Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

It has been way too long since I was able to blog and I haven't been able to share with you all so many things that have been on my heart, but..... Another day, Another time.

Okay, our topic today:
Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

Wow! Why do I do this to myself? :)

First of all, my theme verse for this post is Psalm 118:24- "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

October 31st is God's day. He created it. He asked us to rejoice and be glad in it. So, therefore, I don't think we should hide out in our homes and "ignore" the day the Lord made.

Secondly, Halloween, or Hallow's Eve is NOT a Christian holiday. It does have it's roots in pagan worship. So many of the "cute" and "fun" customs that our kids celebrate, have very sinister and evil beginnings. I feel that anyone who even asks the question, "Should Christians Celebrate Halloween" would do well to spend some time in research of the basics of where these "traditions" came from. I would also suggest to not do your research entirely on the internet. I have found the best Christian researchers publish their findings in books. Hopefully tomorrow I can give you some references and resources of where to find these books.

Thirdly, ask yourself a few questions:
If I celebrate in so many of the Halloween traditions, who am I glorifying?
Is it glorifying Christ?
Do the decorations in my yard and home lift up the concept of abundant life and hope through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?
Or~ am I glorifying fear and a death without hope?

Jesus said, "I have come that you might have life and life more abundantly." John 10:10
The Word also says, "For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love and a sound mind." 2 Tim. 1:7

Oh, my, there is so much I would like to say on this subject, but I do believe that people's most solid decisions are made under the direction of the Holy Spirit and when one's eyes are opened to the TRUTH of God's Word.

I can't make a judgement call on anyone but myself.

Let me close by sharing with you our story. It shows why I feel the way I do about celebrating Halloween. And, of course, the easiest way for me to share that is in story form. Please forgive me if my post is long today! :)

--------------------------------------

The summer heat was slowly giving way to the crisp winds of Autumn. In Southern Arkansas, football game nights were a mystery~ light jacket? heavy jacket? blanket? or rain coat? Seasoned fans knew to keep an assortment of "game gear" in the trunk.

She sat in the stands with her blanket around her feeling peace in her heart. She was watching her new daughter cheer for the Hornets and listening to her husband do the play by play in the press box. Life didn't get much better than this! Happiness and family~ and all serving Jesus!

As the lights were turned out and the crowds scattered, the new little family made their way back to their vehicle. The conversation turned from the highlights of the game to those cheering moments, to what were the plans for the Friday night. After a few minutes of discussion it was decided that Glenda would go in to town with a few church friends and Rusty and Dorinda would head home.

It was early October and there was still some planning to do for the youth group for the coming month. Youth Convention was only a month away and not much had been raised for Speed the Light.

Sandwiches made and sodas in hand, Rusty and Dorinda sat on the couch to do some planning.

The biggest fundraiser they had ever had was in their first youth pastorate. In 3 nights they raised almost $3,000 for Speed the Light. The Haunted House was a sure money maker! Dorinda had greeted guests at the door in her regal witch costume, and Rusty had a blast scaring people as Frankenstein.

They could do another Pie in the Face Auction. They did well in another town, but hadn't seemed to do well here.

They planned some activities and a Hayride for October 31st, but just couldn't decide on the fund raiser. The Haunted House seemed the best option, but they just weren't sure where or how to get it up and running in the small church.

By 11:00pm Glenda was home. The little family of three sat for a while and talked in the living room. As Dorinda went to bed she stopped by Glenda's room and peeked in.

It had been over a year since Glenda moved in with them. It had been nine months since she started calling them mom and dad. But Dorinda still got that warm fuzzy feeling in her heart when she looked in the bedroom and saw her teen daughter sleeping~ all safe and sound.

At 2 am the shrillness of the phone woke the parents up. Dorinda answered with an adrenaline rush, knowing that only emergencies would warrant a phone call at this time. In the space of two seconds it was amazing how many thoughts could rush through one's mind. "Did someone die? or have an accident? Are our family members ok?"

She was surprised to hear a young voice on the other end asking if we had a daughter now?

"What! Who is this?"

"It's Bacon! Don't you have a daughter now?"

