TRICK BUT NO TREAT! THE GREEN EYED MONSTER...

THE GREEN EYED MONSTER
Trick but no Treat!
By Mary Ann Wray

‘Tis the unwelcomed season of bewitchery and darkness  that we once again, find ourselves in the middle of…the so called and much celebrated un-holy day of ‘Halloween’. Marketing statistics indicate that more money is spent per family during Halloween than Christmas...on costumes, candy and decorations! The Catholic Church refers to this day as “All Saints Day”, and superimposed this “Holiday” over the pagan celebration of Darkness which had its renaissance in the Middle Ages.

CBN.com gives us a snippet of the origins of Halloween and its roots as follows:

“Since Halloween itself originated in paganism, it is not surprising that its customs are related to pagan belief. According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, in ancient Britain and Ireland, the Celtic Festival of Samhain was observed on October 31, at the end of summer…. The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on this day and the autumnal festival acquired sinister significance, with ghosts, witches, goblins, black cats, fairies and demons of all kinds said to be roaming about. It was the time to placate the supernatural powers controlling the processes of nature. In addition, Halloween was thought to be the most favorable time for divinations concerning marriage, luck, health, and death. It was the only day on which the help of the devil was invoked for such purposes.

Halloween symbols, customs, and practices undoubtedly have had a variety of influences upon Western culture throughout history. However, in early American history, Halloween was not celebrated due to America’s strong Christian heritage. It was not widely observed until the twentieth century. Initially, it was practiced only in small Irish Catholic settlements, until thousands of Irish migrated to America during the great potato famine and brought their customs with them. To some degree, our modern Halloween is an Irish holiday with early origins in the Celtic winter festival. Interestingly, in American culture, the rise in popularity of Halloween also coincides roughly with the national rise in spiritism that began in 1848.”

Having said this, it is important to realize that dark spiritual activity is present year round but we also need to understand that simultaneously and before the world was reformed and man was created, the Holy Spirit was and has been at work in His creation!  In other words…GOD IS ALWAYS IN CONTROL!

“Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Genesis 1: 2

What we do know, and what is quite obvious is that there is a rise of evil activity during this autumn solstice with witches, wiccans and warlocks fasting and praying against the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ: God’s elect. They take this “holiday” very seriously and make personal and blood sacrifices to satisfy the requirements of their ‘gods’ and Satan himself in an attempt to ‘destroy’ the works of Christ in the earth carried out through His ambassadors.  Christians have nothing to fear “IF” we are practicing the same level of obedience to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ year round…not just during the month of October. We know from scripture that from the beginning of man’s creation, God has given us the earth to subdue and take dominion over! Of course, the dynamic of man's dominion changed after the fall and especially after the appearance of Christ the Messiah, but nevertheless, God never 'retracted' His word to man! (Matthew 16: 18; Psalm 115: 16; Genesis 1: 28)

What we also need to understand is that within the circles of darkness there exists a rival spirit. Even though Satan has demonically and strategically networked his ‘pawns’ throughout the earth i.e., places of business, families and churches  et al, there exists tremendous rivalry and jockeying for power amongst themselves. They are not a ‘divided’ house yet they are full of strife and envy (Luke 11: 17). The kingdom of Darkness is not divided in the sense that Satan and his demons are unified together to destroy God’s works because of their rebellion against Him, but in the midst of their ungodly unification is strife and evil of every sort. Envy is what led to the fall of Lucifer in the very beginning that we see in the Biblical record of his fall found in Isaiah 14: 12-15:

“How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.”

Ezekiel 28: 12-15 gives us more insight to this fallen prince of the air:

“You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.”

Is this not a perfect or should I say, ‘not so perfect’ description of how the spirit of envy and jealousy operates i.e., wanting what someone else has and jockeying for power to get it? We can see from scripture where his jealousy against the Almighty landed Lucifer and where he will ultimately wind up for all eternity until the Father finishes using Him for His own purposes-to try the hearts of men to determine our level of loyalty and love for the Father despite the wickedness in this world!

Jealousy defined by Miriam Webster is as follows: resentment against a rival, a person enjoying success or advantage, etc., or against another's success or advantage itself. Mental uneasiness from suspicion or fear of rivalry, unfaithfulness, etc., as in love or aims. Vigilance in maintaining or guarding something. A jealous feeling, disposition, state, or mood.

Here is what James 3 says about jealousy: “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”

This morning as I awoke I heard the Spirit of the Lord whisper to me to research and write about  ““The Green Eyed Monster”. I have felt heavy in my heart concerning rivalry and jealousy amongst God’s people for several days. After doing some searching I found it was initially used, and possibly coined by William Shakespeare to denote jealousy, in The Merchant of Venice, 1596:

Portia: How all the other passions fleet to air, As doubtful thoughts, and rash-embraced despair,
And shuddering fear, and green-eyed jealousy! O love, Be moderate; allay thy ecstasy,
In measure rein thy joy; scant this excess. I feel too much thy blessing: make it less, For fear I surfeit. 

The Phrase was used again by Shakespeare in Othello Act 3, scene 3, 165–171

Iago:O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-ey'd monster, which doth mock
The meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss, Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger:
But O, what damnèd minutes tells he o'er Who dotes, yet doubts, suspects, yet strongly loves!
Othello:O misery!

Saints, we must be on guard and vigilant against this green eyed monster that wants to tempt us within our circles of influence in the home, church and places of employment. We must understand that jealousy and envy are satanic at their very core and must not be named among the saints. God has emplaced within every one of  us our ministry portion and giftings and it is our responsibility to develop and steward them according to the measure of grace God has given each one of us not someone else’s (Ephesians 4: 7).

We have to watch against the temptation to compare ourselves amongst ourselves where this spirit can gain an entry. It’s not a treat to envy what someone else has been given by the Lord, but a deceptive trick of the enemy! (2 Corinthians 10:12; 1 Corinthians 4: 7)

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” James 3: 17-18