Why I Won't Be Celebrating Halloween (Again)

It's that time of year again: Halloween.

I know. Cue the scary music. All kidding aside, please settle in because this could be a long one today. That's only because I think this is a very serious subject; more serious than most think.

I'll try to refrain from any new posts until early next week so that you can take the time to digest all of the information here.

Let's make things worthwhile right off the bat by recalling some key passages of Scripture to mind...

Ephesians 5:11 (ESV) Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

John 14:15 (ESV) If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

John 14:21 (KJV) He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

John 14:23-24 (ESV) Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

John 15:10 (KJV) If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

2 Corinthians 13:5 (ESV) Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

1 John 1:6 (ESV) If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

1 John 2:3-6 (ESV) And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

1 John 2:15 (ESV) Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1 John 3:6 (ESV) No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.

Hebrews 10:26-29 (NIV) If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?

Revelation 3:15-16 (ESV) I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God!

May His truths prepare your heart and mind for today's journey.


NOT A 'LEGALIST'. NOT A 'PHARISEE'. JUST A '2 CORINTHIANS 6:3 CHRISTIAN'.


As I see it, debates of this kind always come down to whether or not we're being self-conscious. I'll explain what I mean by that very soon.

I'll begin by continuing to set the proper foundation first by reminding us of some key truths about 'Christian liberty' (a.k.a. 'freedom in Christ') since it's often used as the most common defense whenever this subject comes up.

Galatians 5:1 (ESV) For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

1 Corinthians 10:23 (KJV) All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

"In fundamentals...faith is primary, and we may not appeal to love as an excuse to deny essential faith. In non-fundamentals, however, love is primary, and we may not appeal to zeal for the faith as an excuse for failure in love. Faith instructs our own conscience; love respects the consciences of others. Faith gives liberty; love limits it exercise."
-- John Stott

"Wherefore, though the Christian, as a Christian, is the only man at liberty, as called thereunto of God; yet his liberty is limited to things that are good: he is not licensed thereby to indulge the flesh."
-- John Bunyan

"The moment any mention is made of Christian liberty lust begins to boil, or insane commotions arise, if a speedy restraint is not laid on those licentious spirits by whom the best things are perverted into the worst."
-- John Calvin

"Freedom is not only the principle in the Christian life. Freedom is for something. God has set us free for holiness. He has set us free from the guilt and bondage of sin – but not in order that we might become enslaved to the very sins for which Christ died to redeem us!...No action which is contrary to the plain Word of God can ever be legitimate for the Christian. No appeal to spiritual freedom or to providential circumstances can ever make what is ethically wrong anything else but sinful. For the Christian is free only to love and obey the law of God. Therein lies his true freedom."
-- Sinclair B. Ferguson

"In the name of liberty professing Christians glut themselves with luxuries, entertainments and sensuous pleasures. Under the banner of freedom men give the reins to their thirst for wealth, women dress immodestly, feeding vanity which loves attention, and youth abandon themselves to athletics and leisure. When self is fed in this manner it becomes brazen and runs to excess, crowding God out of the heart… They begin again to serve themselves rather than the Lord."
-- Walter J. Chantry

"To argue from mercy to sin is the devil’s logic."
-- James Janeway

I pray that helps set the table before we start to chew on some hard truths.

The first hard truth? There are many activities that are perfectly legitimate for the believer. But if you want to be truly effective for Christ, and not be a "stumbling block" (2 Corinthians 6:3), you have to limit your liberty. Yes, 'limit' your liberty. No doubt about it.

That brings us to Halloween 2011. Sadly, this is the season that means another round of fierce debate within the Christian Blogosphere (if not also in Christian homes and churches worldwide) about this annual affair.

Come to think of it, that's a a good term to use to describe it -- calling it an 'affair' seems rather appropriate. For some strange reason, this is always one day out of the entire year when our love for things like candy, costumes, decorations, lascivious behavior, and parties seems to surpass our love for our Lord and Savior. Worse, it's completely excused as 'fun' and 'no big deal' by a large segment of the Christian community. Why is that?

