The Christian's Response to Halloween

Halloween is hailed as the second biggest holiday in the year (the first being Christmas). It is known as being the holy day for our enemy (witches, the Satanic church, pagans). Of course, the Roman Catholic Church tried to "Christianize" the day, making it a little less evil and a little easier for the people of God to compromise on. Their efforts succeeded because, now, there are disputes among Christians as to whether or not we should observe the Day of the Dead.

So here is the question: What should be our response to Halloween? Should we run from it, afraid? Should we "Christianize" it and add a little Jesus in the evil mix? Should we participate in some, just not all, the traditions? What do we do? Below is my opinion and how my husband and I have resolved to respond to various scenarios of Halloween.

1. Carving pumpkins. Considering the origin of the Jack-o-Lantern, we have resolved to stay away from carving faces in pumpkins. It being the fall, I like putting out hay bales and pumpkins on the lawn or porch. I will hang an autumn wreath. I will acknowledge the fall season leading up to Thanksgiving. But a carved (or even painted) pumpkin, for Halloween or any other time for that matter, will not be done.
             
2. Trick-or-Treating. It sounds harmless but, again, being fully aware of the origin of trick-or-treating and what it was (and still is, whether we are ignorant of it or not), we have resolved to never participate in it. We are aware that many will tell us to lighten up and let our son go have some fun, but let me just say, as Joshua did, "As for me and my house...." we will not support or be involved in a tradition whose origins are satanic. We will not reenact age-old Druid rituals and traditions.
              
3. Costumes. Did you know that the original purpose of masks and costumes was to disguise oneself as a harmful spirit? The Celtic origin of the costumes was to conceal your true identity and, instead, masquerade as a demon or evil spirit so you could avoid harm. So, being fully aware, we will not purchase or wear costumes.
                  
4. Haunted Houses. Haunted houses, spook houses, all of them have one goal - to scare you. Each one uses their own tactics. Autopsy rooms, funeral services, tombs, potion cellars, spiders, bats, vampires, zombies - people use whatever they can to make the spectator tremble with fear. Knowing that we, as Christians, serve the God of light (in whom is no darkness at all), we will not be found anywhere near such "houses."
                     
5. Trunk-or-Treat. A common alternative to trick-or-treat is "trunk-or-treat" where Church members will park in their Church parking lot and pass out candy and tracts to the trick-or-treaters. I'm sure whoever came up with this idea meant well and I understand a passion to spread the gospel. I'm 100% for spreading tracts and sharing the gospel and God can use trunk-or-treat to do that. But I, personally, just have an issue with it. In my mind, I'm still supporting treat-or-treat. I am still reenacting those ancient practices that are evil. That's my personal conviction. It may not be yours and that's okay. Regardless, I urge you to pray about ways we, as Christians, can be the light without compromise.

                  
Jeremiah 10:2 says, "Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen..." I believe very strongly that we should respond to Halloween with offensive tactics and loudly declare, "We will NOT! And not only will we NOT, we are going to do everything we can to encourage others to "NOT."  As children of the light, a Christian's response should be likewise. We should have no (meaning: none, nada, zilch, zero) fellowship with the works of the darkness (Ephesians 5:11). We should be peculiar and set-apart and different from the world.
             

Can you imagine what would take place if the people of God would get some backbone, stand up, and refuse to indulge in occultic holidays? Can you imagine the statement it would make if we gave no money towards Halloween candy, cards, and costumes? Can you imagine the impact we would have on the world if we firmly planted our feet on the truth of the Word of God and gave no support for the Day of the Dead? Can you imagine the legacy we would leave if we, parents, would sit our kids down and tell them the truth? If we taught them to refuse to compromise and instructed them to flee the appearance of evil? If WE led our household by the Words of the God who has no darkness in Him? If we cared more about what HE has said than about accommodating and pacifying our children? Dare I say that if we acted in THAT way, the Lord would POUR out His blessings upon us and our country like never before?

Ephesians 4:27

"Neither give place to the devil."

In Him is No Darkness

May I share something that the Lord has changed in my life?

Last year, one evening, Grant and I were wanting to watch a movie. We had our typical conversation:

What do you want to watch?

I don't know, what do YOU want to watch?

Finally, we settled on a "scary movie." Now, to begin, I will say that we have some strict rules in our home. There are no R-rated movies in our house. And we are watchful of the PG-13 movies as well. This movie was a PG-13 "thriller" and we were in the mood to be "thrilled," I suppose. So we settled down on the couch, turned the lights off, and started the movie.

I have never watched a horror movie in my life. The movie "Jaws" makes me jump clear out of my skin and is what I call, a scary "jumping" movie. So I assumed that this "thriller" would be much like that. There was no language to worry about. It had no Voodoo or anything evil that it glorified. It was harmless....or so I thought. However, by the movie's end that night, I was shaking with fear. The movie wasn't about anything spiritual. The whole scenario was unrealistic and, if you truly think about it, maybe a bit lame. It wasn't classified as a horror movie. Just a thriller. Just a little fear....right?

