Things That Go Bump in the Night

Hebrews 9: 24 – 28                             

Jesus believed in the devil, demons, and evil spirits. Do you?

The outcome of Christ’s encounters with demonic powers is summed up in Colossians 2: 15, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” There is victory in Jesus.

In America today there is a celebration of the spiritual underworld lifestyle called Halloween. That holiday isn’t what it was when many of us adults were children, and it isn’t what it was long before that.

Fear sells. A recent survey among teens showed more of them know who Freddy Kruger is than Abraham Lincoln.

What a couple of decades ago was a fun filled night of collecting goodies has changed. Today more personal property is destroyed on this day than any. Costly vandalism reaches a peak on this night. Razor blades and needles are buried in fruit. Hallucinogens are put in candy. It is not simply the scary night it used to be. It is now a frightening night.

The word Halloween comes from the event called “All Hallows Eve.” It is now the evening before All Saints Day.

Even before the time of Jesus, the ancient Druids had a holiday honoring their lord of the dead, Samhain. It was on the last day of October, the Celtic new year.

Druids believed that on this night Samhain called forth the souls of all who had died during the last twelve months and had during the time following their death been inhabiting animal bodies. These spirits returned to their former homes where the occupants were to treat them by providing food and entertainment for them. If it wasn’t acceptable, these spirits played tricks on the residents. From this emerged our Trick or Treat.

Legend says a man named Jack tricked the devil into not bothering him during his life. At death, Jack was denied both heaven and hell. He groped his way through the dark by carrying a glowing coal in a carved out turnip. From this came our Jack-o-lantern.

Halloween is one of the highest and holiest days of the occult year. Though witchcraft and Satanism are separate, both celebrate this day.

Children should be taught it is at best a fun day, not a fright day. Remove the supernatural fear factor from the celebration. It is a good occasion to focus on the fact “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind” (II Timothy 1: 7).