Truth is, even if our love for such things was merely equal to our love for Him, then that would still be a very serious problem for us (Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27).

Bottom line? I hate Halloween and everything it stands for; despise it with a passion actually. There is just nothing 'Christian' about it at all. There, I said it.

Now you know what Halloween means to me each year. It also means that I'll be spending another weekend on a 'spiritual island' of sorts because I'll be isolated and all by myself in my beliefs.

That's not to elicit any kind of pity or sympathy from you or anyone else. I know my calling and am prepared to fulfill it no matter the personal cost (Galatians 1:10). I guess I just never imagined that I would be the ONLY PERSON who feels the way that I do. Furthermore, I guess I just never thought that I would be criticized for such beliefs -- from other Christian brother and sisters. Quite frankly, it's a little surprising (and sad too).

It reminds me of what I once read by Jim Elliff in The Care And Feeding Of Flies when he wrote...

"When free believers take their liberties too far and violate the commands of God or demonstrate a bent toward impiety because they wish to press the outer ranges of liberty, or when they laugh at piety as if it is beneath them, then they have stepped out of the spirit of true Christianity."

Yep. Like I said, it's a little surprising (and sad too).

By that I simply mean that I do not have any family members, friends, or even acquaintances who feel the same way that I do about Halloween (other than some of you who are my 'Online Brothers And Sisters In Christ' who have expressed encouragement and solidarity with me on this issue via email let's say). None. Not a single person if you can believe that. And, if they do feel the same, they certainly haven't told me and they aren't willing to vocalize it publicly.

This year, the debate within my family has been a little different than in years past (though not that much different from last year when this all started). Sure, I find myself conflicted, but only because I don't want there to be any strife or tension between me and everyone else.

But I fully recognize that compromise is the problem with Christianity today. People who know me certainly cannot say that they don't know if I'm "hot" or "cold" about matters of the faith (Revelation 3:15-16) and that's what I'm always striving for when it comes to ensuring that my walk matches my talk as I try to live out an authentic Christian faith in Christ Jesus. It's what I meant when I said that I'm a '2 Corinthians 6:3 Christian'.

My clearly stated position is always the same whenever it comes to a Biblical debate of any kind. As it relates to Halloween, I'm always open to hearing someone make a case to me about why celebrating this holiday has some kind of value to it, but mainly some kind of value for Christians in general.

Yet, of all the arguments I've heard, none of them even make just a decent Biblical case, and that's why this is such an easy decision for me. I have yet to hear a compelling case made as to why Christians should be celebrating this holiday each year using God's Word as one's guide.

Instead, the reasons for celebrating Halloween are almost always just about getting one night -- one 'Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free-Pass' from God in a sense -- that allows Christians to indulge in their own personal preferences (pet and private sins?) without fear of condemnation or rebuke from other believers. More on that angle later.

I also have absolutely no problem sitting down and trying to explain to people why it is that I feel the way that I do, and I'll cite the Scriptures often because they are what's giving me cause for concern.

The way I've explained it to anyone who asks me about my reasons for taking such a strong stand on this usually goes like this...

Simply put, I have some personal reservations with Halloween and can't bring myself to celebrate it. Now, typically, whenever I share that with people for the first time (especially other Christians) it tends to be met with fierce resistance, or it's assumed that I'm somehow 'judging' those who do decide to celebrate it each year. Nothing could be further from the truth and I've always told people that if they're curious about why I'm so entrenched in my position year-after-year I would be more than happy to sit down with them to explain where I'm coming from and why (and I can assure you that it's not from some kind of twisted 'legalistic' and/or 'Phariseeic' place).

No, the Bible does not say anything about Halloween -- in a specific sense -- just like it doesn't say anything specifically about things like smoking either. Yes, each person is free to make their own decisions on what is 'right' and 'wrong' for them under the umbrella of 'freedom in Christ', or 'Christian liberty' according to Romans 14:14 I suppose. In other words, the holy Scriptures do not explicitly say that a person is going to go to Hell for eternity if they celebrate Halloween or go Trick-or-Treating (or smoke, or watch certain violent movies and TV shows, or listen to certain questionable kinds of music, etc.). Ultimately, these things are preferences and partaking in -- and even refraining from -- them does not make one 'more' or 'less' holy/spiritual.

