When one of our beloved HBH board members passed away a few years ago, I wrote in her memorial tribute, “Whenever Joan entered the room, I felt a shift in the atmosphere.”  Some people asked me what I meant by that phrase, “shift in the atmosphere”.   What I was describing is that Joan was so full of the Holy Spirit and the love of Jesus that just her mere presence among people brought the presence of God to that place and put the evil one on notice that he was not going to stir up trouble while she was there.

“Shifting the atmosphere” means to replace all negativity and evil influence with the Spirit of God and love of Jesus.  Change out negativity for positivity.  Replace evil with good.  Bind satan’s influence by leaving him no space or energy because it’s all taken up with the presence of God.

Jesus Calms the Storm  (Mark 4:37-40)

And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.  And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!”  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”

With His faith in Father God, Jesus changed the atmosphere.  Jesus caused a stormy situation to turn into a peaceful situation.  The storm obeyed Jesus because Jesus understood the authority mankind has in the earth (Genesis 1:26).  Jesus understood that the magnitude of His faith can move mountains and change the atmosphere (Matthew 21:21).

We are to be imitators of Christ.  As He understood the authority given in Genesis 1:26, we need to understand and have faith to believe that we have been given authority to change the atmosphere, whether it be physical as it was here in this story, or if we are doing battle in the spiritual realm.  In fact, Jesus does not just think it’s okay to use our authority, but He instructs us to use our faith to flip the switch, shift the atmosphere, change dark influence into guiding light.

This is our world.  God gave us dominion over this world.  If we want to see a change in our lives and in the world, our faith is going to be a catapult for that change.  We are called to shift the atmosphere and be world-changers.

One of the times I think Christians should make a conscious effort to shift the atmosphere is during the Halloween holiday period.

I’ve had many conversations and read a great many articles whether it is appropriate for Christians to celebrate Halloween.  But to me, the key word is celebrating.

What are we celebrating?

I love the perspective of the above quote.  I believe it represents our Father’s heart.  We can shun the holiday so that we don’t honor evil, but we can also turn the day satan means to do harm into a day that shifts the atmosphere and brings the Kingdom of God to our communities.

In the last several years I have celebrated the goodness of God and His gifts of love, relationships, and joy on October 31^st.   Rather than pretend Halloween and the evil associated with it doesn’t exist (because it does) so as not to give any honor and power to satan and his ways, I choose to make noise and use lots of color to bring attention to our awesome God and fill my places of influence with the light and love of Jesus.  On the surface maybe it looks like I’m taking part in Halloween because I do pumpkins and cute black cats and funny stuff that looks like traditional Halloween, but I do not take part in what attracts or honors evil.  I’d rather have a victorious Godly celebration than take a silent pass.  This is shifting the atmosphere of Halloween.

A great example from the Bible of someone besides Jesus shifting the atmosphere is in I Samuel 16:23-

So it came about whenever the evil spirit came to Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand; and Saul would be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit would depart from him.

Many Bible stories tell of examples of how singing hymns and praising God changed a negative and evil situation into a positive and good outcome.  Nothing draws the presence of God like singing praise to Him and worshiping Him.  Singing praises to Him has knocked down city walls (Joshua 6).  Worshiping and praising God has opened prison doors (Acts 16).  Now THAT is shifting the atmosphere!

Look at the last sentence of that quote above:  “Why don’t we live like that?”

Whenever we find ourselves in a stormy situation, our faith can change the atmosphere.

If we or someone else is being mistreated, our faith can change the atmosphere and usher in justice.

If we find ourselves in a place where darkness looms, we can shift the atmosphere, bringing light to the lost and confused.

If our neighborhood is filled with drug dealers, dysfunctional homeless people, and those inprisoned by addiction, as we carry the presence of God with us we will change the atmosphere.

If our nation is under attack by Godlessness, evil intentions, poverty, and chaos, our presence can change the atmosphere as we carry the Kingdom of God within us, and eventually as we are obedient to the Lord, change the outcome.

So sing and worship your way into carrying the Spirit of God with you, worship continually in your heart, and pray without ceasing, so that you will be a vessel used by God to shift the atmosphere bringing the Kingdom of God wherever you go.

Like our sister Joan, I’d love for it to be true that I always shift the atmosphere when I enter a room, but God has a lot more refining to do in me.  My prayer is that I get closer to that every day.

My goal is that for me to be breathing is to be shifting the atmosphere: from darkness to light, from negativity to positivity, from seeing broken spirits to bringing the healing presence of God to the people around me, everywhere and all the time.

Ephesians 5:2

and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for you, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.