning, we are brought to you in partnership with the Ministry League Network of Podcasts. You can always check out the wonderful resources and podcasts that Ministry League offers by checking out their website, ministry league.com, or you can download their app. Let's go ahead and get the show on the road today. This is episode 71 Spirit Halloween. Let's go to church.

Speaker 2: Are we there yet?

Speaker 1: Well, it's almost that time of year again. That most wonderful and most spooky time of the year Halloween season. And you know, summer's not even over yet. And already stores are putting out overpriced candy, macabre decorations, novelty t shirts, and pumping pumpkin spice into every conceivable product imaginable. And I love every bit of it. I'm also a fan of another yearly tradition that sets in around this time of year, and it's that empty real estate, be it a vacant toys R us or the hollow shell of a once booming Circuit City, is temporarily resurrected by that most seasonal of holiday retail space. Necromancers spirit Halloween. You can count on it almost like clockwork. If there is an empty retail space available, Spirit Halloween will slap that banner on the front of its store faster than you can say trick or treat. What was empty? What was left vacant has now been filled. And as silly as it is, this concept makes me think of Jesus in Matthew chapter 12. In verse 22, he heals a demon possessed man and the Pharisees. Of course, instead of giving God the glory, accuse Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub. And Jesus justifiably has some very harsh words for them. And eventually he addresses their hearts by referencing the man that he had just healed. In verses 43 through 45, Jesus says, now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and it does not find it. Then it says, I will return to my house from which I have came, and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept and put in order.

Speaker 1: Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself. And they go in and live there. And the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation. You know we should heed the words of Jesus here ourselves. Maybe not that we fear an evil spirit or demon taking up residence within us, but that we guard our hearts. What are we filling them with? Because it's not enough just to be vacant of evil. But we must be filled with good. Because if we are empty, if we only have a facade of the image of Christ and have no substance, our empty hearts are the perfect place for evil to take up residence. And friend, I assure you that something will. Something is gonna fill that space. Or rather, we will fill that space with something. Protect your heart. Proverbs 423 says, above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it, but don't just protect it. Fill it. Well then comes the question, well, what do I fill it with? Well, Philippians four eight tells us finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable. Whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely of good repute. If there is any excellence, and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. You see, Satan is ever looking to get a foothold into our lives. Don't do his work for him.

Speaker 1: You might say he's always looking for spiritual real estate. Don't slap a banner on your heart advertising vacancy. Because just like that Spirit Halloween store, he will use every trick in the book to move in. And he will do it faster than we expect. And if we don't fill our hearts with good things that are pleasing in the eyes of God, he could be a permanent resident. And you know, I'm not a fan of giving the devil more credit than he's due, but let's also not assign blame. This is not a devil made me do it situation. It's a choice that we make to either fill our hearts and our lives up with God and His goodness, and the things that he tells us to do, or to leave them open to offer them up to evil tenants. Romans 623 says, the wages of sin is death. And friends, that's the result of a heart full of evil. A heart full of sin. And if you ask me, that's pretty spooky. Well, those are my thoughts for your Sunday morning drive. Now it's time to hear yours. And don't forget, you can always share your responses or your thoughts to our discussion questions every week, right on our website at for your Sunday morning drive.com. Our discussion questions today are. Are we spiritually empty? Spiritually vacant? Do we fill our lives with and hearts with God pleasing attributes? And what dark things have taken root in your life? And how can you seek help in casting them out?

Speaker 3: We're here.