However, because of what we're told in 1 Corinthians 10:23 (KJV) "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not" there is enough in God's Word to help us make the right decisions about whether God would 'approve' or 'disapprove' of us partaking in certain individual/group activities whatever they may be. In addition, if we are maturing our faith like we're supposed to, then we should notice a marked difference between the 'old self' and the 'new self' because of what we're told about being "a new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17), which means we should start to see new desires, new interests, and new preferences that are more in line what what God thinks about things. How do we know the will of God and what He think about things in this life? We read His holy Word regularly and let our mind be conformed to Christ. Romans 12:2 says clearly, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Again, just because God's Word does not explicitly say something about His view toward the celebration of a holiday like Halloween, there is more than enough in His Word that should give us a pretty good idea that it's safe to conclude that He wouldn't be celebrating it Himself if He were here with us today.

Like Sam Storms once wrote, "Christian liberty includes the right to abstain from otherwise legitimate pursuits if one is convinced in his/her own mind that such is the will of God for them personally. In other words, you may fully believe in the truth of Rom. 14:14a, yet choose to abstain anyway. Christian liberty does not include the right to insist that others likewise abstain simply because you do. Far less does it include the right to judge them as sub-spiritual for choosing a different course of action from you." Very true. Isn't it possible that a majority of Christians have it wrong about Halloween though?

Since I'm now referencing other Christians who have weighed in here I think I'd like to share this from John MacArthur: "God’s purpose in redeeming men from sin is not to give them freedom to do as they please but freedom to do as He pleases, which is to live righteously." Quick question: Are we "living righteously" by associating ourselves and our families with a holiday that is known for death when Jesus Christ is known for eternal life? I mean, they're two polar opposites! They're diametrically opposed to one another, aren't they? So then what business do we have celebrating something like this? The Life-Death paradigm is the most obvious example, but we could continue making a list to demonstrate how Halloween's characteristics are anti-Christian in almost every conceivable way (in each case below, I could've picked several verses to illustrate each point)...


The tradition of begging for candy; gluttony/greed
WHEN COMPARED TO...
"give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11); contentment with God's blessings


The tradition of wearing costumes to become a new creation; mockery
WHEN COMPARED TO...
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

John 3:3 Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."


Tradition of wild parties with grotesque/sexual costumes; lasciviousness/lust/sin
WHEN COMPARED TO...
Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.


The tradition of causing fear by scaring people; anxiety/hopelessness
WHEN COMPARED TO...
Psalm 56:4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

Titus 2:13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,


Halloween associated with witches, ghosts, goblins, monsters; witchcraft/demons
WHEN COMPARED TO...
Deuteronomy 18:10 There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you.


I think the most compelling evidence that proves that a majority of Christians instinctively know that they should not be celebrating Halloween (but do so anyway) is the presence of the 'Trunk-Or-Treat' events popular these days with Christian churches and schools. They are universally described in bulletins as 'A Fun And Safe Alternative To Halloween', aren't they? Folks, why do we need a 'safe alternative' unless the original version that we just can't let go of is already inherently 'unsafe' in its traditional form? The message seems to be that we love candy, and costumes, and decorations, and games, and parties more than we love trying to live obediently to Christ.

This is the part of the conversation when most people will say something like, "Come on Jeff! It's all just harmless entertainment and fun!" Really? Is the Ouija Board 'just a harmless game' too? The same argument could be applied to movies and television, right? Most Christian parents have no problem censoring what their kids watch, but why is that any different? Plus, if you're the type of person who sincerely thinks that this is all just 'harmless fun', then please take a moment to listen to this...



