The Christian Response To Halloween

"When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations." Deuteronomy 18:9 I was listening to a Christian program in which the speaker was offering Halloween alternatives for children of Christian families. He spoke at length suggesting to parents different ways Christians can make it a fun night without the elements of witches, ghosts, and occult themes associated with Halloween. Just provide a good alternative for them, so they won't feel "different" from other kids, he said. I disagree. Please hear me out. We live in a "feel good" society, an instant-coffee society, a society in which we intend that our children lack for nothing and they usually don't have to wait for anything either. There's something wrong with this picture. If you asked a Christian child what it means to be a Christian, he'd probably say it's believing that Jesus died for our sins and that you need to ask him into your heart. That is the "correct" answer. But if that's what you think it means to be a Christian, you have a very naive view of what following Christ is all about. Most of the first century Christians were martyred. Had you asked any of the parents in the first century, they would have described Christianity far differently from anything you've heard in our "modern" day. Christianity then was picking up your cross and following Jesus. Unto death if need be. It's the Jesus who said, "in the world you will have tribulation." We often hear people talking about "the promises of God." Well that's one of his promises. You'll have tribulation. In fact, most of what Jesus had to say to believers was about reckoning yourself NOT of this world. "Come out from among them," the Scriptures say. Come out from among them? What does that mean? "When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations." You shall not, as in THOU SHALT NOT ....follow the abominations of the world around you. In the New Testament, it says something similar: "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the Temple of God with idols? For you are the Temple of the living God. ...Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.'' 2nd Corinthians 6:14-18 Come out from among them and be SEPARATE, says the Lord. Do not touch the unclean thing. Be separate? That's hardly what we tell our young people! Rather, we foster the attitude that they are to be "like the other kids." "I don't want to be different from the other kids." Then ...you cannot follow Jesus Christ. You can't have it both ways. You can't stroke them and help them to wear "the right thing" and do as the others do so that they'll be popular, and then tell them to pick up their cross and follow Jesus. The two are mutually antagonistic. Christian father, Christian mother, are you teaching your young person to "come out from among them and be separate," or are you teaching them to CONFORM to the world? Are you buying them all the things that "everybody else" has? Taking them to places "everybody else" goes? Competing to do whatever it takes to be popular? Have you taught your child to bow down before America's god of "popularity?" Has it never occurred to you that being popular is the very OPPOSITE of what Christ taught? How will they ever embrace the concept of coming out from among them and being separate, if you're coaching them in their efforts to be popular? If they have the notion that being popular is a "good" thing, how will they ever be able to accept, yes, ACCEPT it when they are hated by "the world" as Jesus said they would be? "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you OUT of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, `A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you..." John 15:19-20 A lost generation. They are taught "tolerance." They are taught to conform in order to spare their feelings should they be singled out as separate. "Let's do something else that's fun on that night so you won't miss out on anything.” You're failing your child, mom and dad. You're teaching them the world, how will they ever be able to pick up their cross and follow Christ? How will the kids of this generation ever be able to accept being persecuted if all they've learned from parents and teachers is what they must do to be accepted? How has Satan been able to so confuse the minds of Christians to think it's right and good to foster in their children the attitudes which are the very opposite of what Jesus taught, without batting an eye and then patting themselves on the back for being "good" parents? The time is coming when America will go through real judgment. Some see it coming and are prepared. Most are oblivious. If your child ever has to accept something other than popularity, if your child has to confess Jesus before the "popular" kids and be shunned and laughed at (persecuted) for it, how can you think your spoiled (but popular) child will ever make it? Those who do are those who have been taught to dare to be different. To not only hear the word of God, but do it.