Oh no.

Once the movie was over, I jumped up and turned on all the lights in our house. Being late at night, Grant and I headed to bed, but I found myself unable to immediately hop into bed and fall asleep. I had the lights bright and tried to clear my mind. That night I dreamed about the movie. Anytime Grant or I discussed the movie, I would usually have have trouble sleeping or end up having some sort of nightmare. I didn't understand it. I didn't watch horror movies, I never tampered with anything spiritual or "evil." I wasn't a fraidy cat, scared of my own shadow. I could pretty much handle my own.... So, what was wrong??

Darkness.

Suffice it to say, it didn't take long for me to realize that I had justified that movie because it wasn't a "real" scary movie. I justified it because it was PG-13 for "thematic elements and disturbing images." I justified a lot....but I ended up being so terrified that when Grant would mention anything associated with the movie, I couldn't handle it. There had to be something more that I wasn't seeing.

So I did some serious soul searching and I allowed God to shine a light on a seemingly small area of my life.

Darkness.

Up until then, I would never have entertained the possibility that there could be an area of darkness in my life. But I realized then that there was! I had pursued a movie that was saturated in darkness and that played on my nerves, driving me to fear. I had found nothing wrong with it because it was "tame" and "harmless" yet overlooked and forgotten the fact that the standards of God are FAR different from the standards of this world. Hollywood said that it was "innocent." I know now that the Lord put it in a totally opposite category. There was nothing innocent or harmless about it. That is always one of the first things we forget - that God thinks very differently than the way we think. His standards are higher. His definitions, different. His love, greater. His judgement, more sure. His truth, absolute. And I have no doubt that if we had prayerfully consulted Him that night in our movie-dicision, we would have never lowered the bar.
  
Our society glorifies the darkness. Have you noticed how incredibly dark and sinister the horror movies are getting? The previews are enough to make you scream! Have you seen how much money movies that glorify evil are making? Have you counted how many TV shows are about witches, vampires, wizards, and ghosts? Even the Disney channel and the Cartoon network is filled with them! Wonder why that is? Simple. Our world is growing increasingly sinful and as a result, it is becoming increasingly filled with darkness. John 3:19-21 puts it perfectly....

"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."

We are naturally drawn to darkness because we are sinful creatures. As long as sin is in this world, we will wrestle against our flesh and against the darkness of sin. It makes sense....

However, as the redeemed of God, we are no longer children of the darkness, but of the light! As Paul said in Ephesians 5:8, "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light." Since we are no longer in darkness, we should endeavor to walk in the glorious light of Christ, leaving the works of darkness behind. It all goes back to separation. From the very beginning, God separated light from darkness.

Genesis 1:4 - "And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness."

Why should we think that there shouldn't be a separation between the people of God and the things of this world when God divided the night from the light at the beginning of creation? Clearly, it is an important division! And spiritually speaking, since we have the God of light living in our hearts, there should be no smidgen of darkness in us at all! No sin, for He is holy. No darkness, for He is light. No night, for He is day. No dirt, for He is clean and righteous. It is easy to forget, yes. It is easy to slip back into a justification mode, yes. It is very easy to grow lazy and slack. But over and over again in Scripture, God reminds us (because we definitely need reminding!) that we should follow in His footsteps; walking in the light, showcasing light in our lives, spreading light, shining the light, running to the light!....etc. etc. etc.

I definitely learned my lesson last year on that night. Since then, I haven't watched any "scary/thriller/spooky/jumping" movie. I was greatly convicted that evening and resolved to never again play with something that can cause me to be afraid or that is filled with or glorifies darkness.

Why? Many reasons; the main reason being that I serve a Holy God who has no darkness in Him whatsoever. And if I am to be His hands, His feet, His mouthpiece - His vessel - I need to be as much like Him as I can be. And that means ridding myself of darkness as well.

Luke 11:35
Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.

John 12:46
I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

Romans 13:12
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

2 Corinthians 6:14
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

1 Thessalonians 5:5
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

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

   
I challenge you to let the light of God shine upon your life and your heart and, like David said to God, "see if there be any wicked place in me." I have to do this every day or I will stumble back into the darkness. Let us resolve to step out of the darkness and walk as children of Light.
                    
1 John 1:5
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

Give Me Love Like This!

Many crowd the Saviour’s Kingdom,
Few receive His Cross,
Many seek His consolation,
Few will suffer loss,
For the dear sake of the Master,
Counting all but dross.

Many sit at Jesus’ table,
Few will fast with Him
When the sorrow-cup of anguish
Trembles to the brim-
Few watch with Him in the garden
Who have sung the hymn.

