You that love the Lord, hate evil
It must be understood that no matter how much we disguise it in its modern day application, the celebration of Halloween cannot be divorced from the accompanying spiritual implications and the attendant demonic attachments. Halloween is much more than candy and costumes, and its celebration, regardless of your motives, promotes and celebrates the spirit behind it.
Consider this excerpt from the Colorado Springs Gazette.com of October 30, 1998:
But Halloween also is a serious celebration in the pagan religious year, when the wall between the living and the dead is the thinnest. In other words, the holiday signifies an unusual closeness to the spirits of the dead.
On Saturday night, 150 to 200 people, many of them pagans, are expected to gather at All Souls Unitarian Church of North Tejon Street for a potluck supper along with some drumming, dancing, and ritual ceremonies relating to the dead.
“Halloween is a big holiday for us”, said Chris West, a founder of Earth Spirit Pagans, a group of about 70 people who practice witchcraft and sponsor an annual Halloween celebration (emphasis mine) [1]
If, according to the above excerpt, communicating with the dead is indeed a focus of the celebration of Halloween, then it is in direct violation of the scripture which states:
When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? -Isaiah 8:19
Ted Haggard (former senior pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs), displayed remarkable insight into the occult roots of Halloween in an article that he wrote. He had this to say:
During the weeks that surround Halloween, people seem to be uniquely aware of the supernatural realm. It is the only holiday in this country that focuses on death and darkness. Halloween is the time when Americans visit haunted houses, hold séances, dress like vampires and warlocks and watch scary movies-all in fun. But many people lack a basic biblical understanding of the spiritual realities associated with death and the devil – and what they don’t know can hurt them. (Emphasis mine) [2]
To fully understand the negative spiritual impact of Halloween on our society we must understand that there are three kinds of spiritual forces in operation, which exert influence on the human spirit.
· The Holy Spirit (John 4: 23-24)
· Angels (Psalm 8: 4,5)
· Satan and demons ( 2 Corinthians 11:14,15)
The influence of one or the other of these is always actively involved in the affairs of humanity, whether we give credence to that fact or not.
There is a constant battle waged between darkness and light for the control of the human soul and Halloween is a major entry point for Satan and his demons to sway the battle in their favor. Here are just a few reasons why:
·The Jack o’lantern came from the tale of a notorious man named Jack, who was turned away from both heaven and hell. Consigned to roam the earth as a spirit, Jack put a glowing coal into a carved-out turnip to light his way through the night. This harbinger (which became a pumpkin) symbolized a damned soul.
·Halloween costumes come from a Celtic druid idea that ceremonial participants should wear animal heads and animal skins to acquire the strength of the beast they portrayed.
·Trick or Treat came from the Irish tradition when a man led a procession to levy contributions from farmers, lest their crops be cursed by demons.
·Masks have traditionally been an animistic means of superstitiously warding off evil spirits or changing the personality of the wearer to communicate with the spirit world.[3]
Trick or Treat will bring defeat
So, how do we respond in prayer to the celebration of this feast I hear you ask? Well, I’m glad you asked since I was going to tell you anyway.
.We must pray that God would open the eyes of the parents so that we see the harm that is being done to our children through the celebration of this feast. (Acts 28: 26-27)
·We must pray against the influx of the demonic into our cities during this season. We must actively bind the strongman of the occult and witchcraft. (Ephesians 6: 12- 13)
·We must pray that witches and warlocks do not find our city conductive to their ritual celebrations during this period (Proverbs 26:2)
·We must pray that guardian angels with flaming swords will place a hedge of protection around our city during this period. (Genesis 3:24)
·We must saturate the atmosphere with worship and praise during this season so as to invite the presence of the Holy Spirit (Psalm 22:3)
·Finally, we should engage in an alternate celebration completely unassociated with Halloween. Family (Hallelujah) Night or a focus on Reformation Day, are two alternatives. At The Well we host an annual event we call Noche de la Luz (Night of the Light). It was October 31, 1517, that Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the Castle Church door in Wittenberg;[4]
Showing posts with label Halloween and the Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Halloween and the Church. Show all posts
Friday, October 26, 2007
Halloween's Deadly Door: Fact or Fiction? (Part 2)
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Halloween's Deadly Door: Fact or Fiction?
Over the next few days I will be posting a series on halloween from an article I wrote for Pray! magazine a couple of years ago. The article itself was excerpted from a book on witchcraft that I was working on at the time. If you don't believe in this sort of thing that's fine. I write this for those who are obliviously ignorant of the inherent dangers of the dark spirit world, and who might, in this season when darkness is unwittingly celebrated, be opening themselves up to more than they are aware.
Welcome, won’t you come on in?
It’s late in the evening and the lights are out in most homes on Kennedy Boulevard. Except for a few vagrants foraging through the garbage for scraps of food, and an occasional barking dog, the streets are devoid of life. An eerie silence hangs over the little town of Asgard as ominous storm clouds gather, casting long shadows against the backdrop of gray buildings. The thirsty ground sucks up the driving rain, as the vagrants scurry for shelter, leaving the impression of a ghost-town.
A few of the bolder townsfolk tentatively peer through theirs shutters, but most of the inhabitants huddle together in their living rooms, whispering, waiting, and wondering. The mysterious and gory deaths of four of the town’s residents at last year’s celebration of the feast have left a bitter taste in their mouths, and they can’t help but wonder what this year’s celebration has in store for their small but close knit community.