At that point Rusty was now fully awake and grabbed the phone. He held it out so that Dorinda could hear the conversation.

It seemed "Bacon" one of their former youth in another city was at a party~ one that he definitely shouldn't have attended.

When Rusty got on the phone, Bacon, as he was affectionately called, started crying. It took a while for Rusty to coax the reason for his call out of him. The long and short of it was this:

He had gone to the party for free drugs. He had heard that it was going to be a big party with all kinds of stuff going on. He knew he shouldn't and he was so sorry but he did and now he was scared.

He was scared because they did things at that party that was beyond just a normal drug party. They drank. They did drugs. They shared drugs. They listened to weird music. They had orgies. They chanted. They burned strange candles. They talked about Satan. They got angry.

They talked about a sacrifice.

Rusty and Dorinda listened carefully, asking a few questions for clarity, as Bacon stammered and spilled the information he had just gathered.

"What do you mean a sacrifice?"

"I'm scared! I don't know what to do! I don't want them to know I called you!"

"Tell us more about the sacrifice. What are they planning to do?"

"They are mad Bro. Rusty. They said that an Assembly of God pastor took in a new daughter and they were going to find her and sacrifice her on their holy day."

"When is their holy day, Bacon?"

"October 31st! It's when they are going to sacrifice an A/G preacher's daughter to Satan!"

"How do you know it is us, Bacon?"

"I don't. I just know you live in the town they mentioned and that you have a new daughter. I'm scared, Bro. Rusty. Now I don't think God will forgive me because I went to this party, but I don't want anything to happen to you or your new daughter!"

It took about an hour to calm him down and pray with him and assure him that God's grace was bigger than his sin.

It took a lot longer to for the couple to go to sleep with out fear gripping their hearts for the child they loved so dearly.

Tomorrow they would call the sheriff and get to the bottom of the story.

Tomorrow, or rather, sunrise today took a long time in coming. Crazy dreams of someone chasing their Glenda, then remembrances that she was covered by the precious blood of Jesus.
Fear chased by Peace. Death defeated by Life. It was a vicious circle of warfare of the mind and soul all night long.

The sun finally rose and Dorinda tried to wait patiently for a decent hour to call the Spirit filled Sheriff they had come to love and appreciate. She felt like they were a scene out of one of Frank Peretti's novels.

At last, 9 am arrived. She dialed the number and asked to speak to the sheriff.

As calmly and as sanely as she, could without sounding like a lunatic, Dorinda described the phone call. "Ok. Now, what do you think about this? Was this kid hallucinating or is there possibly something to this?"

The sheriff was calm and factual, but to Dorinda's surprise testified to the accuracy of Bacon's story. His office had received numerous tips and calls regarding a big meeting of those who worshiped Satan coming to the area. Every hotel was booked for that weekend and even government agencies had been in contact with local law enforcement to let them know there was definitely some "occult activities" expected.

That was all the young pastor and his wife needed to hear. They would not be afraid and they would not allow anything to happen to their precious daughter. They would go to the only one Who could protect her, their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

They didn't want to sensationalize the information they had, but they weren't going to sit back and let the enemy win either.

Their number one objective? Prayer and Praise to God in Heaven.

Fervently.
Continually.
Reverently.

It was in those days of prayer, that their eyes were opened. October 31st was the Lord's day, not the enemy's. Witch's, ghosts, and goblins, were things the enemy used as weapons to destroy God's peace and life in the hearts and minds of God's created beings. Fear and deception were the goal of the enemy. He, the enemy, was the one who came to steal, to kill and to destroy. Christ came to give life and that more abundantly.

The power of the cross, the power of the blood of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit became real to Rusty and Dorinda and their daughter as they banded together to pray against harm and fear for their little family.

The three of them and a close family friend went out to the area where all the "satanic activity" was supposed to take place. They got out of the little car and stood there, quoting God's Word and proclaiming His victory in this and all situations. They pleaded the blood of Jesus over the entire area claiming that "ever place the sole of their foot shall tread, that is the land God has given you."

