As I type our rooster, Oscar, is telling the world that it is morning!  He started around 5am and though it is 7:31 he is still proclaiming his good news!

Though I hear his cockadoodle-doing daily, this phrase just entered my mind and struck me: AS THE ROOSTER CROWS.

Mark 14:27-31
Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night,  for it is written:

      ‘ I will strike the Shepherd,
      And the sheep will be scattered.’

“But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”
Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.”
Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”
But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”
And they all said likewise.  (Underlined by me.)

If you don’t know how this situation ended, be sure to read the rest of the story in Mark 14.  

How many times do we deny Jesus too?

We recently met a new acquaintance who is working on some corn maze stuff for us (in case you are new here, we have a corn maze on our farm in the fall).  Of course, he tried to suggest (along with others) that we should “haunt” our maze or our farm.  

Folks, you will know that someone has taken over our farm and we have moved out of the country when that ever happens.  Nothing demonic is going to be on this farm.  It isn’t happening.  Of course when I say that to some people who even confess to be Christians — they are stunned.   But tell me the truth — how does anything representing death and gore, demons and hell — bring glory to God?

Then this sweet man suggested, “Well, what about friendly Casper type of ghosts?”  Nope, just the Holy Ghost here!  I reminded him what Jesus said about people who are luke-warm.  They will be spewed (vomited) out of His mouth.

2 Corinthians 6:14-15
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers [do not make mismated alliances with them or come under a different yoke with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership have right living and right standing with God with iniquity and lawlessness? Or how can light have fellowship with darkness?
What harmony can there be between Christ and Belial [the devil]? Or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? (Amplified Version)

This scripture is talking about believers versus non-believers, but the same applies — what do light and darkness have in common?  They are opposites.  Jesus is the Light of the world.  Satan represents darkness.

I’m not picking on this new acquaintance because many of us Christians compromise and deny Jesus on many different levels.  The fact that I allow my daughter to watch Disney movies would be completely repulsive to some Mom’s.  As a matter of fact, most of the princess movies bother me and I feel conviction about allowing them in my home.  They usually involve a witch or something wicked.  I don’t like it, but I have compromised in some areas and I have no doubt that it grieves the Holy Spirit.

How can LIGHT have fellowship with DARKNESS?  There is no gray area though we try to smooth it over somehow.  As much as I have disdain for Harry Potter books and would no way allow them in our home, am I any better by allowing witchcraft a doorway through cartoons?  I can’t think of one cartoon that doesn’t have magic somewhere in it.  Dora the Explorer is full of it — Spongebob, My Little Ponies, etc … The list could go on and on.  (Though my daughter immediately tells me when witchcraft is in the cartoon and we change it — she is still exposed to it.)

Back to this new acquaintance:  He made me giggle the other day when he so politely made the suggestion that we should “perhaps” change our “Christmas tree” section on our web site to “Holiday” … I stopped him right there.  (Oh yeah, if you’re new here — we also sell Christmas trees on our farm.)  I told him there was no way we were concerned about being politically correct and the word Christmas was going to be used!  I also threw in, “And I’m not going to say gay marriage is ok either.”  Poor fellow … he didn’t realize who he was talking to, but in his kindness he said, “That is why I like you folks.”  

Father, please show us areas where we compromise and deny you.  Please give us the wisdom to make right choices — ESPECIALLY when it comes to raising our children.


And … the rooster is STILL crowing …

(Photo of our rooster Oscar and two of his girlfriends.)