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Help for the Christian Parent on
Halloween
by Reverend Jim Morse
(This was given to me by Pastor Paddy Palomaki in Marquette back in 1985 or
so)
Many think that halloween is
simply a child's celebration, a night of good fun. Ha. Read this
from the World Book Encyclopedia, vol. 9, 1981, p. 24:
"Halloween is a festival that takes place on October 31. In the United
States, children wear costumes on halloween and go trick-or-treating. Many
carry jack-o-lanterns carved out of pumpkins. At halloween parties, people
enjoy such activities as fortune-telling, hearing stories about ghosts and
witches, and bobbing for apples."
Now read this ’Ķ "Originally a pagan festival of darkness, fire and
death. All Hallows' Eve was celebrated by the Celts of Northern Europe ’Ķ
Halloween was also an important date for the witches calendar."
The encyclopedia, Man, Myth and Magic says, "All Hallows' Eve, or
halloween, was originally a festival of fire, the dead, and the powers of
darkness. It's the evening of 31 October."
Some people argue that this is just a simple tradition for children. That
halloween did not come to us as something grounded in a myth from the past.
Friends, listen, halloween is not a myth! It never was intended to symbolize
anything good. Halloween's practices, ideas and symbols are rooted directly
in paganism, darkness, evil, death and the occult.
Druid Priests: The "een" in halloween refers to the evening before
a day known as "All Saints Day." Do you know what saints are
referred to here? If you said, "from the Bible," you are wrong! It
was originally a festival honoring Druid Priests who were into the occult and
who were priests of Satan.
Consider the Pumpkin: the men, women or children to be sacrificed on
halloween would simply be selected by the Druids. They would leave a pumpkin
on the doorstep of the house to replace the victim and to let the other
members of the family know that no one else would be harmed.
Trick-or-Treat: This practice comes from the myth that dead spirits would
return on halloween and would demand food and shelter or they would cast a
spell on the people of the household.
Since November begins the darkest and most barren part of the year, the
festival took on sinister characteristics to appease the supernatural powers.
Rituals were performed to keep demons away from crops and herds. Halloween
became the only day on which the help of the devil was sought.
Sub-Summary (like a sub-total): From what you have read so far it should be
obvious that the "celebration" of halloween that has been passed on
to our children is nothing but a pagan abomination which is still held in
much of its original form by witches, satanists, and occultists today.
Witches still use halloween as the night when they can "most effectively
communicate with the dead."
Where do Christians fit in? The last part of Acts 11:26 says, "And the
disciples were called Christians first in Antioch."
This verse tells us that the believers in Antioch were "called"
Christians. They did not call themselves Christian, but the people of their
city saw their lives, actions and heard their speech and concluded that they
were followers of Christ. hey indeed were Christlike ’Äì they were
"Christians."
II Corinthians 5:17 says that if we are in Christ, we are then a new creature
and the old things of our life are now passed away.
If you say that you are a Christian, then Acts 26:18 indicates that the grace
of God has turned you from "darkness to light and from the power of
Satan to God."
Read God's Word:
I Peter 1:14-16
14 as children of obedience, not conforming yourselves according to your former
lusts as in your ignorance,
15 but just as he who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all
of your behavior;
16 because it is written, "You shall be holy; for I am holy."
I Corinthians 6:19-20
19 Or don't you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is
in you, which you have from God? You are not your own,
20 for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and
in your spirit, which are God's.
II Corinthians 6:16, 7:1
16 What agreement has a temple of God with idols? For you are a temple of the
living God. Even as God said, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them;
and I will be their God, and they will be my people."
1 Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all
defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Ephesians 1:4
4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we
would be holy and without blemish before him in love;
If you read these Scriptures, I trust you will agree with me that God's
pattern in these Scriptures is that His people should be clearly identified
with Jesus Christ." Christians ’Äì Christlike! It's been proven over and
over again that halloween has NOTHING to do with our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Earlier you read how important halloween is to witches. The Christian should
take note and check his participation.
"The point here is not to infer that participating in halloween makes
one a witch, a devil worshipper, or an occultist. Nor is it to make the one
who does participate feel as if he or she is in agreement with occultism. he
clear purpose, however, is to show that participation in this abomination is
dishonoring to the risen Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ."
Read what God's Word says about witchcraft:
Deuteronomy 18:4-12
4 The first-fruits of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the
first of the fleece of your sheep, shall you give him.
5 For Yahweh your God has chosen him out of all your tribes, to stand to
minister in the name of Yahweh, him and his sons for ever.
6 If a Levite come from any of your gates out of all Israel, where he
sojourns, and come with all the desire of his soul to the place which Yahweh
shall choose;
7 then he shall minister in the name of Yahweh his God, as all his brothers
the Levites do, who stand there before Yahweh.
8 They shall have like portions to eat, besides that which comes of the sale
of his patrimony.