With that, their hearts were at peace. They knew God was the One in control, not some created evil being that had no control over the servants of the Most High God.

And they slept~ each and every night~ a sleep of peace and safety.

They promised each other never again to celebrate October 31st in a way that would bring glory to the "thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy", but to celebrate that day as any other day - A day to bring glory to God who created that day and every other day!

October 31st came and went. A call from the sheriff's office on November 1st brought news of many empty hotel rooms. For some reason or another the plans of the area's "coven" were foiled and their "worship" had to be moved to another location. He also found out that the daughter in question was from a family of a friend of thiers. They had witnessed to a young lady high up in the local coven and had given her shelter in their home as she re-established her life in Christ. This had angered the "high priest" and he had issued a proclamation to sacrifice her on October 31st. (This does not hold to normal satanic rituals where a virgin is considered a greater sacrifice.)

The power of the Cross and the power of the Most High God are much more powerful than any fear or deception that the enemy could drum up!

--------------------------------------------------------

And that my friend is my story and why I feel the way I do about celebrating the pagan holiday.

How do I celebrate October 31st?

By sharing the love of Jesus through Kid's Fest at our church.
By sharing the gospel message through a week long crusade ending with Trunk or Treat on Saturday and family services on Sunday.

We do our best to glorify the life, message and hope of Jesus Christ, and to present the freedom and love He has to offer.

Do I condemn those who have fun with Halloween?
No Way!
Do I think it is a "sin" to dress up like witches and ghosts and glorify death in yard decorations?
No- but I do think that once someone knows the truth and understands the deception of the enemy, that it would be hard to look those things in the same way.

------------------------------
Okay, this post is way too long, but I hope I have shared my heart!
This is the Day the Lord has made; let US rejoice and be glad in it!

blessings
dorinda

Part 2: Abigail- Her Story

This is part 2 of Abigail- Her Story. For part 1, please click here.

..............................................................


The thoughts and questions flooding her mind dared to unnerve her. She knew she could very well lose her life! If she dwelt on the possibilities too long, she just might cower to her fears, but she couldn't. Too many lives were at stake!

With a courage that few men have found even in the heat of battle, Abigail mounted her donkey and headed for the mountain. All of the goods were ready and loaded. She sent a few servants with the gifts ahead.

She would follow the little caravan.

As the early morning sun began to peak over the horizon, Abigail saw the opening in the hillside. She knew that once she rode through the pass there was no turning back. Her heart fluttered a little from fear. She didn't want to think about what her stomach was doing.

Her donkey plodded slowly among the ravine's path. A few loose pebbles trickled down the dried up creek bed.

That was when she heard the neighing of horses.

Now her heart was caught in her throat!

Would she live to see another sunrise?

In a matter of seconds she was face to face with the warriors.
In the lead was none other than the giant slayer himself, David.
~ The shepherd boy turned warrior.

With all of the dignity and strength she could muster she dismounted her donkey with the speed of one whose life depended upon it.

She fell at his feet and began the speech she had rehearsed for the last several hours.

She dared not look him in the face. After her long oratory that began with her pleading for mercy and ended with David's praises and triumphs, she lie with her face breathing in the moisture from the soil. Her heart beat so fast she thought David's entire army could hear it.

She trembled from the top of her head to her finger tips. When she realized how bad she was trembling, she clinched her fists to hide their quivering.

While she spoke, David's troops were silent. Now she still heard nothing other than what appeared to be the warrior dismounting from his steed.

He was standing next to her head.

His words were like music to her ears! "Blessed be the God of Israel! He has sent you to me! And blessed be your good sense!"

She heard little else than the mercy in his voice.
In all of her bravery she could not keep the single tear from sliding down her cheek.

Slowly she raised her head and ventured to take in the surroundings.

His men were accepting the gifts she sent!

"Return home in peace. I've heard what you said and will do what you've asked."

With that the company of warriors turned and rode back to the other side of the mountain.

Abigail stood there staring after them.
The God of Israel had just spared her life and the lives of her entire company.

The servants were waiting on her for instruction.

Brushing off her garments, she returned to her donkey. Head held high and back straight, she returned home. The servants, one by one followed her.

