I am taking the kids to our church Fall Festival tonight for fun activities. I have always been against the traditions of Halloween. Well, let me rephrase that..I use to trick-or-treat not knowing what Halloween really meant, but now that I do know....I will teach the TRUE meaning of Halloween to my children and raise them accordingly.

Here's something that I was reading today and thought I'd share:

What does Scripture have to say regarding the things of Halloween? The city of Ephesus was considered one of the centers of occult in the world during the first century. Paul told the church there, "And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them" (Ephesians 5:11). According to this word from the Holy Spirit, not only are we to reject the deeds of darkness (i.e. celebration of pagan festivals), we are to expose them for what they are -- satanic, evil, and of the devil. The next verse says that we are not to even speak of these things: "for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret" (Ephesians 5:12). God commanded in His Torah: "... do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How do these nations [goy, i.e. pagans] serve their gods, that I also may do likewise?'" (Deuteronomy 12.30)

Paul told the church at Rome to reject these things of the world: "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12.2). Contrary to the teachings of the mainstream church, we are not to be conformed (or to conform the Word of God) to this world. We are supposed to renew our minds with the Word of God so that we may preach His message, not the message of Satan. We cannot seek after God and the things of darkness at the same time: "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy?" (1 Corinthians 10.21-22a). We must separate ourselves from the world. It does not matter if we look strange or are not "accepted". Jesus Himself had much to say to His disciples (and us) regarding this very topic: "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:19); "He who loves his life loses it; and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal" (John 12:25).

A part of the reasoning from Christians who celebrate Halloween is that their children are part of this world and they want them to be accepted. This usually goes along with the belief that Halloween is not real anyway so what difference does it make if we celebrate it or not. I can sympathize with wanting to be accepted. However, as a follower of Messiah Jesus, we must die to the flesh, which is what is demanding to be accepted. We do not let our teenage children have sexual relations outside of marriage just because it is acceptable in the world today, so why would we worry about their not being accepted because they do not celebrate a demonic holiday? We must provide the light, not enter into the darkness.

The deception of the celebration of Halloween is so subtle it is hard to see it as demonic and evil. After all, it is just some children dressing up as monsters, witches, etc. and going door-to-door "trick or treating", right? Is there any real harm in it? This is the same thing as the reading of horoscopes. Most people think it is just foolishness anyway, so why not do it? Is it just foolishness? Does God really care if we celebrate Halloween (or read horoscopes)? God states in Torah: "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens [fortunetelling, horoscopes], or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist ["one who has a familiar spirit", 'wizard' - KJV], or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord ... For those nations, which you shall dispossess, listen to those who practice witchcraft and to diviners, but as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do so." (Deuteronomy 18.10-12a, 14) and again, "You shall not allow a sorceress ['witch' - KJV] to live" (Exodus 22.18). John heard a voice from the Throne saying "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death" (Revelation 21.8). God declared to Israel, "I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you will have fortunetellers no more" (Micah 5.12).

There are Christians around the world who are being persecuted for being "different". They will not conform to the ways of the world. We must take a lesson from them. Let us not enter into the ways of the world. Can we see Peter and his wife taking their children "trick or treating" (if it had been in existence at the time)? Or maybe Jesus passing out treats at the door to the little children that He loved so much? I don't think so. Why, then, would the followers of Jesus do it?

Love, Karen