Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
Please sign the GuestMap at The Burning Bush website. You can plant your country's flag on the map and leave a message. You can find it on the front page at http://www.theburningbush.org
The Burning Bush Devotional
10.25.02
The Glitz of Horror
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. - Ephesians 5:11.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. - Ephesians 6:12.
Horror has been repackaged as Halloween with cool costumes, diabolical decorations, goblin goodies, and eerie entertainment. We are encouraged to watch the top ten scariest movies ever made so that we can have a screamingly good time. On the USA Today web page is the horror of snipers at the top and at the bottom is the smiley marketing face of Halloween Illuminations. Horror Historian David J. Skal writes (in his book, Death Makes a Holiday: A Cultural History of Halloween), Halloween is a holiday that refuses to play by anyone's rules. Skal also writes that Halloween is, Unpredictable and unrepentant, Halloween also remains stubbornly unofficial and underground, and this may be the key to understanding the tumult that regularly erupts in its name.
More than two thousand years ago the Druids living in what is now Ireland, Great Britain and France had the Fire Festival which they observed to mark the Celtic new year. The Druids believed that on that night the barrier between the natural world and the supernatural was removed, and then the spirits of the dead were able to move freely among human beings. In the seventh century the Roman Catholic Church brought Christianity to the Celtic peoples. Pope Gregory IV in 835 A.D. moved the Feast of All Saints from spring to November 1st to replace the observance of the Fire Festival or Samhain. All Saints Day honored believers who had died. The night before with a sacred vigil became known as All Hallows Eve, or Halloween. However, the old practices and beliefs of the Druids refused to die and were denounced as being witchcraft. This was how Halloween became known as a witchs holiday.
A combination of pagan and Christian elements brought about the Halloween celebration we see today. In recent years a renewed interest in the old pagan beliefs has flourished in North America and beyond with television shows like, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, and others. Of course now we have the Harry Potter books and movie adding to the popularization of the occult. The result of all of this is that Halloween is very much associated with the occult and the preoccupation with the dead. These are two things that the Bible and the church have always warned us about.
To many people Halloween appears on the surface to be an innocent way to laugh at our fears. At one time even after I became a Christian I was just as naïve about the dangers of the devils holiday. However, satan and his demons are a spiritual reality and we are in a war with them whether we like it or not.
Here are some reasons why we as Christians should not celebrate Halloween:
Because God hates Halloween - I hate every false way (Psalm 119:104).
Because Halloween honors satan and his demons (I Peter 5:8; II Corinthians 4:4).
Because it glorifies death and God is not the cause of death (Man is the cause of death - Romans 5:12).
Because in the name of Halloween many sin through celebrations which honor satan (I Corinthians 10:20).
This year please do not be deceived by the glitz of Horror. Instead of honoring the devil honor and praise God.
Copyright © 2002. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the
devotionals on a non-profit basis with source credited.
If this devotional is a blessing to you, maybe you have a friend or family member who would like to start receiving it. Subscribing is easy. Send a blank email to
[email protected] or to subscribe to the html version send a blank email to [email protected] If you desire to receive a text only version of the devotional you can make the change yourself by going to www.injesus.com click "Click Here" in the upper right hand corner login with your email address and password click the My InJesus tab at the top of the page click the My Profile in the My InJesus box on the left click Pure text.
If I can help you in any way please contact me at [email protected]
Subscribe to the Burning Bush Prayer Group. Send and receive prayer
requests to over 300 members. Send a blank email
to: [email protected]
Subscribe to the Burning Bush Inspirational Group. Send and receive
inspirational material to over 100 members. Send a blank email
to:
[email protected]
Subscribe to the Burning Bush Restoration and Recovery Group for those with
addictions or recovering from addictions. Receive devotionals and
inspirational material directed toward those with addictions. Send and
receive prayer requests. Over 200 members. Send a blank email
to: [email protected]
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
The Burning Bush Devotional
10.25.02
The Glitz of Horror
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. - Ephesians 5:11.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. - Ephesians 6:12.
Horror has been repackaged as Halloween with cool costumes, diabolical decorations, goblin goodies, and eerie entertainment. We are encouraged to watch the top ten scariest movies ever made so that we can have a screamingly good time. On the USA Today web page is the horror of snipers at the top and at the bottom is the smiley marketing face of Halloween Illuminations. Horror Historian David J. Skal writes (in his book, Death Makes a Holiday: A Cultural History of Halloween), Halloween is a holiday that refuses to play by anyone's rules. Skal also writes that Halloween is, Unpredictable and unrepentant, Halloween also remains stubbornly unofficial and underground, and this may be the key to understanding the tumult that regularly erupts in its name.
More than two thousand years ago the Druids living in what is now Ireland, Great Britain and France had the Fire Festival which they observed to mark the Celtic new year. The Druids believed that on that night the barrier between the natural world and the supernatural was removed, and then the spirits of the dead were able to move freely among human beings. In the seventh century the Roman Catholic Church brought Christianity to the Celtic peoples. Pope Gregory IV in 835 A.D. moved the Feast of All Saints from spring to November 1st to replace the observance of the Fire Festival or Samhain. All Saints Day honored believers who had died. The night before with a sacred vigil became known as All Hallows Eve, or Halloween. However, the old practices and beliefs of the Druids refused to die and were denounced as being witchcraft. This was how Halloween became known as a witchs holiday.
A combination of pagan and Christian elements brought about the Halloween celebration we see today. In recent years a renewed interest in the old pagan beliefs has flourished in North America and beyond with television shows like, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, and others. Of course now we have the Harry Potter books and movie adding to the popularization of the occult. The result of all of this is that Halloween is very much associated with the occult and the preoccupation with the dead. These are two things that the Bible and the church have always warned us about.
To many people Halloween appears on the surface to be an innocent way to laugh at our fears. At one time even after I became a Christian I was just as naïve about the dangers of the devils holiday. However, satan and his demons are a spiritual reality and we are in a war with them whether we like it or not.
Here are some reasons why we as Christians should not celebrate Halloween:
Because God hates Halloween - I hate every false way (Psalm 119:104).
Because Halloween honors satan and his demons (I Peter 5:8; II Corinthians 4:4).
Because it glorifies death and God is not the cause of death (Man is the cause of death - Romans 5:12).
Because in the name of Halloween many sin through celebrations which honor satan (I Corinthians 10:20).
This year please do not be deceived by the glitz of Horror. Instead of honoring the devil honor and praise God.
Copyright © 2002. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the
devotionals on a non-profit basis with source credited.
If this devotional is a blessing to you, maybe you have a friend or family member who would like to start receiving it. Subscribing is easy. Send a blank email to
[email protected] or to subscribe to the html version send a blank email to [email protected] If you desire to receive a text only version of the devotional you can make the change yourself by going to http://www.injesus.com click "Click Here" in the upper right hand corner login with your email address and password click the My InJesus tab at the top of the page click the My Profile in the My InJesus box on the left click Pure text.
If I can help you in any way please contact me at [email protected]
Subscribe to the Burning Bush Prayer Group. Send and receive prayer
requests to over 300 members. Send a blank email
to: [email protected]
Subscribe to the Burning Bush Inspirational Group. Send and receive
inspirational material to over 100 members. Send a blank email
to:
[email protected]
Subscribe to the Burning Bush Restoration and Recovery Group for those with
addictions or recovering from addictions. Receive devotionals and
inspirational material directed toward those with addictions. Send and
receive prayer requests. Over 200 members. Send a blank email
to: [email protected]