Once again, their mistress had saved their lives. She risked her life so they might live.

The ride home was quiet but much more peaceful to her body than the last 24 hours had been. She almost moaned out loud when she realized there was still the sheering festival to tend to.

She heard the festivities before she could even see the camp.

Nabal.

He loved his wine and any excuse for a good party.

As they rode into the camp, servants in tent after tent poked their heads out to see the straggling travelers ride in. Abigail greeted them with a warm smile to assure them of the success of her little trip. Wives and mothers said a thousand words with looks of admiration and devotion. They would sleep tonight with husbands and sons at home, because of her bravery and wisdom. A few of the children, upon seeing Abigail ran out to greet her.

By the time she reached her tent, a small group had gathered. News of the impending doom had spread like wildfire upon her departure. Now, they just wanted to know what happened.

As much as Abigail wanted to greet each servant and reassure them that all was well, she was just too tired. She summoned Deborah, Pallu and sent for Hanini. She informed the three of them of the events and asked them to relay the details to the servants.

Before she could rest, she had to see what Nabal was up to and if all was well.

Her weary bones drug her to his tent. If it hadn't been for the loudness of the music and drunken shepherds and visiting clansmen, they would have heard her stomach rumble. How long since she had eaten a real meal? Was it just yesterday that she and Deborah had a quiet lunch in Maon?

As she entered the tent, she heard, rather than saw Nabal.
She knew he was already drunk. His rude and surly comments to the slave girl serving his drinks stung Abigail's heart. With a sigh she back out of the tent and let him alone. He wouldn't remember a word she said anyway.

These things could wait until morning.

Now, to tend to her hunger and exhaustion.

In her tent, her dear Deborah had bath water drawn and a scrumptious meal waiting. Her five maids were waiting on her. They each greeted her with a warm hug and expressions of deep gratitude. These were the ladies who knew her best. They knew she wore the weight of the welfare of each of them along with every other servant and hireling of Nabals.

The five of them saw to her every need before she fell asleep. With hushed whispers they brushed her hair, prepared her bed and retrieved her food. They would see to it that their mistress was not disturbed in any way tonight. She, with the help of Yahweh, was a brave and courageous warrior. Her strength, honor and bravery had saved them all.

Abigail slept a quiet and deep sleep while Nabal drank himself into a senseless stupor.

Tomorrow would bring it's own life changing events and another sunrise would see another drama unfold. But for tonight, the camp in Carmel would be divided into the sleeping and the drunken, the wise and the foolish.

Abigail dreamed dreams of peace and happiness.

Nabal slobbered spittal on his beard. When he finally passed out, he felt a tightening in his chest. His last conscious thought was of cursing the cook for the spicey foods and his indigestion.

The sun had dropped against the horizon hours ago and was almost ready to reappear for another day.

The Carmel camp was finally asleep.

.............................................

Abigail- a woman of wisdom, bravery and courage. There is still more to her story. I'm not sure if I will write a part 3. What do you think?
I hope you felt her emotions and realized her bravery!

blessings!
dorinda

Abigail - Her Story

Although their make shift camp was buzzing with activity, Abigail felt a sense of peace and calm as she walked through checking on all the preparations for the sheering festival.

All was going according to schedule and she even had extra food prepared should a traveling caravan wander by. She was greeted by servants during her stroll.

She loved to smile at them as they worked. It was her way of balancing out her husband's harsh treatment. She found that her daily walks through their dwelling, whether here or in Maon, seemed to calm the servants and give them a trusting attitude. She hoped they all knew that she appreciated and valued each and every one of them. Her husband, Nabal, on the other hand, seemed to care for only himself and his money.

Convinced that she could make the quick trip to their home in Maon, she loaded up a few things and took two of her beloved servants, Deborah and her brother, Pallu. Maon was her favorite. The tents of Carmel were nice, but not like her home in Maon. In Maon she felt the cool mountain breezes even in the heat of the summer days. In Maon she had buried her mother and her father. Maon was home.

