Thursday, October 28, 2010

Halloween ugh....

I love the fall season. Love the season of harvest. But hate the season of Halloween. Growing up a christian was always a challenge at school and with friends regarding the Halloween season. I hated when I was a kid, that I couldn't dress up or go trick or treating. I mean, hello....I loved candy. My parents tried to explain to me why but as a kid, I really didn't understand the significance of participating in that holiday. Here I am thinking "whats the big deal, its just a costume with candy. I'm not doing pagan satanic worship for crying out loud....I'm just going with the flow."

Well as years have gone by, and as I have made a conscious effort to live my life solely and completely for the Lord, God has opened my eyes up to the true significance and meaning of Halloween. He's opened the eyes of my understanding that I can truly understand what I was doing in the natural that was affect the spiritual.

Is this image a day to celebrate?
 WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT...
THE TRADITION OF HALLOWEEN?

"Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes."  Song of Solomon 2:15

Foxes sometime in search of food would enter into the grape orchards and devour the grapes and spoil the crop. However, the little foxes were too small to reach the grape bunches so they would chew on the vines and it would kill the whole vine. Instead of the farmer just losing his crop, he would lose his vine which was more disastrous. Spiritually some things we do or allow, that we might think is little or insignificant, can also be disastrous for us.

Some may consider celebrating Halloween as only a little compromise. However, it is the "little foxes" that spoil the vines and this little compromise can open the door to other evils. Many Christians do not realize that certain traditions that are celebrated in the world have evil origins. Just because our society partakes in certain activities does not make them acceptable for Christians. We must look to Christ and His Word to see if the traditions of this world are good or evil. 

Mark 7:13: "Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye."
 
One very evil tradition is the celebration of Halloween. No Christian should partake in the activities of this holiday, nor should they allow their children to do so. We can discern the evil of this day by taking a look at the festivities that are associated with its celebration. Children are dressed as witches, goblins, ghosts, little devils and fortune tellers. All these are representatives of Satan's kingdom. Games played at carnivals promote fear in children as they are ushered through spook houses and horror rooms. Skeletons, black cats and bats represent death and darkness. No carnival is complete without the gypsy who tells fortunes. Satan has gained man's approval to celebrate his day by simply making it a tradition that seems like a fun day. The opposite is true, however, as more damage and harm are done on this day each year than any other holiday. Children are taught to go door to door chanting "trick or treat." It is unchristian to demand a gift under threat of playing some trick. Police are on the alert for juvenile vandalism and caution parents to be watchful.

I can't believe people actually call themselves Christians and turn around to decorate their houses like this.
Because so many of us have grown up celebrating Halloween, and seemingly did not experience any negative effects, some feel that not celebrating Halloween at all is an extreme measure.  However, we would encourage you to pray about this.  Is any holiday that glorifies death and darkness (even in fun) a proper thing for a Christian to do since we have been called out of darkness into His marvelous light?  

1 Peter 2:9: "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light."

Whether we feel that we have been really hurt by celebrating Halloween or not, is only part of the issue.  How does God feel to see His people making light of demons and witchcraft?  Shouldn't we be thinking about how to honor Him and show our love to Him?  Where do our loyalties lie?

Gee its just a mask...whats the big deal...(am I the only one with common sense?)

Ok...so take a pumpkin, carve out scary images and leave it on your front door (hmmm....I would rather ask for angels to encamp around my house...not demons)
Most Satanists celebrate this as their high holy day and even offer human sacrifices to the devil. Until recently, most Christians have not questioned this traditional celebration, but rather have gone along with it by even bringing Halloween parties into the church. The earliest Halloween celebrations were not held by the early church, but the Druids in honor of Samhain, the "lord of the dead", and his demons, whose festival fell on November 1. Halloween actually means "holy or hallowed evening."
According to the Roman calendar in which days began at midnight, the evening of October 31 was the eve before the hallowed day; hence Halloween or All Soul's Eve was kept throughout the ancient pagan world. All Hallows Eve, because it is the day before All Hallows' or All Saints' day, was a holy day in the Roman Catholic Church, Episcopal Church, the Church of England and the Greek Orthodox Church. This festival honors all martyrs, known and unknown, who have died for the church. During the time of Constantine, these two holidays were merged in an attempt to Christianize the heathen. The church could not prevent these heathen practices, so they thought "taming'" them would be the answer. They were, of course, not to worship their gods on the church's "All Saint's day." However, as it is with all compromises, soon the evil overrode the good, and hence we still honor these heathen practices by celebrating Halloween. 

I am guessing this is what Halloween Horror nights looks like....Wow...looks like tons of fun (said sarcastically)??
Parents have a responsibility not to allow their children to be exposed to these evil celebrations. What might seem to some as innocent children's games is a "little fox" that can open the door to satanic influence and even demon possession in some cases. Children can be tormented with a spirit of fear that can come through this involvement that stays with them throughout their lives. It also introduces children to witchcraft, making it easier for them to become involved in cults and occultic activities. When children are taught it is alright to play with the things of darkness, it does not give them the repulsion and resistance that they need to stand against greater Satanic involvement. When the things of Satan are taken lightly, as games and fun, it sets our children up to accept evil rather than to resist it. This "little fox" is not only spreading evil to children but has been a curse for the church and our nation as well. As Christians, we should spread the word to others about the evil tradition of Halloween. 

Ephesians 5:6-12: "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them. 8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret."

God, open the eyes of their understanding!

Ephesians 1:15-23
 15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding[c] being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
 

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