Beware a Trick...
Have you ever DONE something to hurt a loved one unintentionally?
Has a loved one ever hurt you unintentionally?
Every parent has experienced their baby either head butting them, kicking them or almost poking their eye out, right?
Unintentional injuries can happen with anyone,
A best friend,
A parent,
A child,
A co-worker
Or even with God.
We can do things,
Out of habit,
Out of culture,
Out of lack of knowledge,
That can hurt God,
And separate us from Him.
Another perspective...
Jesus is the bridegroom,
We are the bride.
The question is...
Is cheating on your spouse ever acceptable?
Is having an affair ever justifiable?
Of course, not.
However, that is the question we face as the bride of Christ when it comes to Halloween.
"Satan DISGUISES himself as an angel of light."
Beware...
The TRICK of the devil is to DISGUISE Halloween as,
Innocent,
Fun,
Cute,
Harmless,
The children love it,
Nothing wrong with it,
Don't over think it.
Many people do NOT know the real roots of Halloween, so here are some TRUTHS for you to consider.
- Halloween originated from a pagan Celtic (Irish) worship called Samhain.
- It heavily involves divination, sacrificing and worshiping other gods.
- It is a pagan worship with druid priests and celtic shamans (Irish version of witch doctors).
- "Trick or treat" was originally for appeasing the evil spirits and ghosts (caused by pagan worship).
- "Costumes" was originally to avoid being terrorized by evil spirits (caused by pagan worship).
- "Jack-o-lanterns" was originally to ward off evil spirits (caused by pagan worship).
The TRUTH is Halloween is DEEPLY rooted in pagan worship that practices divination, sorcery, witchcraft resulting in interaction with evil spirits.
This is HEART-BREAKING to Christ, the bridegroom, that His bride is taking part in pagan spiritual worship. That's equivalent to a SPIRITUAL affair. O_o
We're only supposed to worship Christ and yet with Halloween we are unintentionally partaking in a practice that worships, invites, calls upon other pagan spirits and gods (demons).
What does God think about this?
"anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an ABOMINATION to the Lord"
When we engage in ANY form of pagan (demonic) spiritual worship, intentional or not, it exposes us to evil and pokes holes in our spiritual armor. As a result we become more vulnerable to Satan's plan for death and destruction in our lives.
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy"
Listen...
I participated in Halloween as a kid too.
I had no idea.
Who knew I'd be poking holes into my armor or God by participating in demonic worship without knowing it?
"My people are destroyed for LACK of knowledge"
But now that you KNOW,
What will you do?
Now you have a choice to make...
"You can’t drink both a cup of the Lord and a cup of demons, you can’t partake in both a meal of the Lord and a meal of demons."
2 Questions:
FIRST, what are you going to do about YOUR family and Halloween?
If you need a resource to explain Halloween,
Here is a great children's book that can be used for adults too,
The book is: "Mommy, Why Don't We Celebrate Halloween?" - Click here
Here's some steps to discuss this with your family.
STEP 1) PRAY.
- Ask Holy Spirit to help you bring truth to your family.
STEP 2) INVITE your family.
- Say "Hey family, let's read something interesting and discuss it as a family."
- Read and share this book.
STEP 3) ASK questions.
- "What do you think?",
"Do you have any questions?",
"How do you think Jesus feels about Halloween?",
"What would make Jesus happy? Why?"
STEP 4) DISCUSS
- Keep the discussion going by asking questions and creating a safe space for everyone to input. Let others do 80% of the talking. You don't have to have all the answers. Just open up the conversation and ask Holy Spirit to lead.
Did you know that God has an assignment for you once you gain knowledge of the TRUTH?
He wants you to SHARE it with others to EXPOSE Satan's schemes and save His children.
"Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead EXPOSE them."
So the SECOND question is...
What are you going to do to help OTHERS with this truth?
Remember, if someone doesn't know that they're doing anything wrong,
They have 0% chance of correcting it.
It would be cruel to let someone who loves Jesus,
Continue to participate in pagan worship without knowing it.
It would make Jesus very sad and break His heart. :(
There is a legal term called "Unlawful Negligence" or "Gross Negligence". It can be described as "a failure or reckless disregard to exercise the level of care that causes harm to others".
How does that apply to us as brothers and sisters in Christ?
If your sibling was about to take a bite of a poisonous fruit, would you keep silent?
If your brother or sister's kids are about to partake in a demonic ritual,
Are you going to keep quiet?
Scripture clearly states our responsibility to EXPOSE the Satan's ploys,
But HOW can you do it in a way that doesn't come across as judgmental,
HOW can you do it in a way that doesn't create guilt or shame,
HOW can you do it in a way that is pleasing to Jesus?
Here's 5 simple steps:
STEP 1) PRAY for Prepared Hearts.
- Pray for the person(s) that you want to talk to. Ask God to prepare and soften their hearts.
- This is a spiritual battle. We need the conviction of Holy Spirit in order for a person to accept the truth and repent.
STEP 2) Heart POSTURE.
- LOVE must be the heart posture. If you don't do it in love it can come across as harsh or judgmental.
- Think of your sharing as planting a seed. You may not get immediate results but you did your part. You have to trust God for the rest.
- Remember how Jesus treated people that didn't accept the truth right away.
- Ex #1: Nicodemus, a scholar who knew better, but wasn't ready to accept the truth yet? Jesus didn't try to beat His point into Nicodemus. He presented the TRUTH, planting the seed and let him walk away with it.
- Ex #2: Look at how Jesus patiently nurtured and coached his knucklehead disciples for 3 years. Very patient, loving and kind. He didn't shove anything down their throats.
- Be patient, loving and kind so that you can continue to be a positive influence to them. If you fracture the relationship, then only Satan is happy because you have no more ability to be a voice of truth in their life.
STEP 3) SHARE.
- Buy the book "Mommy, Why Don't We Celebrate Halloween?" - Click here
- Ask your friend the question, "Hey I want to get your thoughts on something I learned recently, do you have a minute?" + Go through the book + Then ask "What do you think?"
STEP 5) ASK for Feedback... in LOVE.
- Let them do most of the talking. Your job is to listen and let them talk 80% of the time.
- Keep asking questions. It's ok to not agree. It might take them a while to digest it, research it, discuss it before they come around later.
- LOVE them through it. Don't press too hard. Don't get aggressive or frustrated.
Possible Outcome #1: They Agree
- If they agree, that's great! You can support them in their decision.
Possible Outcome #2: They Don't Agree (Yet)
- If they disagree (don't agree yet) simply say "Thanks for listening. I really appreciate your feedback."
- Make sure you end on a good note. Protect the RELATIONSHIP.
- Keep PRAYING for them! This battle is not over yet.
- Remember, you can share TRUTH, disagree and STILL preserve RELATIONSHIP. That's what Jesus would want. He doesn't need any more division and fractures in His body from frustrated, aggressive or judgmental behavior.
Hope that helps!
"Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your TRUTH,
Thank You for Your LOVE,
Thank You for Your GENTLENESS.
Forgive me for doing anything that HURT You,
Forgive me for my IGNORANCE,
Forgive me for my NEGLIGENCE,
In these dark times,
When the enemy is coming out boldly,
May I shine more BRIGHTLY for You.
Grant me WISDOM on how to navigate Halloween with the family,
Grant me COURAGE to share it with those around me,
That You would send angels before me to SOFTEN hearts,
To PREPARE their minds,
To RECEIVE Your truth,
With JOY and conviction,
Draw us all CLOSER to You.
In Jesus name, Amen."
Stand strong in FAITH and LOVE.
ACCEPT the light, then BE the light.
God's got you!
