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!
2. Evaluate and remember who has power (Deut.18:21-22). Note that despite all the detestable things nations did, none with all their “power” voodoo can match the power of God of Israel. If they could, they would not have enter the land God gave them….that is why instruction, God’s handing the Israelites the land and they want to get their gods, makes no sense… who has power. Good illustration: story of confrontation between Moses and magicians (exodus 7) Why do you suppose they could not reproduce the miracles of gnats?
Biology, simpler life-form, surely easier if you have supernatural powerm, no??
Surely frogs more complex, snakes, bigger too.
So why? Answer: tricks! Professional magicians today use same illusions, produce dove from thin air.
No way the magicians can duplicate the later miraculous signs and wonders because they knew it was by the finger of God that Moses performed his stuff!
The one who has real power, their words will come true.
Jesus said if he dies, he will be raised up in 3 days.
Did it come true? Of course!
The psychics make predictions, do all they predict come true? No way! Otherwise, they’ll be front page news!
Get duped easily people are so gullible, that’s how con artists make a living. Otherwise they will be out of work.
That is why druidism practically cease to exist after Christian missionaries begin to bring freeing message of love of God and how Christ defeats powers of death, destruction, with the real supernatural power of His resurrection life and took hold of all Celtic regions of Europe, where we find origins of Halloween.
Use their secret arts to instill fear and make others believe in them, coercion is their way!
If they had real power they would have overthrown Christian beliefs, druids would have super churches today but they all cease to exist. Power of Christ seen in Jn 8:31 “if you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Say it again: real supernatural power is the power of Christ. I Cor.15. make it capstone of faith! See it clearly in His defeat of death, darkness and Satan through His resurrection power! Judge a prophet by whether what he says come true, Jesus? Rise from dead? Did he?
It is only in recent times, when spiritual beliefs are beginning to fascinate people, because of void felt through experimentation in communism, unfulfilling personal relationships of sexual abuse brought about by the abandonment of sexual morality led by the sexual revolution of 60’s, the failure of materialism. Power, sex money did not have answer so the switch to irrational. And where do people get their cue about spirituality, - popular culture from - Touched by an angel, X-files, movies such as Blair Witch Project. Proliferation of psychics on tv, courses in witchcraft, shamanism, taught in some our colleges. Think about it if psychics are so good and powerful in predicting future, they would not need to go on tv to get people to phone in. They can just go to stockbroker, cash in on predictions, go to Casinos, horse race track, get tons of money. But they are just guessing… God’s word Deut. 18:22 clear
if they can’t get it right 100%, it’s not from God!!! Or anything supernatural!
Even now, Christians affected by it: see authors sell their formulas of successful Christian growth by using formulas, unbiblical as if they were magic spells, . Poof! All troubles gone! Your church becomes perfect! Your life is heaven!! Your sickness problems solved! Magic, superstition, words of Scrooge would be right on “Bah Humbug!”
See, we are right back to the time of irrational superstition again. Duped by magicians of Egypt again and cannot see how God is mightier! Are our hearts hardened like Pharaoh’s? Are we listening to the prophets of God or to ourselves or to the other "powers"?
John 8:42-47 spells out for us Satan’s mode of operation “liar and father of lies”
2 Cor.11:14-15 Satan masquerades as angel light, and his servants as servants of righteousness.
3. Use this as an Opportunity to witness:
What should we do as Christians?
Ban Halloween? What will the reaction of the unbeliever be? “Here comes those born again types all they want is tell us we can’t do this or that. Want to control everybody.”
Apostle Paul could have in Acts 17, organized boycott against manufacturers of idols because he saw so many in the city of Athens. Political muscle?? But what did he do?
Made most of his opportunity by proclaiming the truth about Christ. Expose the fallacy of trying to get all your bases covered by appealing to all kinds of gods. Using their symbols and context, explain the truth.
Similarly we can use people’s fascination about spiritual things and with us creatively equipped with God’s word being prepared to give an answer for the hope have, we are to gently and respectfully (1 Pet.3:15). Instead of letting superstitious fear of unknown take hold. Read 1 Pet.3:15-16!
“15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. 16 But you must do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear.”
Not enough just to condemn halloween folks! See it as opportunity to show the relevance of the Word of God! Or it’ll be a stumbling block, that we be seen as cheerless condemning types. Instead of protest, let ‘s profess - let’s us get real first with Christ, let us worship the Lord as the Lord of our lives!
4. Keep growing strong in the Word:
Surrounding all the churches in Apostle Paul’s day were temples, occult, all that stuff, in Colosse too all kinds of stuff going on instruction was Col.2:6-7
1. Keep on growing in Christ - on Christ, in Christ, In him (2:15)
2. Reorient our lives around purposes of Christ. 3:14 LOVE
3. Peace, not fear! Jesus rules! (3:15)
4. Join church one body
5. Get word in you
6. Worship
So shall be fearful of this "holiday"? Obviously not! Christ rules! Grow strong in His grace, His word and nothing will get ya, not even the bogeyman!
Don’t have reality of joy of Christ? Lost it? Fear?
Listen again to His word.
Perhaps "Trick or treating" becomes a problem for u. Children love the adventure of going out in costumes, but some parents have rejected trick or treating entirely. They argue that no matter how universal and supposedly harmless, "blackmailing neighbors for candy" is hardly appropriate. Instead, some create a wide variety of wholesome parties. Others carefully supervise their children as they canvass the neighborhood, perhaps having them add "God bless you" to their thanks for treats.
Certainly of all people, Christians should be joyful. The challenge is to use the creativity of the Creator to celebrate joyfully both the light and life He brought into this world, and His victory over evil -Joy of God’s light!
Now will u recommit to Christ and His word of freedom who sets us free from fear, let his Power supply what you lack,
Not let word dwell richly? Fear slipped in, strangled? Recommit then!!
Superstition got you down? believe in power of God again!
Never made a commitment to trust Jesus as God? Pray with me. With your heart, listen and believe!