See, this is why Occult/Vampire programming is getting so popular these days. It's going way too far (as this recent graphic cover of of Rolling Stone for the hit TV series True Blood proves) and millions still flock to it -- many of them Christians! This is a serious problem. Thankfully, some Christian leaders have the backbone to buck the trend and say something to sound the alarm and urge caution as they rightfully should. You know this holiday has gotten outta hand when you read about things called 'Jesusween' too. When will we stop believing that the only way for the Gospel to be effective is if we make Jesus and His Word 'more relevant' to the modern day culture? Total absurdity and blasphemy!

Finally, Sam Storms again: "The conscience of the Christian is obligated and bound only by what the Bible either commands or forbids, or by what may be legitimately deduced from an explicit biblical principle." Yep, that's a good overview of how I feel.

What do you think about all of that?

Are you at least open to the possibility that you could be wrong about the assumed Christian merits of celebrating Halloween? I've said repeatedly that I am open to someone -- anyone -- making a Biblical case that would force me to seriously reconsider my position here, but I have yet to hear it.


HISTORY AND PERSONAL TESTIMONY IS ON MY SIDE...


To reiterate, this is not about 'winning an argument' or 'proving my point' and only about trying to get us to prayerfully consider some things we've probably never thought of before as it relates to Halloween.

These next two quotes summarize my feelings perfectly...

"[Many things] are not specifically condemned by the Scriptures, and thus we must apply other criteria. For example, would these matters cause us to sin, or harm our bodies, or cause a brother to stumble, or tempt us to fall into a pattern we could not control? Clearly if those things occurred, then it would be wrong for us to do them. If not, then we have the liberty to enjoy these activities."
-- Curtis C. Thomas

"We do need to guard against making absolutes out of personal standards that are not specified in Scripture, or assuming that others are sinning if they don’t adopt our standards about issues that may not be traps for them. But why are we so prone to defend choices that take us right to the edge of sin, and so reluctant to make radical choices to protect our hearts and minds from sin?"
-- Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Please go back and read those again because they're so profound.

It's funny because there really shouldn't be any debate whatsoever as I tried to point out in last year's entries titled 'How Do We Engage Culture?' and 'Halloween: My Will Or His Will?'.

That was the first time I wrote about Halloween here at LUF, and I thought I would follow that article with a similar one this year, but one that is hopefully a little more developed ('meatier') since I’ve had another year to think about this issue, or another year to 'spiritually mature', if you will.

Personally, I think that I also have history on my side here. First and foremost, there's the agreed upon historical account of the origins of this holiday, which proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that it's definitely a 'holy day' though not a holy day for Christians. This next clip will help some...



Then there's real life stories of survival from those who were meant to be human Satanic sacrifices on Halloween like Gregory Reid, or even those from former Satanists themselves like this guy...

***WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT***



These are the kinds of first-hand accounts that speak to the true dark side of Halloween, or the kind of stuff that real nightmares are made of. Trust me, it's not for the faint of heart, or the 'Christians-In-Name-Only' either.

I'm afraid those video testimonies and real life stories of ritual abuse on Halloween (and the weeks leading up to that evil night) are all too common in communities across this nation even though they rarely find their way into the mainstream. However, this is what takes place -- without fail -- on Halloween night each and every single year. Can you say the same for any other holiday? Of course not.

So, why would any Christian 'celebrate' something like that regardless of the fact that 'it doesn't mean the same thing to us as it does to Satanists'? The facts are plain and they (in conjunction with that God's Word says about such things) should dictate how we respond to it each year. If anything, we should be praying for potential victims, not partying.

I would like to wrap up this eye-opening section by sharing with you a couple of responses to Halloween provided by John MacArthur in an informal Q&A setting. MacArthur was asked, "Is there anything wrong with children going out 'Trick or Treating', like Halloween, and if so, what specifically is bad in it, and what do the MacArthur kids do? And, should Grace get involved in any alternatives?"

His response was as follows...

"I think, it’s not a wise thing to have children go out trick or treating. I mean, I think it’s kind of dumb for Christian kids to dress up like ghosts and witches and weird things, and devil suits, and trouble-makers, and all that. I think, for example, you know, the whole thing of All Saints Day or All Hallows Eve has connotations, first of all of Roman Catholic tradition. It has connotations of demons and spirits. Plus the fact that little kids are exposed to screwballs as well as to cars, and all kinds of other things…What we do in our family is we have an alternative. Like you said, we do an alternative thing. We do something fun for the whole family. It varies from year to year, and our church has always done that, too, for the kids. Have parties and socials and things."

