Quote of the day:

“The concern of the Devil is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayer-less studies, prayer-less work, prayer-less religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.”

^{- Samuel Chadwick}

Today’s Headlines

Spooky Spending

Halloween spending in the United States is estimated to have hit a record high of $12.2 billion, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. The survey, with over 8,000 consumer responses, reveals that people plan to spend an average of $108.24 per person, up from $100.45 in 2022. The main categories contributing to this spending surge include costumes ($4.1 billion), decorations ($3.9 billion), and candy ($3.6 billion). Notably, candy prices have risen due to a sugar shortage, as well as general inflation affecting the cost of goods.

As for popular Halloween costumes in 2023, they include classic choices like witches and ghosts, as well as characters inspired by movies and TV shows, such as "Barbie" and "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," along with the Wednesday Addams character from the Netflix series "Wednesday."

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The Remnant's Response

There have long been discussions among believers as to whether or not they should participate in Halloween festivities. Let's begin our participation in that conversation by making clear the remnant should never dabble with the occult (Deuteronomy 18:9-14), celebrate death, which is our 'last enemy' (1 Corinthians 15:26), darkness, immorality (Ephesians 5:3-5) or play with the spirit world (Leviticus 20:6). Any thought that Halloween is 'fun' because it is a night to celebrate evil is foolishness. It is true that some of the current history around "Hallow e'vening" finds its origin in the animistic infatuation of the late Middle Ages and the superstitious and biblically uninformed views of the day surrounding what happens to the souls of men after death. An ignorant church always makes room for error and ignorance in men (1 Timothy 4:7). 

October 31st is the evening before what became known as "All Saints’ Day" (or 'Hallows' Day), where the church celebrates saints martyred for the faith. Many believe the November 1st date was chosen to take away attention from a Celtic celebration of the dead. Whatever the origin of the 'holiday,' it is painfully clear that in modern America, Halloween night and all the costuming and candying associated with it has far surpassed our remembering of the faithful who have died in devotion to Christ. If nothing else about Halloween is scary, that fact alone is. When a nation gives its heart to celebrating the frivolous and foolish instead of the faithful and good, it won't be long before "fun" gives birth to folly, and folly soon gives birth to ruin (Proverbs 24:33-34).

Meanwhile, a little fun is good for the soul (Proverbs 17:22), and one doesn't have to dress up like a goblin to collect sweets you can gobble for the next week. It has long been the tradition of Christians to redeem the day, not be defined by it (Ephesians 5:15-20). So have some fun if your heart and God's word don't condemn you as you do it (Romans 14:22), and take some time to remember the faithful who have gone before you as you do (Hebrews 12:1-2).

X Losing Money

X, previously known as Twitter, has undergone a significant shift in its valuation, with internal documents revealing a substantial drop from $44 billion to about $19 billion following Elon Musk's purchase of the company just over a year ago. Musk initially acquired Twitter for $54.20 per share and later expressed his belief he overpaid for it, valuing the platform at $20 billion.

Under Musk's ownership, Twitter has witnessed numerous changes, including a major overhaul of its workforce, alterations to its verification process, and shifts in content moderation rules. The company's advertising revenue, a primary income source, decreased by nearly 60% in the US over the summer, and Musk incurred substantial debt to fund the acquisition.

Despite the challenges, Musk is incredibly optimistic about Twitter's future. In a company meeting last week, he laid out how he believed X could serve as an all-encompassing app. "We're rapidly transforming the company from sort of what it was, Twitter 1.0, to the everything app with an all-inclusive feature app where you can basically do anything you want on our system". His ideas for X include job recruiting, dating services, and other features.

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The Remnant's Response

Elon Musk's decision to take X private was very public and created a lot of conversation, but as of today, it has not created a lot of wealth. It remains to be seen what the long-term results will be for the investment made by the much-talked-about Entrepreneur, though the wise know there is more than one way to keep score when it comes to investment success (Matthew 25:24-28). It is the short-sighted man who only measures success in terms of financial returns (Luke 12:20-21). Musk was celebrated and villainized by observers when he bought Twitter in April of 2022, and he continues to be both loved and hated by an ever-shifting multitude. But financial markets and the opinions of the masses are not the final word on the greatness of a man (1 Corinthians 4:3). Neither is a man's opinion of himself (1 Corinthians 4:4). Whatever the financial markets or the masses think about Musk will not ultimately define him, only his faithfulness to Christ will (2 Corinthians 5:10). The best investment Elon, or any of us, can make is seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). While earthly criticism and praise will pass away (Proverbs 29:25-26) and riches will rust (Matthew 6:19), the purposes, pleasures and 'opinions' of the Lord will stand (Isaiah 46:8-20). 

While Musk may have a vision for what X can become, we can pray that he has a greater vision to do the Lord's will and trust in the Lord's plans. Hard work and ingenuity are essential for earthly success, but faith and trust in the Lord are essential for eternal glory. "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.' Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that'" (James 4:13-15).

Maine Shooter Family Reported Him 5 Months Ago

The family and acquaintances of Robert Card, the gunman responsible for killing 18 people in Maine, had raised multiple concerns about his mental health and access to guns months before the attack. Despite numerous warnings from his family, law enforcement, and the Army Reserve with which Card served, authorities failed to intercept him before the tragic event. In September, a soldier who had served with Card expressed fears that he might commit mass violence. Officials had attempted to check on Card, a 40-year-old Army reservist, but couldn't locate him.

After the massacre, a two-day manhunt ensued before officials found Card's body; he is believed to have shot himself. There are now increasing questions about the missed signs and opportunities that might have prevented the shooting. The Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Office provided a detailed account of previous alerts about Card's mental state. Records revealed various concerns, including Card's recent acquisition of multiple guns and hearing voices. In one instance, a gun store even denied him a silencer due to his mental health history. Despite these warnings, no actions were taken to prevent Card's access to weapons or provide adequate mental health intervention.

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The Remnant's Response 

As our society continues to erode and our government continues to show it is incapable of protecting us, it is more important than ever to maintain our ability to protect ourselves (Proverbs 22:3). While our ultimate security is found in the sovereignty and protection of our good and perfect God (Psalm 127:1, Isaiah 43:1-3), wise men know they need to remain firm in their conviction that they have a God-given right and responsibility (1 Timothy 5:8) to defend themselves and their families (Luke 22:36, Exodus 22:2-3). Robert Card's case shows the inability of gun laws alone to keep us safe. While it is good and right to create and enforce just laws (1 Timothy 1:8), it is also obvious that wicked and mentally ill people will not abide by them (1 Timothy 1:9). This is why we need good and wise men to be armed and ready to use force as necessary to punish the wicked and stop, as necessary, the mentally ill (1 Peter 2:13-16). 

When we put down evil, we honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, and honor the King (1 Peter 2:17). It is foolishness and the first plot of tyrants to remove weapons from good men. God wants His servants to arm themselves in their battle against evil in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:10-17), and His servants do well to arm themselves against evil on earth. We don't fret because of evildoers, but we don't disarm ourselves while awaiting the final disarmament of the wicked (Psalm 37:1-3).

 Other news you should know

📜 Did you know yesterday was Reformation Day? 

🔒 Coach Prime wants players reimbursed after theft from Rose Bowl locker rooms.

🧑‍⚖️ House Ethics panel will announce "next course of action" for George Santos by Nov. 17 deadline

🏈 NFL Trade Deadline: Winners and Losers

🇾🇪 Yemenites declare war on Israel.

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