Robin asked a question about Halloween at Heart of Wisdom Blog in her post: Should Christians Observe Halloween?

She discussed the who, what, where and when of Halloween, which I already knew and have known for over 20 years. I don’t have time to come up with all the info in my own words, so I am just referring you to her blog.

Some things are just facts, and if you really want to know them, you will and believe them. If we want to do our own thing and choose to turn a blind eye, well… there are Scriptures for that, mostly referencing fools and foolishness and turning away from our HOLY God and to other gods. There are also references to what happened to Israel when they did that, like bondage to other nations for 400 years and such…

Her final questions to Believers are:

Did your family put away Halloween? How did your children handle the decision? How does your church handle this holiday? Is there anything wrong with compromising and promoting a Christian Halloween?

My short answer is this:

We didn’t have to put halloween away. I accepted Jesus as my Saviour 5 months before we were married. I had been a Catholic (in name, mostly, though I had attended a Catholic school grades K-6)and obviously, lived for the world before my life was renewed in Jesus/Yeshua.

When this happened, I saw evil for what it was. Period. There is no other way to put it. When you go from living a life of sin and immorality, delving into things that are evil, you can recognize it when you see it. Witches, black cats, skeletons, all the pagan harvest items… they are simply a reflection of the evil of Halloween.
Today, the more evil and grotesque the better…

Fortunately, my husband grew up under the Scriptural instruction of his Grandmother who walked and talked Scriptures and recognized spiritual things.
So, our children grew up knowing that halloween is an evil, pagan holiday that we, as Believers do not celebrate. AT ALL. Not even at church.
You asked, Is compromising and making it christian ok? Well, let’s apply that to other pagan and evil practices. It making evil christian ok? NO.

Why do we do it and justify it? Because we do not know a HOLY God. We know God, and we know the grace of the Saviour, so we figure that the grace must be the covering for what we deem the “rigidity” of a Holy God. We don’t consider that he MEANT IT.
However, when you see evil as he sees evil – vile, disgusting and not to be played around with and sugar-coated, you see that he really did mean it, and we really are to be Holy and perfect in HIM. SEPARATE from partaking of Evil of all kinds.

Evil is evil. We cry out and become disgusted at evil we deem evil. It is time we deem evil as a HOLY GOD does.

We never celebrated Halloween as a family and had to explain why we were no longer going to celebrate it. We HAVE done this with Christmas and Easter though. It was a smooth transition. They understood that we are learning and walking as Yehovah has commanded us to, like our Messiah did. If you train them to accept his Scriptures as holy, then that is good enough. It is a good way to study the Scriptures and walk and talk with them, teaching them his ways.

As for the topic of Halloween, I am not sure I need to have a longer answer. The comments and her post cover so much as far as pagan origins and practices, I would suggest you read through them. I DO believe we need to put aside all that is evil in our lives as Believers. Does this mean if you celebrate Halloween that we can’t be friends? Of course not.  Do I think this makes me holier than you? No, of course not. Don’t go there. Are there other pagan practices in the lives of Believers – myself included – that need to be weeded out You betcha’. We are working on that. Are you?

I am in need of much understanding in the Scriptures as are all Believers, but this I have read and studied. And, when we apply the wisdom of the Father’s commands, and the discernment of the Holy Spirit, and do NOT follow in the ways of the world, we find that there is a difference between our desires and those of a HOLY God. His ways are NARROW, and ours are not. The world’s are WIDE, and this is the path that our flesh most desires.

be blessed as you walk closer to him and turn from the ways of the world~

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I contemplated leaving comments closed on this post, because I don’t need a pat on the back for my convictions, nor do I need further explanation of why Halloween is an ok holiday to celebrate as long as there are no evil things involved and it is “redeemed”. So, as long as the discussion is civil, I will leave them open. Other than that, comments will be deleted. I also don’t have time to research questions much, but will do so if led by the Spirit to do so. Please use Scripture, and IN CONTEXT, if you want to leave a comment about this topic Biblically in reference to the life of a Believer.

The world is evil, and even Believers have it wrong sometimes. We have to teach the Words of the Holy God to our children so that they are not deceived. I am so thankful to be able to daily do this.

1 A gentle response deflects fury, but a harsh word makes tempers rise.

2 The tongue of the wise presents knowledge well, but the mouth of a fool spews out folly.

3 The eyes of ADONAI are everywhere, watching the evil and the good.

4 A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but when it twists things, it breaks the spirit.

5 A fool despises his father’s discipline, but he who heeds warnings is prudent.

6 The home of the righteous is a storehouse of treasure, but the earnings of the wicked bring trouble.

7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools.

What words to meditate on. What promises to remember and have in our hearts!

Life is not always so kind, just because we know the Lord. We need these words terribly. I need these words terribly. I want to reflect the Father and his words in my words and my responses. I desperately want my children to too.

The only way to know these words is to know them.

be blessed in the Messiah!

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“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness;

but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

I believe I already posted The Old Rugged Cross as a Saturday Psalm & Praise before. When I read the accompanying scripture I had saved with it on a word document, I just knew it was today’s post. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness.” And “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” Psalm 14:1

The fool hath said… I certainly do not want that written about me. I don’t want the word fool used in the same sentence! There are so many things we are fooled by, though, even as Believers. Oh Lord, help me to walk in your ways. Help me to search out your old paths and look and walk therein. Show me, Lord. Open my eyes, give me a willing heart to receive your word, that I might not be fooled!

I pray for courage to cling to you, Lord, to the Old Rugged Cross. Some folks say it is a crutch. I say it is a beacon in the darkness of a failing and hopeless world. Thank you for the cross, Jesus. Thank you for the cross for my children and my family and my friends. Thank you for the cross for the stranger, the homeless, the mom, the dad. Thank you for the cross for all.

The Old Rugged Cross

Words and music by George Bennard – 1913

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,

The emblem of suffering and shame;

And I love that old cross where the dearest and best

For a world of lost sinners was slain.

*

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,

Till my trophies at last I lay down;

I will cling to the old rugged cross,

And exchange it some day for a crown.

*

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,

Has a wondrous attraction for me;

For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above

To bear it to dark Calvary.

*

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,

Till my trophies at last I lay down;

I will cling to the old rugged cross,

And exchange it some day for a crown.

*

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,

A wondrous beauty I see,

For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,

To pardon and sanctify me.

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,

Till my trophies at last I lay down;

I will cling to the old rugged cross,

And exchange it some day for a crown.

*

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;

Its shame and reproach gladly bear;

Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,

Where His glory forever I’ll share.

*

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,

Till my trophies at last I lay down;

I will cling to the old rugged cross,

And exchange it some day for a crown.

What do you cherish? Do you cherish your beloved? Your children? Your job, your car, your friends? What do you cherish?

cher·ish

1. to hold or treat as dear; feel love for
2. to care for tenderly; nurture
3. to cling fondly or inveterately to

Can you believe the third meaning of the word “cherish”? “to cling fondly or inveterately to.” Wow.

Do you cherish your Lord? Do you cherish the One True God and His Son, Jesus?

Do you cherish The Old Rugged Cross?

blessings,