Now, I hate to make it seem like it's 'John MacArthur's Word' that is the penultimate authority here by the choice to include several quotes by the man, but within the past year I have found MacArthur to be one of the more sound teachers of God's Word that I've ever encountered. I know there are many Christians who visit this website who will vehemently disagree with me, but I'm just being honest with you about where this is coming from.

The thing about MacArthur's responses is that they are all rooted in the truth of Scripture. That's why I'm referencing them here today. There is no personal agenda here by me other than to exhort the Body of Christ to greater personal reflection in regards to what The Truth says about the truth.

On the other hand, and in the interest of being 'fair and balanced', I'll admit that I also like what fellow blogger Tim Challies once wrote way back in 2006 about Christians celebrating Halloween because I think it captures the sentiments held by many Christians...

I acknowledge this as a difficult issue and that it is, in many ways, an issue of conscience. I do not believe there is absolute right and wrong here. Each person much examine his conscience and decide what he believes. The Bible says nothing about Halloween, though certainly there are principles we can find that will help guide us. But ultimately I believe we have to trust our consciences and our sanctified reasoning to guide us.

My conviction is that it is a very poor witness to have the house of believers blacked out on Halloween. Halloween presents a unique opportunity to interact with neighbors, to meet their children and to prove that Christians are part of the community and not merely people who want only to interact with Christian friends or to only interact in our own way and on our own terms. At the same time I despise how evil Halloween is.

Perhaps the greatest fallacy Christians believe about Halloween is that by refusing to participate in the day we are somehow taking a stand against Satan. And second to that, is that participation in the day is an endorsement of Satan and his evil holidays. The truth is that Halloween is not much different from any other day in this world where, at least for the time being, every day is Satan’s day and a celebration of him and his power.

I am guessing my neighbourhood is all-too-typical in that people typically arrive home from work and immediately drive their cars into the garage. More often than not they do not emerge again until the next morning when they leave for work once more. We are private, reclusive people who delight in our privacy. We rarely see our neighbors and rarely communicate with them. It would be a terrible breach of Canadian social etiquette for me to knock on a person’s door and ask them for a small gift or even just to say “hello” to them. In the six years we have been living in this area, we have never once had a neighbor come to the door to ask for anything (except for this time).

Yet on Halloween these barriers all come down. I have the opportunity to greet every person in the neighbourhood. I have the opportunity to introduce myself to the family who moved in just down the row a few weeks ago and to greet some other people I have not seen for weeks or months.

At the same time, those people’s children will come knocking on my door. We have two possible responses. We can turn the lights out and sit inside, seeking to shelter ourselves from the pagan influence of the little Harry Potters, Batmans and ballerinas, or we can greet them, gush over them, and make them feel welcome.

We can prove ourselves to be the family who genuinely cares about our neighbours, or we can be the family who shows that we want to interact with them only on our terms. Most of our neighbors know of our faith and of our supposed concern for them. This is a chance to prove our love for them.

The truth is that I have several convictions regarding Halloween. I despise the pagan aspects of it. I am convicted that my children should not dress as little devils or ghosts or monsters. But I am also convicted that there could be no worse witness to the neighbours than having a dark house, especially in a neighbourhood like ours which is small and where every person and every home is highly-visible. We know that, if we choose not to participate, the neighbors will notice and will smile knowingly, supposing that we feel too good to participate. We have nothing to fear from our neighbours or from their children.

My encouragement to you today is to think and pray about this issue. I do not see Halloween as a great evangelistic occasion. I do not foresee it as a time when the people coming to your door are likely to be saved. But I do think it is a time that you can prove to your neighbors that you care about them, that you care about their children, and that you are glad to be in this world and this culture, even if you are not of this world or this culture. Halloween may serve as a bridge to the hearts of those who live around you who so desperately need a Savior.

