Scripture: Jeremiah 10 v 1 - 16; Hosea 4 v 6.
When ABBA sang "There was something in the air that
night..." it must have been on October 31st, the night called Halloween.
In the USA its the time when children go out from door to door for "trick
or treat". It all sounds so harmless and innocent but where does it
originate?
Long before William the Conqueror arrived on British
shores in 1066 and declared himself king after winning the Battle of Hastings,
there was a vicious group of people known as Druids. They were devil
worshippers and their annual highlight of mayhem and destruction was on 31st
October.
They would dress up in disguises and choose the castles
or wealthy homes by attaching a branch of mistletoe to the door. (This has now
become a Christmas pastime - I saw Mummy kissing Santa Claus underneath the
mistletoe last night).
Places where the mistletoe was nailed to the door housed
at least one virgin daughter who was earmarked for abduction, mass rape and
sacrifice to their god, Satan. They would by stealth and evil trickery achieve
their aims. The wealthy would try to offer them food, money or other goods in
exchange. Anything to get their daughters back. This is the origin of trick or
treating.
The church tried to obliterate this evil night, called
Walpurgis Night, by changing it to All Saint's Day or Hallowed Evening or Holy
Night, which became Hallowe'en. However
the Druidic tradition still continued and is celebrated by children to this
day.
Should Christians be remembering and celebrating the
heinous satanic destruction that started so long ago? Mostly, its done in
ignorance but does that excuse us. In Hosea God says "My people perish for
lack of knowledge." (Read "Ignorance is Not Bliss" on blog http://www.propheticfire.co.za).
On Halloween to this day descendants of those Druids
sacrifice animals or humans to Satan, while our children are carrying hollowed
out pumpkins with candles and going trick or treating. The Word says that we must learn not the way
of the heathen.
So if you are just having a bit of harmless fun on
Halloween and joining in the festivities, spare a thought for what it actually
represents and reconsider.
When we do things in remembrance of Satan we are
rejecting the grace and mercy of Jesus. That may not be our intention but we
could be walking into a trap that could negatively impact on your precious
child one day.
Satan is not a myth. He is seeking whom he may trap and
devour by stealth and in disguise with his bit of mistletoe ready in his evil
claws. We can safeguard our family and friends by actually applying the Word of
God and shunning all appearance of sin.
God has made a narrow path for us to walk in and be safe.
If we walk in Jesus' footprints we will avoid the minefield.
The broad way is the way that leads to destruction. The
anything goes, God loves us, crowd are on this broad way. When the destruction
comes they get angry with God and blame Him for their troubles.
No doubt I am going to be unpopular spoiling everybody's
fun but as A. G. Gardiner wrote: "When a prophet is accepted and deified,
his message is lost. The prophet is only useful so long as he is stoned as a
public nuisance calling us to repentance, disturbing our comfortable routines,
breaking our respectable idols, shattering our sacred conventions."
Prayer: Father God You said When the enemy comes in like
a flood, I will raise up a standard. Your standard is Jesus Christ Your
perfect, holy Son. You want us to be like Him and live our lives as Holy,
righteous people who are not subject to this world and its evil traditions.
Open up their eyes to understand the truth. In Jesus' name. Amen.