Many will confess His wisdom,
Few embrace His shame,
Many, should He smile upon them,
Will His praise proclaim;
Then, if for awhile He leave them,
They desert His Name.

But the souls who love Him truly
Whether for woe or bliss,
These will count their truest heart’s blood
Not their own but His:
Saviour, Thou who thus hast loved me,
Give me love like this.

—Amy Carmichael

Christian Separation

Here is question every Christian should ask themselves every day:

"Am I separate from this world?"

Many have the belief that the gospel should be appealing and welcoming to everyone. Though it is most definitely welcoming (Jesus came and died for the "whosoever's"), it is not appealing. When we are told to die to self, that goes against our nature. When we are told to pick up our cross, that's downright uncomfortable! When we are told to follow Christ, it sounds awesome....but we forget that by following Him, we travel a narrow road; a less populated road; most times a lonely road.

But we are commanded to be separate.

2 Corinthians 6:17a
"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord..."

I have noticed that Christian separation is becoming nearly non-existent. Instead, we try to win more people to Jesus by being cool, hip, and involved in many worldly activities and interests. We use the "love and grace" card, yet never confront sin at its core.

YES, Jesus loves you!!! YES, His grace abounds!!!! And praise our God for this fact! But He still calls us to be transformed; to totally revamp and renew our minds. He still commands us to be separate. We are to have a different way of thinking and a desire to flee everything worldly and cleave to all that is Godly and holy.

"But why not just love everyone and live our lives in love? That will show them Jesus."

Yes, that will show them one side of Jesus. But the world needs to know that though Jesus loves you, He loves you TOO MUCH for you to stay the way you are. He loves to you too much for you to look like, act like, and be like the world of sin that He saved you from.

"But why can't I look like and act like the world in order to show others that Jesus loves them and wants them?"

Zacchaeus figured it out. So did Paul. Paul was not converted by observing a Christian who lived or acted just like him. The thief on the cross was not converted by Jesus being a thief like he was. NO. Those who were converted were saved the way they were by the God who never changes. Jesus does not morph into a Gothic to reach a Gothic. No, He comes to them just the way He is and knocks on the door of their heart and asks to come in. And once He enters our hearts and minds, HE changes US! WE are the ones who should change and who should, then, be separate.

So how can we do this? How can we be separate as a Christian? Let's talk about some ways...


1) We are to be separated in our beliefs.

The heathen have their own system of beliefs. As believers, we must obey the Bible, whether it feels good or not. We must constantly be on guard against adopting worldly quotes and reasoning into our mind. We must analyze everything we hear using the Bible as our measuring stick. Carnal thinking is completely backwards from the Bible. As Christians, we need to seek the truth, asking God's Spirit to guide us.


2) We are to be separated in our lifestyles.

We should not go to taverns, nightclubs, and other heathen establishments. No Christian should ever spend a dime to go to ungodly movies or ungodly music concerts. We should not support sinful things produced by the Godless world. We are surrounded by Satan. Let us be separate in our daily lifestyles.


3) We are to be separated in our fellowship.

Christians should have little dealings with those who are openly living in sin. We should never be unkind or mean to anyone, rather we should always be loving. The Bible commands us to be blameless and harmless as believers, not rendering evil for evil. The Bible tells us to go and preach and win the world to Christ, yet there is still to be a clear separation between people of the light and people of the darkness.

  
4) We are to be separated in our conversation.

From listening to many professed Christians, you'd never know that they were a child of the Most High God. I have always been shocked and burdened when I hear a professed "Christian" use foul language or take God's name in vain (or anyone for that matter). I used to work in an establishment around many people who claimed to be Christians. I heard cursing and ungodly language by the very ones who professed Christ as their Savior. Now, don't get me wrong. I am not saying that they were not saved. However my point is that we are the only Jesus that someone may know. If we are worldly, others may miss Heaven because of our tarnished and "conformed" testimony. We should be very careful what we say. God tells us to "season" our words with grace (i.e., look for opportunities to include God in our conversations). Sadly, many people look for opportunities to make sexual innuendos because their mind is continually in the gutter. This should not be the testimony of a child of God. If nothing else, keep your mouth shut.

    
5) We are to be separated from the world in entertainment.

Most movies are full of complete and total ungodliness. Sexual innuendos abound. Foul language is the norm. Crude speech is labeled as funny. Fornication, adultery, homosexuality, witchcraft, and paganism is accepted. Support the movies, you support the mentality. It is no different with music. The average believer is very immature in the Lord. I can sadly say that I have only met a small handful of truly mature Christians in my life. Any music, movie, or TV show that glorifies sin is evil. And anything that has the APPEARANCE of worldliness and evil is to be fled from at all costs. (1 Thessalonians 5:22)


As a fellow sister in Christ, I am asking my brothers and sisters in the Lord to come out and be separate.