HALLOWEEN WARNING!
10-24-10 New Liberty Christian Church, Veedersburg, IN with Pastor Richard T. McQuinn
TEXT: REVELATION 12:9-12, I PETER 5:8-9
The Great dragon was thrown down out of heaven. He is that old snake called the devil or satan, who tricks the whole world. The dragon with his angels was thrown down to the earth. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying: “The Salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have now come. The accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accused them day and night before our God, has been thrown down. Our brothers and sisters defeated him, by the blood of the Lamb’s death and by the message that they preached. They did not love their lives so much that they were afraid of death. So rejoice you heavens and all who live there! But it will be terrible for the earth and the seas because the devil has come down to you! He is filled with anger, because he knows he does not have much time. Revelation.
Control yourselves and be careful! The devil, your enemy, goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat. Refuse to give in to him, by standing strong in your faith. I Peter.
INTRODUCTION: We begin the last week of October 2010. For weeks the retail stores have been building their displays concerning ghost, goblins, witches and devils. They count on the sales of costumes, candies, fruit, candles and special movies to promote this season. Many of your television shows this week will have some thing about Halloween—a pagan holiday.
Many of our neighborhood children will be out going door to door asking for a treat---usually candies. I did see on commercial on television this week where the children came to the door and were received by a couple handing out fresh pancakes and maple syrup. The women asked the kids to open their bags and she plopped down a pancake into each bag, followed by the man who poured the syrup right into the bag. Now that is a new idea to bring to the trick or treat table.
Pranks, parties, arrest, ghost stories and séances will all be tagged this week to come out of storage. What turns you on or off about this weird day? You know already that it is on our calendars each year on October 31. You know of course that it is the Eve before All Saints Day. All Saints day is practiced each year by many God fearing families. Pray for the dead, pray for the souls lost in hell, and pray for to the Saints to help family members get from Hades to Heaven.
A druid was a member of the priestly class in Gaul and possibly other parts of Celtic Western Europe during the Iron Age. Very little is currently known about the ancient druids as they left no written accounts about themselves, and the only evidence of them are a few descriptions left by Greek and Roman authors, and stories created by later mediaeval Irish writers.[2] While archaeological evidence has been uncovered pertaining to the religious practices of the Celtic people, "not one single artifact or image has been unearthed that can undoubtedly be connected with the ancient Druids."[3] Various recurring themes emerge in a number of the Greco-Roman accounts of the druids, including that they performed human sacrifice, believed in a form of reincarnation, and that they held a high position in Gaulish society. Next to nothing is known about their cultic practice, except for the ritual of oak and mistletoe as described by Pliny the Elder.
The earliest known reference to the druids dates to 200 BCE, although the oldest actual description comes from the Roman military general Julius Caesar in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico (50s BCE). Later Greco-Roman writers also described the druids, including Cicero,[4] Tacitus[5] and Pliny the Elder,[6] Following the invasion of Gaul by the Roman Empire, druidism was suppressed by the Roman government under the 1st-century emperors Tiberius and Claudius, and it disappeared from the written record by the 2nd century, although there were likely later survivals in the British Isles.[7]
The druids then also appear in some of the mediaeval tales from Christianised Ireland like the Táin Bó Cúailnge, where they are largely portrayed as sorcerers who opposed the coming of Christianity.[8]
In the wake of the Celtic revival during the 18th and 19th centuries, fraternal and Neopagan groups were founded based upon the ideas about the ancient druids, a movement which is known as Neo-druidry.[9]
Halloween dates back to the Roman days when a group called the Druids celebrated the day of Saman. He is known as the Lord of the Dead! How would you like a title like that one? The Druids believed that on October 31 of each year, Saman would call together all of the souls of the wicked who had died during the past year. The Druids were an ancient order of priest that believed that the black cats were really human beings that were being punished because of their evil deeds. They were allowed a certain amount of freedom to roam around on the earth every October 31. They were believed to all to have some special power on the night before All Saints Day---November 1.
My objective today is to get you off center a bit. To get you off of your complacency about this subject. Just because Halloween is a common place event on our calendars, then it is no sign that we have to give in to many of the so called practices that are acquainted with the celebration.
Our writer, John, of Revelation warns us of a coming war that will soon take place. The text describes a battle and calls satan a number of names to describe him.
When we go to Webster’s Dictionary we find A definition. Satan is known as the enemy of ALL mankind. He is the prince of all evil.