I think that's also right, and Biblically sound too...to an extent. He seems to be quite the cynic and carefree let alone the fact that he underestimates the power of one's life to serve as a witness to the power of their stated faith. He also seems to be on the wrong side of the equation if we're applying Galatians 1:10 to his comments.

The other issue I have with Challies' analysis is the part about mingling with non-believers. Yes, we are to be the "salt" and "light" of the world (Matthew 5:13-14), but we are supposed to "be separate" from this world (Jeremiah 51:45; Luke 6:22; 2 Corinthians 6:17; Revelation 18:4) too, which means that, at some point, a definite line in the sand must be drawn to distinguish believers from non-believers, the "wheat" from the "tares" (Matthew 13:25-30).

Why do so many Christians resist these truths for a single night of fun and pleasure? Case in point, here's one response I read in some other Christian forum that was discussing Halloween (sadly, the sentiment is much too common)...

"I grow weary of hearing 'pagan'. How can we live our lives and avoid pagan things? It is impossible. I mean even the days of the week have pagan roots. We live in a fallen world, avoidance is not the point, Jesus said be in it, not of it."

I couldn't agree more. However, to reiterate, the point is to "be in it" in such a way that brings glory, honor, and praise the the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What about our annual celebration of Halloween accomplishes that?

I wanna cite another comment from a reader of that Challies piece because I think it brings up some good points that at least has me open-minded (though still leaning decidedly to one side of this debate)...

I believe the church can and should do more on this night. Refusing to participate is not taking a stand. Keep in mind, this is only one night out of 365. How are we doing “taking a stand” the rest of the year?

As a believer who celebrates Halloween, I am often met with the “you must be a carnal Christian” attitude from my conservative evangelical friends. Here are the thoughts my husband and I have come to regarding Halloween.

1. ALL DAYS belong to God. This one day does not belong to Satan. To teach our children that there is something scary about this one day is to teach them FEAR, and God has quite strong words to say about that. We are not to fear the darkness, but to allow Him to transform it. This day is God’s day, just like the other 364 of them.

2. Many of our “Christian” holidays have pagan aspects to them. Do we put up Christmas trees? Yes, but we lay a nativity scene beneath. Do we hunt for Easter eggs? Maybe or maybe not, but one trend is “Resurrection Eggs” where the eggs have objects inside that tell the story of Easter. The church has traditionally found ways to transform pagan rituals into something meaningful for Christians. The hard question is, what do we find meaningful about Halloween/All Saints Day? It’s not a subtle holiday. Rather than run in horror (and proof-text away our discomfort with it), I would love to see a constructive discussion.

3. Some ideas we have implemented for Halloween: We use the month of October to focus on the “saints” of the church. Walking in the dark as a child is scary, and it’s a great object lesson in “how God gives courage to those who face the darkness.” We’ve done Bible studies on Abraham, Noah, and David. We’ve read stories from Hannula’s “Trial and Triumph” - my 6-year old daughter loves the stories of Polycarp and Blandina. Some parents might find them too graphic or scary for little ones, but we have always focused on the triumph of God, and how He gives grace to those He calls for these spiritual battles. I also read the Voice of the Martyrs website and find stories of interest which I share, stories of children who are faced with incredible darkness, but who literally learn to trust God with their lives.

For trick or treating, we encourage the choice of a “hero” costume, someone we have read about who exhibits courage and faith. (For example, my daughter is dressing up as Lucy, Queen of Narnia this year). Overall, we emphasize how God gives courage, He conquers fear and darkness, and we do not need to hide in darkened houses or flee in fear. We are to go forth in love (yes, LOVE, even for those teenagers dressed as ghouls and werewolves who raid the candy bowls!).

"And all God's people said, 'Amen'"?

Before you answer that question, please watch this last eye-opening video...

"Do You Go To Church Here?"



Man, it's tough to argue with any of that. Why would you want to though? What is it deep down within a person that makes them cling to a holiday like this more than they appear to cling to Christ in their daily walk?


