Halloween

Halloween

            The world is about ready to celebrate the most satanic day of the year, Halloween. Christians proclaim "all saints day," the world-flesh-Devil celebrate "Satan's day," Halloween. Started in England, rebels against religion, druids-pagans wanted their day which they called "all hollows eve," honoring death. As always, the agnosticism that has had its mark on Christianity, "if you can't beat them, join them." So many Christian's always so attracted to paganism instead of being awe struck to have the righteousness of Christ because of the love of God in their life. Christians, so afraid they might be recognized celebrating paganism, wore masks, carried candles. When this writer was in African villages, often astounded to find Catholic Christian's, whom he had seen in church, celebrating voodoo culture right along with the heathen. Even today, liberal Christian denominations, wanting to be so inclusive-so afraid that their children do not think they are broadminded, will join the Halloween heathen practices by cutting their pumpkins with smiley faces, asking their "Christian" children not to participate in cemetery rituals (toppling tombstones, burning candles on graves, etc.)

            IF this writer, like so many adults, like so many sinners saved by the grace of God, could only obliterate memories of the past. When God forgives our sins, he forgets, remembers them no more (Hebrews 8:12). We still remember, he does not allow us to forget. IF we forgot evil, we would also forget good. We learn more from the "wrongs" of our life than the "rights" of our life.

            As a child, this old man remembers very clearly my father's reluctance to allow his children to participate in the satanic rituals of pagan Halloween. Nothing compared to today's pagan observances. It was something new at the country school house...ugliness, death, masks, tricking or treating. Today, beyond comparison with then, haunted houses, scariness, thrills from fear, poison in treats, etc.

            WHY, IN THE NAME OF GOD AND GOOD SENSE, would such clever presenting of Satan be included in church activity? Yet, some churches go right along with the Devil's big day. God's word, 365 times, tells us not to be afraid-fear. Yet, modernistic church workers-"supposed" believers, so afraid of not being politically correct like the Satanic takeover of observants. Rebellion involving Easter and Christmas go right along with the world-the flesh- The Devil. No wonder that young people, active in the church during their youth, regard religious faith as just feeling instead of fact as adults. They see more Santa Claus than saints, of whom the earth was not worthy in Christmas (Hebrews 11:38). They see the fiction of rabbits laying chocolate eggs, instead of a resurrected savior-empty tomb at Easter.

            We lose our young people, those who God guards, because of exposed hypocrisy. God's church has a firm foundation, his cross the most important symbol in the world. Why should the church join pagans in making a folly of death?

            "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever" (Hebrews 13:9).  (God has not changed His mind.) Most church members want a God who pleases them, bellhop type, around when you need Him. They want to live like the world, celebrate the world festivals, many even think there is nothing wrong with unbelievers observing Christian rituals, sacred events, Christian practices such as the memorial of the Lord's supper, even the initial ordinance of Baptism. The number one killer in the world, abortion. Some Christians actually condone the killing of innocent babies within the sanctuary of the mother's womb, the incredibly evil practice of same sex marriage.

            The Apostle Paul told us that we are "chosen out of the world" (John 15:19). When will the chosen, those elected to follow Christ in every way, "eat, drink or what so ever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor 10:31)? When will the church, bride of Christ, Christians-believers in Christ, ENJOY being different? If you have the desires of the world, desire for the things and activities of the world, in you, you are still of the Devil. You may put a mask on, think deep inside that you can separate both God and mammon (Matthew 6:24). You are a testimony, not only to God but to everyone around you that you are not a new creation in Christ conformed instead of transformed (Romans 12:2). The Christian life is a moment by moment blessing, a living epistle (2 Cor 3:2). On October 31 (Halloween) as well as every other day, there is no such thing as a vacation-lapse from discipleship.

            Whether the righteousness of Jesus permeates your heart or not, God loves you whether you want him to or not. Jesus is everything that Satan is not, "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23). Our blessed Lord is all together beautiful (S of Sol 4:7). When Adam chose, for you and all mankind, to taste the bitter life of the old serpent the Devil, the thorns, thistles, sweat, troubles of this earth as well as death, those chosen before the foundation of the world to be redeemed-saved-eternal life, should have no desire for ugliness-deceitfulness-tricks.  This is the message of Halloween: The favorite-ness of Christ or the fatefulness of Satan, the faithfulness of God or the faithlessness of Satan.