Satan is to many people many things. To some he is a friend, to others he is an enemy. To some he gives food, shelter, jobs and money. To others he gives nothing but trouble
Today I would like for us to group our thoughts around three characteristics about this old serpent. I want to make sure you are properly warned about the up and coming battle that John tells us about.
Such books as Satan is Alive and Well on Planet Earth, The Late Great Planet Earth, or yet even Demons, Demons, Demons all have a great deal to say about satan and his family of trouble makers, but it is the Bible, God’s Holy Word, from God Almighty that we base these three characteristics on.
I. HE IS TERRIBLY UGLY
Immediately when I say the word devil or satan you come up with a picture in your mind don’t you? Many of you might even laugh at some of the word pictures that you remember every since you were old enough to remember.
Please name for me what you picture satan to be like:
His color is Red
He carries a Pitch Fork
His tail is long and has two points at the end
He breathes out fire
His skin can start a fire just by touching something
He has dragon breath
He has horns on the top of his head
If he looked like that, we would not have any trouble falling into sin would we?
The devil is REAL. If you believe in the Bible you must believe in the devil. I am warning you not to take this lightly or give a thought that it is fun and games. I am talking to you about some real serious characteristics about your personal enemy. The one who wants to destroy you and your family. Do I have your attention now?
If you disbelieve in him then you are already a perfect example of what he can do through his craftiness and deception which are his finest arts.
The Bible---Gods Holy Word—tells us that he walks, he talks, he temps, he lies, he flatters, he afflicts, he possesses, he influences, he destroys, he sows discord in the church, he quotes and misquotes scripture, he inflicts bodily injury, he afflicts false doctrine in the world, he is the center of false prophets.
He is called satan, the devil, a fallen angel, a roaring lion, the prince of demons, a wolf, a fowl, a prowler, Beelzebub, the dragon, the serpent, Lucifer the angel of light, a great star, the betrayer, an adversary, a wonder worker, a liar, the father of all lies.
His kingdom is of darkness, evil, unrighteousness, hatred, sin, death, hell and the grave. He produces tongues, spiritual experience, and this deceiver has his own false church, a false gospel, a false plan of salvation, a false trinity, false preachers and false followers.
The Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthian church to warn them about this crafty being. In II Corinthians 11:14, Paul writes: Even satan changes himself to look like an angel of light. So it does not surprise us if satan’s servants also make themselves look like servants who work for what is right. But in the end they will be punished for what they do.
Even Isaiah writes about this same warning in chapter 14 with verses 12 through 15.
He keeps warning us to take this real seriously.
Satan is real, invisible at times, powerful person with a powerful personality. Gods Word keeps reminding us over and over again of the eternal conflict between right and wrong. Every day, you have to put up with this tug of war. It is the world you live in.
II. HIS TRUE WORKS----TEMPTATION
You remember fully, I am sure, of Jesus going into the wilderness and being tempted by the devil. He was tempted with food, He was tempted with people, and He was tempted with power. All of which satan was giving his all to get Jesus, the Son of the Living God to give up His quest to Save His People. Satan knew exactly what he was doing to Jesus and Jesus knew exactly what satan was up to. Jesus quoted scripture back to him in defense as we should also do.
Listen to me! Satan never gave up tempting Jesus. If he tempts the Son of God who was perfect on all things, don’t you think he is going to pick on you and me and to cause us to sin?
You may remember satan fully tempted the disciples and especially Peter. When Peter was afraid, lost, embarrassed, he took an oath---he swore---that he never knew Jesus. He not only betrayed Him, but said he never knew Him; He was not a friend of His! If satan tries to knock down the first century disciples who slept, ate, cried, with Christ for at least three solid years, don’t you think he is coming after you and your loved ones?
In the book of Job, chapter 1 and verse 7 we learn that satan walks up and down on the earth looking to whom he can devour.
In the book of Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 2 we find that he is the prince of the air, going anywhere he chose to go. I am telling you that 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, satan never takes time off in wanting to cross up your life and witness.
I warn you that fortune telling, séances, witchcraft, tea leaves, black magic, demonisms, mysticism, satan worship, occultism are all out of hell and are deadly to you and your family. It is not a game. The playing of the Ouija board even just for fun is deadly. Take something common to us, make a game out of it and we let down our guard.
