A Biblical Perspective On Halloween

A Biblical Perspective on Halloween

Deuteronomy 18:9-22

Col.2:6-10, 3:1-6

What’s this hubbub all about Re: Halloween? Think with me, how do the ancients think? Many of us today even grow up being afraid of the dark, right? What about the old days, when they do not have electricity to light up the night? As fall gives way to winter, snow arrives days grow darker sooner, colder, oohh…howling winds, creepy, scary… so naturally afraid, so they made sacrifices to the gods…

Some took advantage of this fear and they made a killing pardon the pun by collecting treats from fearful people and some practice human sacrifice to appease spirit world who controls darkness. Big picture here: FEAR!

This is way of the detestable nations, the way of fear and the Bible says do not learn to imitate their ways (Deut.18:9). Why do folks want to do stuff as described in Deut.18:10-11? FEAR! of the unknown! That somehow we need to appease those angry spirits... they are beyond control of mortals...

Begin to believe …Dead evil spirits roam earth and are out get us!

Druids in Celtic Europe masquerade as evil spirits (costume idea) such to get goodies. Belief that wear masks- confuse ghosts/spirits that they are on the same side so won’t bother the living.

So we know the truth is that Halloween’s deepest roots are decidedly pagan, and unlike Christmas and Easter, it as kept those pagan roots, despite its now Christian name. Christians didn’t simply speak out; they tried to institute a Christian alternative. All Hallow’s Day (November 1) was a celebration of all "the holies" - those people who had died faithful to Christ.

Light against darkness. Life against death. Faith against fear!

But Halloween in our culture has become an odd mixture of tributes to Draculas and roaming spirits, TV superheroes and comic characters, and participation in innocent harvest festivals and costume parties. Through the centuries, Christians of most persuasions have tried to transform this pagan holiday into a Christian one. How does one take a genuinely Christian stance today?

First, we gotta know anything that diminishes God and worship of Him is No good!

That is why God does not like it one bit folks put so much into the occult (Deut.18:12-13) because it diminishes God, and it trivializes the worship of God by replacing it with fear of other spiritual entities, as if the other spirits are as powerful as the LORD!

There is no other God and for Israel to go that route is surely a statement that they have forgotten by His mighty hand He has conquered the powers of Egypt and all their opponents! Now they want to go that way, to God is a real insult and unthinkable!

God has raised up prophets like Moses, fulfilled ultimately in Jesus, but does anyone listen (Deut.18:15)? Choose to listen to the other "powers"?

Now today, colored by Hollywood, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, teenage slasher films, evil seems cool

some can’t tell what’s real, what’s not,… who are we listening to when we evaluate spiritual powers?

Now people are buying into psychics, occult fairs, cults abound - they are not a novelty thing any more. It’s bandied about as legit!

In a culture where everyhting goes, we are swamped by false claims, cures, gurus, power encounters stories and it seems we have little to fall back on to evaluate these claims.

Eastern mysticism - I grew up with it! ALL I know about is again that word "fear." Who get rich with it? The temples and the mediums as they manipulate others for donations to curry the favor of the gods and spirits. But now it is all the rage - see, movie stars spouting off psuedo-religious gobble de gook such as Shirley Maclaine, Travolta, Gere... Guess who profits?

Rational people are afraid of unknown again – becoming superstitious, see how our cool ball players even succumbed to such irrational beliefs, eat chicken dinners to get base hits???

easily duped into thinking superstition really works when they are just fooling themselves

What shall we do?

1. Choose to listen to God’s revealed truth.

God has raised up proven prophets, who has revealed His truth... but do we listen? "You must listen to him" says Deut.18:15. Reason: fear of supernatural has caused God to raise peophets up (18:16), sinful folks can’t bear to hear from God, so God raised up prophets, but will they listen? History tell us, NO.

Today let us Be wise not unwise (Eph.5:15-16). Be informed, get the truth. Otherwise we stumble in fear of the bogeyman… Sense of paralyzing fear. We ought to see regard halloween as a day of evil, but also “make the most of every opportunity because the days are evil!” Not just Oct.31 is evil, everyday is. Takes no rocket scientist to figure that out. Look at the evil: talk of war, violence in sports like hockey, how the BC gov’t handling the money pit fast ferry, lists goes on…. Don’t make one day more evil than any other each day is evil enuff!