9 When you are come into the land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall
not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
10 There shall not be found with you anyone who makes his son or his daughter
to pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices sorcery,
or an enchanter, or a sorcerer,
11 or a charmer, or a consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a
necromancer.
12 For whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh: and because of
these abominations Yahweh your God does drive them out from before you.
Exodus 22:18
18 "You shall not allow a sorceress to live.
Leviticus 19:31
31 Don't turn to those who have familiar spirits, nor to the wizards; don't
seek them out, to be defiled by them: I am Yahweh your God.
Leviticus 20:6, 27
6 The soul that turns to those who have familiar spirits, and to the wizards,
to play the prostitute after them, I will even set my face against that soul,
and will cut him off from among his people.
27 A man also or a woman that has a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard,
shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones; their blood
shall be on them.
Revelation 21:8
8 But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually
immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that
burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."
These scriptures clearly tell us that witchcraft is hated by God. Should we,
God's children, have anything to do with those things which represent Satan?
Should our children who "are an heritage of the Lord" (Psalm 127:3)
be dressed up like witches, spooks and goblins if it is something God hates?
"Witches, wizards, black cats, jack-o-lanterns ’Äì all are visible
reminders of that which is abominable to God. The practices of the Druids,
their horrible sacrificing of people, the witches, the occultists, and all of
their trappings were and are an unholy thing still being practiced in various
parts of the world. The true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ should be as
far removed from this 'tradition' as is possible."
Think About It: If you think about what you've read so far, your summary of
this information would be that: to recognize halloween is to recognize the
Druids. hey were the ancestors who founded this day of celebration. hey were
devil worshippers who used this day to go from house to house looking for
victims to sacrifice to the devil a lot of these victims were little
children.
Halloween will remain a challenge to Christian parents if they remain
tolerant to this issue and as long as religion in our day continues to be
viewed with scorn and as long as human nature remains fascinated by
spiritualism.
What Should We Do?
What choice does a parent have in this real-life trick-or-treat world?
How can a Christian parent successfully handle the halloween issue in today's
world?
By offering options!
You have to make sure your halloween options will be fun for the children
involved.
You can't say, "Let's skip halloween this year and stay home and
memorize Bible verses," and expect your children to rush out and nominate
you for the Parent-of-the-Year Award.
1. Be sure your children know exactly what the family is celebrating.
The end of October is a perfect time to celebrate the beauty of autumn and
the harvest time. Psalm 65 and 104 are good passages to read to your family.
2. Use halloween as a family time and as a teaching experience for your
children. Discuss Matthew 6:25-33 and the ways God watches over both people
and nature.
Remember:
While you are planning all of your halloween options, you will be trying to
stay away from occult symbols in your home (and church). However, don't
hesitate to discuss them with your children.
For, no matter how much we might like to shelter our youngsters from the real
world at halloween time, the grotesque monsters and eerie music is going to
be all around them.
Instead of ghost stories, use the Fall season as a background for material
for some good solid discussions on the Christian view of life and death.
3. As a church, we want to set the pace and encourage you to accentuate the
POSITIVE throughout the halloween season. You can do this through creative
options.
CONCLUSION:
Friends, we can combat the pagan celebration of halloween in many different
ways ’Ķ by being Christian parents, by offering Christian options, by teaching
the children around us that God is always there.
We really do serve a God who is able to protect us from the things that go
"bump" in the night. Because ’Äì Greater is He that is in you than he
that is in the world. I John 4:4
Here are some more Scriptures to consider:
Deuteronomy 18:10-18
10 There shall not be found with you anyone who makes his son or his daughter
to pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices sorcery,
or an enchanter, or a sorcerer,
11 or a charmer, or a consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a
necromancer.
12 For whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh: and because of
these abominations Yahweh your God does drive them out from before you.
13 You shall be perfect with Yahweh your God.
14 For these nations, that you shall dispossess, listen to those who practice
sorcery, and to diviners; but as for you, Yahweh your God has not allowed you
so to do.
15 Yahweh your God will raise up to you a prophet from the midst of you, of
your brothers, like me; to him you shall listen;
16 according to all that you desired of Yahweh your God in Horeb in the day
of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of Yahweh my God,
neither let me see this great fire any more, that I not die.
17 Yahweh said to me, They have well said that which they have spoken.
18 I will raise them up a prophet from among their brothers, like you; and I
will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall
command him.
I Corinthians 10:20, 21
20 But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to
demons, and not to God, and I don't desire that you would have communion with
demons.
21 You can't both drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You can't
both partake of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons.
II Corinthians 10:5
5 throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the
knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience
of Christ;
Deuteronomy 7:26
26 You shall not bring an abomination into your house, and become a devoted
thing like it: you shall utterly detest it, and you shall utterly abhor it;
for it is a devoted thing.
Philippians 4:8
8 Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable,
whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are
lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if
there is any praise, think about these things.
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