Well, here we are. Another Halloween upon us and millions of "Christians" will be out celebrating a holiday of which they know nothing about (Or simply don't care).
We follow in "vain traditions" of which we know only that it is what everyone else does.
"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Colossians 2:8 KJB
Would you get in a car with a stranger and blindly follow wherever they are going if everyone else was doing it? I would certainly hope not. But, society has such a sheep mentality that we don't research anything for ourselves. We simply FOLLOW. And we are following the WOLVES not the Shepherd.
"Beware of false prophets, which come to you
in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." Matthew 7:15
Did you know that Halloween (Before it was accepted as an HOLIDAY in general) was called "Samhain" or "Festival of the dead" ? Did you know that? Most don't.
I want to share with you an excerpt from
wicca.com......
"Samhain, (pronounced SOW-in, SAH-vin, or SAM-hayne) means “End of Summer”, and is the third and final Harvest. The dark winter half of the year commences on this Sabbat.
It is generally celebrated on October 31st, but some traditions prefer November 1st. It is one of the two “spirit-nights” each year, the other being Beltane. It is a magical interval when the mundane laws of time and space are temporarily suspended, and the Thin Veil between the worlds is lifted. Communicating with ancestors and departed loved ones is easy at this time, for they journey through this world on their way to the Summerlands. It is a time to study the Dark Mysteries and honor the Dark Mother and the Dark Father, symbolized by the Crone and her aged Consort.
Originally the “Feast of the Dead” was celebrated in Celtic countries by leaving food offerings on altars and doorsteps for the “wandering dead”. Today a lot of practitioners still carry out that tradition. Single candles were lit and left in a window to help guide the spirits of ancestors and loved ones home. Extra chairs were set to the table and around the hearth for the unseen guest. Apples were buried along roadsides and paths for spirits who were lost or had no descendants to provide for them. Turnips were hollowed out and carved to look like protective spirits, for this was a night of magic and chaos. The Wee Folke became very active, pulling pranks on unsuspecting humans. Traveling after dark was was not advised. People dressed in white (like ghosts), wore disguises made of straw, or dressed as the opposite gender in order to fool the Nature spirits."
WHOA, Some people take this thing seriously. I mean it's not just some random day where we go get candy.
Have you looked around at how people are dressed up? (I don't have a problem with dressing up. I do have a problem with dressing as the "dark world")
Halloween didn't become widely accepted until the Catholic church decided to make it a "Christian " holiday.
You may ask "Why, would a church want to make such a wicked day into an accepted church holiday?"
Here is why.
Pope Gregory the First in 601 A.D decided to send a letter to his then group of catholic missionaries stating that instead of doing away with heathen practices and customs, instead to consecrate it to Christ and make it a "Christian" tradition. Instead of cutting down a tree or monument that the people worshiped, we would now say "It's blessed and of God." And therefore continue to worship it under a different guise.
When I hear of this, I think of when Jesus overturned the tables in the temples......
“And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,” Matthew 21:12 KJB
If Pope Gregory's now wildly accepted decree to just bless what the heathen are doing and it's all fine is the correct way to handle the customs of this world, I have to wonder why Jesus didn't just bless the selling of merchandise in HIS church. I mean, If the Pope was really right (And millions think he is all across the world.) Then, why didn't Jesus practice the same thing?
God himself said through Jeremiah....
“Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.” Jeremiah 10:2 KJB
That sounds an awful lot like the complete OPPOSITE of what the Pope declared.
Did you know that traditionally "Samhain" (Now Halloween) was a time of human and animal sacrifice?
According to the May 1977 issue of the National Geographic Samhain was a time when "First Borns were sacrificed."
To the Druids (According to Bill Schnoebelen Occult expert) worshipped the sun god who they called by names like "Bel" (Ba'al).
The following is a small excerpt from Bill himself
"
Druids worshiped the sun god, called by names like Bel (Ba’al?) or Chrom. On October 31, they believed that he died and went into the kingdom of the dead, Anwynn. The purpose of Samhain was to insure his return. Even witches admit this involved human sacrifice.
Both animal and human blood were believed to be needed to resurrect Bel on Samhain. Human blood was believed to open the gates of Anwynn and released the spirits for a night. Thus, October 31 came to be associated with ghosts. This is not just history. Samhain is still celebrated by Pagans and is the most solemn ceremony on their “religious calendar”.
Ghosts, witches, vampires....... They aren't just fun fictional characters. NO, they are very real. They are everything that is opposite of our Saviour.
Lots of "small" traditions that we associate with Halloween have HUGE meaning behind them. Even the pumpkins that we carve and set out for fun have a meaning.
The following is also from Bill
"Here it’s a pumpkin, but in Europe it was often a turnip, or a skull with a candle in it. This serves two symbols, 1) the lord of the Dead, a “god” just like a Buddha – in short, an idol. 2) The fearsome face represented the god, Samhain, who would drive off less powerful demons that night. The lights in the Jack-o-Lantern symbolize the “faery fires” or “Will’o the Wisps” which were believed to be the lost souls flitting through the night. They also hearken back to the huge Samhain “balefires” which were lit to help conjure back the god from the darkness."
If you have done any driving at all in the last month, I'm sure you've seen the carved pumpkins, scary faces and even some with candles in them. Most, of these people have no idea what they are inviting into their homes.
Another tradition coming from the Druids is dressing up and trick or treating.
This is from
cbn.com......
"For example, among the ancient Druids, “The ghosts that were thought to throng about the houses of the living were greeted with a banquet-laden table. At the end of the feast, masked and costumed villagers representing the souls of the dead paraded to the outskirts of town leading the ghosts away.”
As already noted, Halloween was thought to be a night when mischievous and evil spirits roamed freely. As in modern poltergeist lore, mischievous spirits could play tricks on the living—so it was advantageous to “hide” from them by wearing costumes. Masks and costumes were worn to either scare away the ghosts or to keep from being recognized by them:
In Ireland especially, people thought that ghosts and spirits roamed after dark on Halloween. They lit candles or lanterns to keep the spirits away, and if they had to go outside, they wore costumes and masks to frighten the spirits or to keep from being recognized by these unearthly beings"
Well, you take away the pumpkins, dress-up and trick or treating.... Halloween becomes kind of lame.
So, what if you are doing this just for fun? What if you aren't a pagan and you don't even "mean it like that?" What if you still don't see the issue with a little "fun" on a day when everyone else is doing it?
Well then, that's your business. That is between you and God. But, I do want you to remember a few scriptures.
"But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality." Rev 2:14
"Wherefore
come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the LORD, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you," 2 Cor 6:17
You've been presented with the facts of this wicked day. You have been given scripture. Please don't let this fall on deaf ears.
After being presented with these facts keep in mind that it is a sin to celebrate the works of Satan. And once you know of it, you will be held accountable.
"Therefore
to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." James 4:17
This is not going to be a well received post. I know that for a fact. However, I hope each and every one of you know that I have posted this in love and concern for each of you.
I pray that each of my readers will open themselves up to God and at least seek Him a little more after reading this and repent of their past or their intentions.
Bre Shafer
