By: Denny

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that Halloween and the promoting of it has become over- commercialized. Stores began rolling out and displaying all their paraphernalia to cash in on profits way back in August. The same holds true for Christmas, as now all that stuff has its own section in early September. Can anyone remember there is another holiday in between them called Thanksgiving? Halloween is what it is, Christmas has Santa Claus and Easter has a bunny, but Thanksgiving has no alternative figure. Of course, there is no profit for them in promoting and capitalizing on Thanksgiving, because it’s supposed to be a day set apart to give thanks to God. Even so, for many it is just another day off work to visit relatives, eat an abundance of food, watch football, and talk about everything but God. (unless you count the 30 second table prayer before eating). A person can be thankful for many things, but what does it matter if you don’t consider and thank God as the source of all your substance. “Jesus is the reason for the season” will soon be the catch phrase flooding social media. Although true, I must wonder how much is only lip service, as people just busy themselves with everything but Jesus. So many of the holidays these days have strayed from or lost their true purpose.

Getting back to the subject of Halloween. What is, and did it ever have a true purpose? Its roots are grounded in superstitions and pagan occult practices dating back centuries. Even the things associated with Halloween are symbols of darkness masked behind the fun of trick or treating and carving a pumpkin. As a kid, I used to get excited about deciding on what to dress up as. We made our own costumes with mom’s help when needed. What kid doesn’t want to dress up and walk the neighborhood and come home with a huge stash of free candy. I did, so I can’t fault them for that. What concerns and aggravates me these days is the outright propagation of evil demonic activity and horrific wicked violence that kids are exposed to through TV, movies, video games, and other media at this time of year. No thanks to Disney and others in the Hollywood elite who write and produce this garbage. Anybody with half a brain and an ounce of common sense would shield their kids and not allow it in their homes. How naive and ignorant people are to think the devil will knock on their door, introduce himself, and ask if he can come in when they’ve already allowed him to take up residence there. Is it any wonder that we have become a society that has lost its conscience and is unable to differentiate between the good and bad. Sadly, many who call themselves Christians have lost all ability to discern right from wrong and good from evil, if they ever did have it in the first place. True discernment is the gift given by the Holy Spirit to know and separate that which is good, right, and holy from that which is almost good, right, and holy. Anything that is counterfeit always bears some resemblance to that which is true and real. The apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth warning them not to be deceived by those who claimed to be apostles but were false. 2 Corinthians 11:14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. He further writes in Ephesians 5: 8-11 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the spirit is in all goodness righteousness and truth) proving what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.

So, if kids show up at your door trick or treating dressed up in ghoulish demonic costumes, or wearing a red suit with horns and carrying a pitchfork, realize they aren’t the devil. They are only acting out what their parents have allowed to have place in their homes. Call me Scrooge or a Grinch, but I reserve the right to not participate in Halloween, because it has crossed the line from being a fun thing for kids to that which is destructive to the moral health of families. I wrote a little ditty that expresses my opinion further. Being that it is a rap song, it must be sung with that type of cadence, style, emphasis, and rhythm to get the most out of it.

Halloween Rap

Said listen up now, I got some information

About the source, of my aggravation

And you may think, that I’m old fashioned

But I hate Halloween, with a passion

It’s an evil holiday, is my proclamation

Said I will declare, to this congregation

It’s bad, said bad!

It’s full of wickedness, and every temptation

And tricks are not for kids, is my estimation

If you say it’s okay, in your conversation

Then I question the source, of your motivation

So if you want to be, a very good Christian

Don’t celebrate the devil, he’ll lead you to perdition

He’s bad, said bad!

For the devil wants to bring you, into captivation

And it’s time you came, to this realization

That Halloween is more, than just confection

It’ll take your kids, in a different direction

Said Satan is the prince, of all deception

So heed this word, and receive correction

He’s bad, said bad!

Have no part of evil is the Bible’s commendation

Just change your ways, and your destination

Said if your unhappy, with your life situation

Here is good news, so catch the revelation

Of a Jesus Christ, and His reconciliation

How He shed His blood, for our restoration

He’s good, said good!

Said if everything has failed in your life application

It’s time you started livin’, in a new dispensation

So call upon Him, and receive your salvation

His name is Jesus Christ, the Lord of all creation

He’s good! . . . said He’s God! . . . yeh that’s right! . . . Hallelujah!

Stop being tricked by Satan and treat yourself to the abundant new life found only in Jesus Christ. Trick? or Treat? It’s your choice.