BBD 10.29.09 The Glitz of Horror

#1 · October 29, 2009, 1:49 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on October 29, 2009, 1:49 pm
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
Visit the Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net
www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating 11 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of Gods Word to more than 11,000 subscribers across the world.

Please join the Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998 and is made up of over 300 prayer warriors. Send prayer requests and receive prayer requests. To join send an email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

You can now leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at www.theburningbush.net.

Im now on twitter and you can find me at http://www.twitter.com/edwrather.

(I have been ill with the flu for several days but I am improving.)

The Burning Bush Devotional
(A Devotional Classic from 2002)
Welcome to the 1198 new subscribers since January 1, 2009

10.29.09

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 (in 2002) 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 (1 Peter 5:8; 2 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 (1 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 - 2009. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

Prayer Requests: Please continue to pray for Cody, and Mica who are young boys with cancer. Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer requests there and they will be forwarded to the Burning Bush Prayer Group (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for me.).

If you are not my friend on facebook or myspace you can be, just add me. The devotionals are posted in my blogs on those two social networks and you can leave comments, feedback about them there. There are other social networks designed just for Christians, however, this is an outreach project to reach those who may not know the Lord or may have wandered away. You can help me reach out to them.

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org

Two videos of my sermons are posted on Godtube at: www.godtube.com/Wrather

You can listen to services at my son, Clark Wrather's church (First Baptist Church of Broken Bow, Oklahoma) live on Sunday mornings at 10:55am CST www.kkbifm.com/

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You may SUBSCRIBE to the html text group by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may UNSUBSCRIBE by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.
-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org   

Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

Visit the Burning Bush websites:

http://www.theburningbush.net
http://www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating 11 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of Gods Word to more than 11,000 subscribers across the world.

Please join the Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998 and is made up of over 300 prayer warriors. Send prayer requests and receive prayer requests. To join send an email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

You can now leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at http://www.theburningbush.net.

Im now on twitter and you can find me at http://www.twitter.com/edwrather.

(I have been ill with the flu for several days but I am improving.)

The Burning Bush Devotional
(A Devotional Classic from 2002)
Welcome to the 1198 new subscribers since January 1, 2009

10.29.09

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 (in 2002) 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 (1 Peter 5:8; 2 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 (1 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 - 2009. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

Prayer Requests: Please continue to pray for Cody, and Mica who are young boys with cancer. Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer requests there and they will be forwarded to the Burning Bush Prayer Group (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for me.).

If you are not my friend on facebook or myspace you can be, just add me. The devotionals are posted in my blogs on those two social networks and you can leave comments, feedback about them there. There are other social networks designed just for Christians, however, this is an outreach project to reach those who may not know the Lord or may have wandered away. You can help me reach out to them.

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org

Two videos of my sermons are posted on Godtube at: http://www.godtube.com/Wrather

You can listen to services at my son, Clark Wrather's church (First Baptist Church of Broken Bow, Oklahoma) live on Sunday mornings at 10:55am CST http://www.kkbifm.com/

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You may SUBSCRIBE to the html text group by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may UNSUBSCRIBE by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org