We Are Forbidden From Doing What They Do

"When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations." Deuteronomy 18:9 God was preparing Israel to go into the promised land, just as he is preparing believers today to enter heaven. All the lands around the promised land were polluted with idolatry, and God was making it very clear to the Israelites that the practices of those peoples were abominations before him and that they absolutely must NOT take on any of those practices. Then to make it clearer, he lists them. vs 10-11 There shall not be found among you . anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, . or one who uses divination, (divination: the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means.) . or an observer of times (astrology, horoscopes) . or an enchanter (one who casts spells) . or a witch, or a charmer, . or a medium (fortune teller), . or a channeler, (one who "downloads" thoughts from someone dead) . or necromancer (one who contacts the dead.) The Lord solemnly warns Israel that they must not touch any of these things, and states that any PERSON who touches any of these things is an ABOMINATION to God. Not just the practice is an abomination, but the person who does them is an abomination to God. vs 12: "For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord…" Furthermore, he adds, it is BECAUSE these peoples were steeped in idolatries such as he listed - that is WHY God was driving the inhabitants of the land out. vs 12: "...and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you." Folks, these practices are deadly and throughout the Scriptures God solemnly warns his people to stay away from them. There are two sources of supernatural power: God and Satan. Do not think for a moment that Satan doesn't have power. Oh he has power alright, and he has power to lead people into such deception that from there he can lead them right into hell. Satan is the source of lies and all the things listed above are means of conveying LIES meant to ensnare and destroy you. Jesus said of Satan: "...there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own, for HE IS A LIAR, and the father of it." John 8:44 What lies have you fallen for? Has Satan convinced you that dabbling in any of the things listed, or anything similar, are just innocent fun? Know that nothing of it is innocent, it's all deadly, and that every dabbling in these things brings a curse not only onto you, but to your children down to the third and fourth generation. Satan doesn't present himself as evil, he presents himself as desirable. If he came as a grotesque caricature no one would even think to listen to him. No, he always presents his enticement as something good, something desirable, something fun. Thus he deceives people and lures them to destruction. Know this: the purpose, the end game of Satan, is to destroy you. Little lies, then greater lies, and he achieves his objective. What lies has Satan convinced you of? Think about it. Think long and hard. For he approaches EVERY person with lies. Which lies have you fallen for? Jesus said, "I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life." John 14:6 Jesus does not present the truth as something lovely, though it is. The truth can be very painful. But receiving it will set you free. "If you abide in my Word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and THE TRUTH shall set you free.” John 8:31-32 To follow Jesus Christ is to abide in truth, sometimes in painful truth, USUALLY in painful truth. But it is only the truth that can set a person free. The truth stands opposed to the lies of Satan. The truth stands opposed to all the works of the devil, and Jesus stands in your life and mine, showing us the lies we have fallen for and drawing us out of the lies, drawing us out of all the works of the devil - to set us free. "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might DESTROY the works of the devil." 1 John 3:8 Father, I pray in the name of Jesus for anyone reading this who has been deceived by the "beautiful lies" of Satan - that today you would reveal that to them. Oh Father, how the multitudes go happily into destruction, and how it grieves your heart. Show them the truth I pray. Open their eyes to see it and their hearts to receive it and lead them out of gross deception into the truth that will truly set them free.

Horoscopes And Other Occult Practices

"Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, and the monthly prognosticators stand up and save you from what shall come upon you. Behold, they shall be as stubble..." Isaiah 47:13-14 What are astrologers? What are stargazers? This is the practice of seeking to guide one's life by the stars. Astrology is the whole subject behind horoscopes. The practice goes back millennia and is soundly forbidden by the Word of Almighty God. Is it an insignificant thing to dabble in it? Not only is it significant, it is deadly. The Word of Almighty God pronounces a curse upon all who dabble in the occult, regardless whether or not it is deemed "insignificant." I've seen the effects of this kind of curse, and I cannot stress strongly enough how serious this subject is. Lives have been destroyed by the results of opening doors like this into one's life. New Age practices are deadly.

Occult practices are deadly. And they are forbidden. Because they are deadly. King Saul of Israel was in a hard place and desperately needed advice, so he disguised himself and went to a medium. For this sin, he died the very next day. "So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the Word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance." 1st Chronicles 10:13 Why does God hate this particular sin so much? It's because it is spiritual adultery. Adultery is going to another, to a forbidden one, to obtain the information that one wants. Many go to fortune tellers seeking answers, or seeking direction, or seeking advice. But these sources are forbidden by the Word of God. There are only two sources of the supernatural, God, and Satan. When one seeks answers or guidance or information from one who practices the occult "arts," they are tapping into the supernatural world of Satan. God doesn't mince words in speaking of this. He created us for himself, and when someone seeks anything supernatural from an occult source, that person is slapping God their Creator in the face, and in doing so they are committing spiritual adultery. When one dabbles in any kind of fortune telling or other occult practice, the judgment on this particular sin brings disaster on his descendants down to the fourth generation. And this is very observable. The most common judgments are mental illness, tragedy, and premature death. Many times it will be the children who are affected. Satan isn't kind. "For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love me and keep my commandments." Exodus 20:4-6 But as terrible as this principle is, there IS mercy IF a person repents. Note the Scripture above from Exodus. Although the iniquity might go down to the 4th generation, the Lord continues,"...but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love me and keep my commandments." His commandment is to totally reject and remounce all dabbling in the occult, or in "New Age" practices. Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15 To commit spiritual adultery is to not keep his commandments. Scripture says that those who do these things are those who hate God. That is HIS definition. You can't say you love God if you are dabbling in the forbidden areas of occultism. Take a deep look into your family history and discern whether this kind of sin brought judgment upon the family. If so, you can receive mercy by confessing the sins committed and by soundly renouncing those sins, taking a stand in opposition to them. Rid your home of every single thing that has anything to do with the occult. Jewelry, statues, books on occult topics, Ouija Boards, tarot cards, horoscope items, “new age” items - ask the Holy Spirit to point out to you anything that must go, and then destroy whatever he points out to you. Do not give any of it away, do not pass the curse onto anyone else. You must destroy all occult and “new age” objects. “Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.” Acts 19:19 They must be destroyed regardless of the value of those things, and NOT be given to another because of their monetary value. Don't pass curses onto someone else. Thus you can spare not only yourself, but your children for several generations down.