The Faithful Christian a blog of The Lighthouse Ministries

It’s October 31 again and we all know what that means; only two more weeks until Halloween. Stores are in full holiday mode, geared up for high volume sales of candy, cookies, costumes and all of the other various sundries that coincide with the spookiest night of the year.  Retailers also rejoice as they warm up the cash registers to receive something in the neighborhood of $8 billion this year.  That’s right, billion, with a “B”, that’s what Americans spend on average each year for Halloween festivities. There is something about Halloween that excites us all. Scary movies, haunted houses, parties, dressing up in silly costumes pretending to be someone or something else and skipping around the neighborhood gathering candy and treats from each house.  For the most part it’s innocent fun, but the origins of this unofficial holiday are far from innocent. As Christians, how should we respond to Halloween? Should we totally abstain from any and all celebrations?  Should ...

Aleister Crowley was an early-twentieth-century British artist, novelist, and occultist. He founded a religion he called Thelema and saw himself as a prophet who would guide humanity into an age of self-realization. The Beatles were fans—Crowley was one of those appearing on the cover of the famous “Sgt. Pepper’s” album cover. Supposedly, the guiding rule of his religion was, “’Do what thou wilt’ shall be the whole of the Law.” Many people trace one of the guiding maxims of the 1960s—“If it feels good, do it”—back to Crowley. “The Sixties” took that principle to heart and many today still do. How often do we hear people explain a decision by saying, “It just felt right”? But is “feeling good” enough of a guiding principle for life? Think about your own feelings: Today you feel good and tomorrow you don’t. The decision you make today, you wouldn’t make tomorrow. We need something more permanent, consistent, and dependable as a guiding principle for life. The psalmist trusted in God’s gu...

Is there a “quieter middle space” when it comes to gender, sexuality, and marriage? Well, the individuals behind the Unconditional Conference taking place yesterday and today at Pastor Andy Stanley’s North Point Community Church seem to think so. But as Christians, we should always be comparing what anyone says—including a popular, influential pastor such as Andy Stanley (who is presenting at the conference)—against the authority of God’s Word. So when we start with God’s Word, is there a “quieter middle space”? According to the  event website , the Unconditional Conference is designed for: Parents of LGBTQ+ children and for ministry leaders looking to discover ways to support parents and LGBTQ+ children in their churches. You will be equipped, refreshed, and inspired as you hear from leading communicators on topics that speak to your heart, soul, and mind. We deeply desire this time will bring about healing and restoration. No matter what theological stance you hold, we invite you...