"WHAT ABOUT YOUR POSITION ON CHRISTMAS AND EASTER THEN, JEFF?"


I'm not trying to be 'harsh' here.

I'm just trying to get us to think about some important things.

After all, if those who are weaker in their faith (like new believers) see that you are more outgoing and passionate about celebrating Halloween (or 'Trunk-Or-Treat') in the days leading up to it than you are about preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then don't you think that will create an obvious conflict from their perspective? Wouldn't that damage your testimony some and negatively impact your witness for Christ to some degree?

I'm sure anyone who has made it this far (and who disagrees with me) is probably thinking of the apparent hypocrisy because while I don't believe in celebrating Halloween, I don't have a problem with Christians celebrating Christmas or Easter.

Here's what I wrote back in December 2010...

To summarize briefly, I’m convinced by Scripture and conscience that Christians are not obligated to observe Christmas, and that Christians are not obligated to not observe Christmas. Christmas observance, or non-observance, (just like the observance or non-observance of any other day) plainly falls into the Biblical category of a matter of indifference and liberty (Romans 14-15; Col 2:16-23).

My point in publishing this material isn’t to advocate for, or against, the observance of Christmas (or any other day), but rather to make the case that a.) such things are matters of liberty and conscience in the light of Scripture b.) many of the popular myths surrounding the origins of Christmas, even within the church, are often dubious, and sometimes misleading/false and c.) many of the most strident objections to the observance of Christmas if applied equally and consistently can have far reaching [and quite probably un-Biblical, legalistic] implications in actual practice.

"Ok, so why can't we apply the same truth to this discussion then?" Friend, no one ever said we couldn't.

This entire commentary was born out of my frustration and surprise that there are far more Christians who celebrate Halloween than there are those Christians who don't.

Given all the reasons I just painstakingly presented as to why I believe there's nothing even remotely 'Christian' about Halloween, I'm surprised the numbers aren't reversed. Then I remind myself of the times we're living in and it makes perfect sense (Luke 18:8; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 2 Peter 3:4).

But let's not kid ourselves here either, folks. At least with both Christmas and Easter, there is a definite Christian connection to the celebration -- Christ's Birth and Christ's Resurrection. What is the definite Christian connection associated with the celebration of Halloween? There is none.

"But Jeff! What about All Saint's Day?" Nope. Sorry. That's an explicitly Roman Catholic holiday that doesn't honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but instead honors various saints of Catholicism.

"But Jeff! What about Martin Luther and Reformation Day?" Again, that doesn't have anything to do with honoring our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but instead honors a faithful servant of Christ.

Besides, how many Christians do you know who celebrate (have celebrated) Halloween exclusively as All Saint's Day and/or Reformation Day?


IN CONCLUSION...


I sincerely hope that those of you who started reading this post today actually made it this far especially if you're someone who disagrees with me on this topic.

Aside from everything else that has been presented to this point, three of the best quotes I ever read in regards to 'Christian liberty' (a.k.a. 'freedom in Christ') as it applies to the celebration of Halloween by Christians, as well as any other activity that is debatable, are these three...

"[Many things] are not specifically condemned by the Scriptures, and thus we must apply other criteria. For example, would these matters cause us to sin, or harm our bodies, or cause a brother to stumble, or tempt us to fall into a pattern we could not control? Clearly if those things occurred, then it would be wrong for us to do them. If not, then we have the liberty to enjoy these activities."
-- Curtis C. Thomas

"We do need to guard against making absolutes out of personal standards that are not specified in Scripture, or assuming that others are sinning if they don’t adopt our standards about issues that may not be traps for them. But why are we so prone to defend choices that take us right to the edge of sin, and so reluctant to make radical choices to protect our hearts and minds from sin?"
-- Nancy Leigh DeMoss

"Christian liberty then does not teach that there are things in the world in which you are free to indulge yourself. It does not suggest that you may do anything you wish with God’s creation. But it teaches that there are things which you are free to enjoy and use as you serve the Lord."
-- Walter J. Chantry

As good as those quotes are in taking pure Biblical truth and using it to cut right through to our hearts, these ones from Walter J. Chantry are even better...

