WITCH (which) GOD WILL YOU SERVE?

 Are you planning a Halloween party this year?

If you have children, you will want to enjoy the fun with them. If you are a teacher or leader, in a children or young people's organisation, the run up to the 31st October can be a hectic time of making costumes and decorations, dressing up and organising parties.

Harmless fun or.....?

A Halloween party may not be the harmless fun it appears to be ... it can invite young inquisitive minds to become interested in witchcraft, pagan religions and occultism.

Very close under the surface of the ordinary Halloween party is the reality of occult power, witchcraft and satanic activity. No responsible adult should be blind to the fact this kind of fun and games can be a subtle introduction to something very nasty, squalid and dangerous.

This may seem heavy condemnation of ‘harmless’ spooky fun, but we rightly condemn anyone who introduces a young person to the ‘fun’ of their first experiment with drugs. We should also condemn those who invite children to be careless about evil powers.

Jesus Christ gave one of His severest warnings to people who willfully or carelessly caused children to be spiritually harmed. “.....It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.” (Mark 9:42). Strong words from the person whose teaching is universally respected.

What is Halloween?

The Medieval Church feast of All Hallow’s Eve’ was kept on the 31st October which had been the Celtic festival of Samhain. Samhain marked the end of summer, laws were re-affirmed and land tenures renewed. It was the Celtic and Anglo-Saxon new year's eve, a festival when bonfires were lit to frighten away evil spirits. Witches, foul fiends and evil powers were thought to be loosed on that night to disturb the natural order of life.

Modern Halloween owes much of its popularity to a custom imported from America. Halloween American style, is a night of mischief. In the 19th Century, boys and young men went on orgies of vandalism. Today the custom is continued as children knock on doors asking for money, sweets or cakes as an inducement not to vandalise. Few, if any of us, will escape this mini threat of ‘trick or treat’ from neighbourhood children.

Fascinating or....?

There is something in each one of us that is fascinated by the unknown area beyond the physical, astrology, ghosts, unexplained happenings, horror films, weird ancient religions, but these are far from harmless. It is through such interests that evil powers charm their way into our minds to confuse and oppress.

But God is a loving Father  who wants only the best for His family. He directly forbids any dealings with evil powers which corrupt and enslave

"......don't let your people practise divination or look for omens or use spells or charms, and don't let them consult the spirits of the dead” Deuteronomy 18:10-12.

God wants us to find our  spiritual happiness through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He offers us nothing less than a sharing in the spiritual power which enabled Jesus Christ to live such an incredibly rich, full and influential life.

Mothers, fathers, leaders of young people, the responsibility rests with all of us. Yes! Let’s have a party, we do not want to be killjoys! But it does not need to have witches and ghosts to be enjoyable. Have a bonfire, a barbecue, music, games..... and make All Hallows Eve something really happy and harmless for all the children and young people.
What about a “Hallelujah Party”? !!! Or a "Light Party"?

“Fill your minds with those things that are good and deserve praise; things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and honourable.” Philippians 4:8.