The festival would begin at sundown day after tomorrow. She would be back by daybreak. Maon, even if for just one night, would provide her the rest and peace she needed before the next ten days of the sheering festival. Nabal was in the fields with the sheepherders sheering the flocks and would not need her until the feast began.

The moment she came through the clearing she felt that warmth in her soul. Home! She was grateful to Yahweh for this place. The purpose of her mini-vacation was really to check on the servants here. She had not seen them in four weeks. She knew no news meant all was well, but she just wanted to make sure for herself before the festival started.

After checking on the few families left, she took a small lunch to her favorite tree. Deborah went with her. These were some of her favorite times. Deborah may have been her servant, but she was also her dearest friend. Together they dreamed and planned. They laughed and cried. Sisters could not have been closer.

Before their lunch was complete, Abigail looked up to see a cloud of dust coming from the same direction they had traveled earlier. Whoever it was, was in a hurry!

A sense of dread clung to Abigail's heart. Deborah, without a word, began gathering their lunch. She knew her master and she knew something had happened in Carmel.

By the time the dust cleared, Abigail could make out Hanini talking to Pallu. The two women hurried down the hill to find the reason for Hanini's quick pursuit of his mistress.

Hanini, was the assistant to the chief sheepherder. Shephullah would not have sent Hanini if it were not an emergency. Abigail feared the worst.

"Mistress Abigail!"

"Hanini! What brings you all the way from the sheering?"

"Mistress, David sent messengers from the desert to greet our master. Rather than thanking David's servants for their protection and good will, our Master, Nabal, your husband, insulted them and ridiculed David. Mistress Abigail, David and his men did no harm to us. In fact they were a wall of protection around us. Shephullah has sent me to you to consider what to do. You know that harm will come of this. He has insulted men who have been kind to him. Harm will come to him and all of his house. He is such a worthless man and no one can tell him anything!"

Abigail could not believe what she just heard! Was Nabal out of his mind? Did he not know what David and his men were capable of? They were not just some travelling caravan. These men were warriors. Everyone knew that someday David would be king, and her husband just insulted him!

She knew she shouldn't be surprised. How many times had her husband, handsome and wealthy as he was, made a cruel and selfish judgement only to laugh at the consequences to others later.

Her mind went into high gear. She sent Hanini rushing back with instructions and a fresh steed.
Her mini-vacation just ended and her little party made hasty preparations to return to Carmel.

By the time she returned to the camp in Carmel, the stars were twinkling in the dark sky. Their dancing belied the fact that everything she loved could be destroyed after daybreak.

She almost ran from tent to tent checking on the instructions she sent with Hanini. Loaves of bread baking. The choice wine selected. Sheep slaughtered and roasting. The grain bagged and the raisins and fig cakes prepared.

One last stop before a few hours of sleep. She went into the barn to make sure that the servant boy loaded all of the gifts on the donkeys by the fourth watch. She would need to leave before first light.

Her bones ached and her back side was sore. The quick trip back was not an easy one. To think she had hoped to rest for the day!

Sleep evaded her and when she did finally drift off she dreamed of warriors slicing the throats of all their men. She was thankful when Deborah wakened her to make preparation to leave.

Would David and his men accept her apologies for her husband's rude and cruel behavior? Had the stories of the man who slayed Goliath yet played the harp for King Saul been true? Would David show his mercy or his blood thirst?

Only Yahweh could know. She breathed an urgent prayer for His intervention.

.............................................................................................

Ok. That's all for today folks! Check back Monday for the rest of the story!

blessings,
dorinda

Abigail

I was preparing this week for our newest Ladies ministry, Tuesday Treasure. I stumbled across a sort of familiar Bible story. I saw it in a new light!

So, what I'm thinking is a story is coming~
a story about Abigail.

Here is what I want you to do.

Read the account of Abigail today.

She is found in 1 Samuel 25.

See her story in your mind. Feel what she is feeling. Look at her actions, her responses and her remarks.

Then tomorrow we will look at Abigail again together!

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE the Bible and the things God tells us about Himself and His creation?

love you ladies!

blessings,
dorinda


(Praying for the Severn Family)