It is the feast of All Hallows. Unseen to the natural eye, there is a flurry of activity in the town of Asgard. This is the one feast that demons look forward to, the one celebration all year that pays homage to ghouls, goblins and ghosts, darkness and evil. It is the time of year when the line between the dark spirit world and the human world is thinnest. The demons swarm in like hungry locusts looking to devour everyone in their path. But they are not here as uninvited guests. You see, unwittingly, the inhabitants of Asgard have invited them into their town, their homes, and consequently their lives.
Sound like another Frank Peretti bestseller? Unfortunately, this is not fiction. Like Peretti’s books, the town above is fictional, but unlike his books, the story line is real.
Open doors lead to open hearts
The Bible is replete with warnings against “opening” ourselves up to the dark spirit world, and reminds us that we are continually in a battle that is not being waged against humans but against unseen spiritual forces in the heavenly places.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms – Ephesians 6:12
One of many doors that open our cities up to the dark world of the occult is the celebration of Halloween. Among numerous other practices that are an inadvertent venture into the occult, the celebration of this feast leaves us exposed to the influx of the demonic.
Halloween is a feast that celebrates the dead and the dark spirit world. As unsuspecting, well-meaning people delve into all sorts of “fun” things like “trick or treat” and dressing up in costumes (the more fiendish or devilish the better), they open themselves up to spiritual influences that they may not even be aware of. In almost every store on Main Street USA, you will find an entire section dedicated to Halloween costumes promoting dark fantasies. Ordinarily parents would be concerned if their children came home from school decked out in vampire costumes complete with fangs. However during Halloween this is quite acceptable. Harmless fun? You be the judge!
The origin of Halloween should serve as a warning for us to stay away from such activities. The celebration of Halloween dates back to the ancient Celtic people. They lived about 2000 years ago in the geographic are that today marks out Ireland, the United Kingdom and France. The feast, originally known as the feast of Samhain (pronounced sow-ain), was celebrated on November 1 in commemoration of their New Year. The Celts believed that on the night before the New Year, the boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead became blurred. On October 31, the eve of the feast, they believed that Samhain, who was generally recognized as the lord of death, assembled the spirits of all who had died during the previous year. During this time, it was said that the spirits of the dead returned to earth to visit the living.
During the actual celebration of the feast, crops and animals were burned on a huge bonfire as sacrifices to appease the appetite of Samhain. By the 800’s the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands, and in the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saint’s Day to honor saints and martyrs. This celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowsmas (from Middle English alholowmesse meaning All Saints’ Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween.
It’s late in the evening and the lights are out in most homes on Kennedy Boulevard. Except for a few vagrants foraging through the garbage for scraps of food, and an occasional barking dog, the streets are devoid of life. An eerie silence hangs over the little town of Asgard as ominous storm clouds gather, casting long shadows against the backdrop of gray buildings. The thirsty ground sucks up the driving rain, as the vagrants scurry for shelter, leaving the impression of a ghost-town.
A few of the bolder townsfolk tentatively peer through theirs shutters, but most of the inhabitants huddle together in their living rooms, whispering, waiting, and wondering. The mysterious and gory deaths of four of the town’s residents at last year’s celebration of the feast have left a bitter taste in their mouths, and they can’t help but wonder what this year’s celebration has in store for their small but close knit community.
It is the feast of All Hallows. Unseen to the natural eye, there is a flurry of activity in the town of Asgard. This is the one feast that demons look forward to, the one celebration all year that pays homage to ghouls, goblins and ghosts, darkness and evil. It is the time of year when the line between the dark spirit world and the human world is thinnest. The demons swarm in like hungry locusts looking to devour everyone in their path. But they are not here as uninvited guests. You see, unwittingly, the inhabitants of Asgard have invited them into their town, their homes, and consequently their lives.
Sound like another Frank Peretti bestseller? Unfortunately, this is not fiction. Like Peretti’s books, the town above is fictional, but unlike his books, the story line is real.
Open doors lead to open hearts
The Bible is replete with warnings against “opening” ourselves up to the dark spirit world, and reminds us that we are continually in a battle that is not being waged against humans but against unseen spiritual forces in the heavenly places.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms – Ephesians 6:12
One of many doors that open our cities up to the dark world of the occult is the celebration of Halloween. Among numerous other practices that are an inadvertent venture into the occult, the celebration of this feast leaves us exposed to the influx of the demonic.
Halloween is a feast that celebrates the dead and the dark spirit world. As unsuspecting, well-meaning people delve into all sorts of “fun” things like “trick or treat” and dressing up in costumes (the more fiendish or devilish the better), they open themselves up to spiritual influences that they may not even be aware of. In almost every store on Main Street USA, you will find an entire section dedicated to Halloween costumes promoting dark fantasies. Ordinarily parents would be concerned if their children came home from school decked out in vampire costumes complete with fangs. However during Halloween this is quite acceptable. Harmless fun? You be the judge!
The origin of Halloween should serve as a warning for us to stay away from such activities. The celebration of Halloween dates back to the ancient Celtic people. They lived about 2000 years ago in the geographic are that today marks out Ireland, the United Kingdom and France. The feast, originally known as the feast of Samhain (pronounced sow-ain), was celebrated on November 1 in commemoration of their New Year. The Celts believed that on the night before the New Year, the boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead became blurred. On October 31, the eve of the feast, they believed that Samhain, who was generally recognized as the lord of death, assembled the spirits of all who had died during the previous year. During this time, it was said that the spirits of the dead returned to earth to visit the living.
During the actual celebration of the feast, crops and animals were burned on a huge bonfire as sacrifices to appease the appetite of Samhain. By the 800’s the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands, and in the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saint’s Day to honor saints and martyrs. This celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowsmas (from Middle English alholowmesse meaning All Saints’ Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween.
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