I warn you that even the study of your personal daily horoscopes instead of Gods Holy Word will lead you down a path of wickedness and strife that you may never recover from.
God pity you believers who look in any direction except the Holy Spirit and the Word of God for your personal direction in life.
I warn you once again in bright red letters that you are to not expose your children to any satan games or functions no matter how innocent you believe they are. Use your common sense that God gives to us all. It is bad for you to over expose your children to 30 below zero temperature without a coat for any length of time. You have heard that expression of Monkey see Monkey do. Your children will run a check on you to see just exactly what will you let them get by with.
To all of you who do not take seriously the upbringing of your children, please pay attention. Today our youth are exposed to every thing under the sun to get into trouble with. They are in school, sports, activities and popularity contest. They want to get along with their friends without adult supervision. Are you having serious talks with them NOW? Are you teaching them what to do when they are afraid and not knowing what to do? Are you teaching them the warning signs of satans temptation that will sell them down the tube for the rest of their life?
Are you bringing them up in the Lord? Are they watching you read your Bible for inspiration and teaching? Are you setting a great example for them to admire? Are you leading them to Sunday education classes to Worship services? Do you worship as a family any more?
I am asking you to get on your knees, repent of your sins and ask for wisdom to do what God is so much trying to tell you, teach you and warn you about.
III. HIS GOALS
To put it bluntly, it is his desire to cause you pain, agony, defeat, destruction, disruption, and to damn your soul to hell. He wants no happiness for you or your family.
Job 1:6, Genesis 3:3-5, I Corinthians 10:13 combine tell us all that we have an enemy that will try every single minute of our lives to wear us down. For us to get real tired of being tempted and then give in.
Demons are real today. The spirit world is real, but I say to all of you that satan can not possess your body and thoughts, etc unless you open the door to him.
When you have invited Jesus the Christ into your life as your personal Saviour and Lord, then He sends the Holy Spirit to you, to teach you and protect you. You can not be possessed as some movies, books or even preachers will tell you. BUT, if Jesus is not the Lord of your life then you have your door wide open for satan and his demons to walk right into you life. You have no defense system.
You are a sitting duck if you do not have The Lord of Lords in your life. You and I live and breathe in this world of ours. We are bombarded day in and day out with the pressure of booze, sex, drama, money, lies, cheating, dope, pride, selfishness, greed, and jealously, This is where temptation is displayed every day. We are surrounded by it. If one temptation doesn’t work, satan will try something else or even a weaker time to capture you.
This means don’t take your first drink. Don’t have your first affair. Don’t steal your first dollar. Don’t tell your first lie.
If you are a Christian today, then the authority has been given to you to live your life victoriously. You can defeat daily the evil one by the blood of Jesus Christ
I heard an old, old story,
How a Savior came from glory,
How He gave His life on Calvary
To save a wretch like me:
I heard about His groaning,
Of His precious blood’s atoning
Then I repented of my sins
And won the victory!
Oh victory in Jesus, My Saviour forever
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood,
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him
He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.
You are going to spend this life that has been given to you. You will have a few years to make your mark in history. There will be two great forces that will be tugging after you each day you live. You will have the Power of Jesus the Christ tugging after your heart to redeem you from you sins and to build a place in heaven for you. Then you will have the power of the prince of darkness tugging after you. He will tempt you with many great enjoyable things to make you fall. His job is to capture you when you are weak. He wants your soul in Hell to live with him. This struggle will not be an easy one.
In fact it is a war. The war between good and evil, light and darkness, life and death, eternal life or damnation. You are right smack in the middle of it.
At your time of death Jesus will vote for you. Satan will vote for you. Now it is dead even. You cast the deciding vote on where you will spend your eternal life. If Jesus is your Master and Lord of your life, then you will go and be with Him and the home He has prepared for you. If Jesus is not the Lord of your life then you have everything to lose and nothing to gain. You will be ushered out to spend your eternal life in damnation and hell fire.
Would you be free from your burdens of sin? There is power in the blood, power in the blood. Would you over evil and victory win? There is wonderful power in the blood.
It is the blood of Jesus that gives us forgiveness of our failures and it is His arms that surrounds us, picks us up when we fumble and restores us in perfect condition.
Please heed the warnings and take serious the signs of the times and the rumblings of the tracks showing us that our time is really short. Satan will do his best to murder your witness, joy and purpose. Jesus will do everything to keep you on your personal track of redemption and eternal living
AMEN and AMEN
