With the pagan holiday Halloween (read Satanic) just around the corner what do you suppose most Christians are doing? Are they telling the trick or treaters to enjoy eternity with Satan or are they talking with them about Jesus. Neither. They are telling them what cute costumes they are wearing of all manner but anything Jesus. They are telling them to "just take one" much like the serpent in the garden to Eve. They are telling their parents to be careful in the neighborhood and at the end of the evening they are dishing out more candy than any child should have in a month just to get rid of the stuff they couldn't afford to buy but were expected to have on hand. You know that I am telling the truth. I remember when my grandmother bought and brought out a Ouija Board "game" when we visited one day. She was reportedly a great Christian who loved her God. Hmmm...maybe not. What we do is underestimate the Gospel for a joy killing device that keeps people from having fun. Remember last years adult Halloween party where practically everyone got drunk and then drove home? No, it wasn't at my house. If this was all happening in the secular world, most people wouldn't even blink an eye. But I'm talking about Christian homes and even Christian pastors and their families!
"Come on Steve, lighten up!" "It's harmless fun!" "Decorate a pumpkin, hang us some spider web, and get spooky!" "Everyone is doing it." Really, I'm not. I chose to when I was young and uninformed. I chose to when I wasn't reading my Bible. I chose to when I wasn't praying regularly. I chose to when peer pressure and family pressure was too much. I chose to when the church had a party at church on Halloween like "the rest of society". Not anymore. As the old saying goes, "the buck stops here." With me. With you. Our responsibility to our Christian faith goes way beyond entertaining the world in what they think is okay.
When I was with YWAM (Youth With A Mission) there many who felt the demonic oppression (Christians cannot be possessed) in their daily ministry for Jesus. We encountered the demonic possession and oppression whenever we were out amongst the general population. It was there that I first learned of the Satanic church. Call them what you will, their real leader is Satan. Halloween is their "High" holiday. The Satanic church is made up of many witches covens (much like home groups for the Christian) made up of 13 members. They meet regularly to worship the devil. Once a year the Satanist are required to sacrifice a human being (doesn't matter the age) and drink the blood while they worship Satan. The rest of the year they use goats. Witchcraft and associated beliefs have entered the world openly and have been accepted as "normal" and "okay". Yet the Christian doesn't speak about this tragedy. Do the Christians even pray for the protection of their families, church member and pastors to have the protection of Jesus against the wiles of the devil anymore?
I cannot come against the devil on my own. It's only on the behalf of Jesus and in His name that the devil can be confronted. The devil goes about the earth seeking whom he can devour. The word says he goes to and fro about the earth. He's near you and the more you love Jesus, the closer he is. What are you to do? If you stand for nothing then you will fall for anything. If you aren't standing against Satan, you are standing for him. There is no in between. "Well, I don't like to get involved. I'll just serve coffee or stack chairs after service." Sorry, that's not in the Handbook. The choice to follow Jesus is in it's totality. There is no "little of this and little of that" in the Christian life. Choosing Jesus is not optional if you want to be Christian. Remember, it's always your choice.
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