"Liberty may be an instrument for giving glory to the Most High, or it may be a curtain used to shield base indulgence of the flesh (1 Peter 2:16). You may discover by self-examination of your heart which function liberty serves in your life."

"It is not enough to ask yourself, 'Does God’s Word permit me to use these good things of the world?' You must also inquire, 'Will it serve the glory of God?' and, 'Will it edify my fellow Christians?"

My dear friends, I'm going to great lengths to share all of this with you not to 'win an argument' or to 'burden you with too much information', but to encourage you to fulfill your higher calling as "ambassadors" for Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Yes, there are many activities that are perfectly legitimate for the believer. But if you want to be truly effective for Christ, and not be a "stumbling block" (2 Corinthians 6:3), you have to limit your liberty sometimes. No doubt about it.

As previously stated at the outset, every year I'm conflicted even though I definitely lean toward the 'We-Will-Not-Celebrate-Halloween-Period' side of things.

Like the man in that last video said, Halloween is about 'death' and Jesus Christ is about 'life', right? That's enough for me.

Case closed.

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Posted in: America In Prophecy,Apostasy,Bible Study,Holidays,How Close Are We?,Moral Decline,New Age,Occult,Sola Scriptura,Spiritual Deception,Spiritual Growth,Witnessing

Misplaced Priorities -- Notable Quotable

Convicting truth I'd like to share with you today that hit a little too close to home...

"We Christians are debtors to all men at all times in all places, but we are so smug to the lostness of men. We've been 'living in Laodicea', lax, loose, lustful, and lazy. Why is there this criminal indifference to the lostness of men? Our condemnation is that we know how to live better than we are living. The Bible parable says that while men slept, the enemy sowed tares among the wheat. A boy who rises at 4:30 to deliver papers is considered a go-getter, but to urge our young people to rise at 5:30 to pray is considered fanaticism. We must once again wear the harness of discipline. There is no other way."

-- Leonard Ravenhill

The section I highlighted is about misplaced priorities.

This quote particularly resonated with me as we are now only a few days away from Halloween. I'll save my full commentary on that for tomorrow, but for now I'll simply present a question for us to prayerfully consider.

Why is it that a Christian who says they don't feel right letting their child celebrate Halloween for reasons related to their faith is the 'radical' who is often ostracized, and yet, a Christian who says they don't feel right letting their child watch certain movies/TV programs for reasons related to their faith is the 'righteous' one who is often championed?

First of all, it's not about us. It's never about us! It's always about Him and about using our lives to bring glory, honor, and praise to Him and Him alone.

Of course, we know exactly why this sort of thing happens often these days, don't we? Welcome to the land of Laodicea (Revelation 3:14).

Still, it never ceases to amaze me how far too many so-called Bible-believing, God-fearing, well-meaning Christians can prioritize the wrong things and think nothing of it even when it's brought to their attention in the spirit of (2 Timothy 3:16).

Misplaced priorities: A natural by-product from those who pursue the 'American Dream' more than they pursue Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 13:5).

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Posted in: America In Prophecy,Apostasy,Leonard Ravenhill,Notable Quotables

Herman Cain's Use Of Prophetic Symbolism

As you know, we've been trying to stay away from any deep subjective studies of symbolism for obvious reasons. Yet, whenever the symbolism smacks you in the face and upside the head -- and especially when there's no denying that it's largely prophetic in nature -- that's when we should start to pay closer attention.

We mentioned the Olive Tree in the previous post. I just knew we weren't done with the study of Olive Tree symbolism as it's presented to us through the holy Scriptures.

Apparently, we weren't done with Republican presidential candidate (and current front-runner) Herman Cain either. This is already the second time we're featuring a post about him in the span of a week or two, which means he now gets his own Category in the LUF Archives. By the way, the first post LUF ever published on Herman Cain is now required reading in light of the content of this piece.

Let's cut to the chase. Aside from his first name, which already forces us to recall something significant from God's Word (Genesis 4), Herman Cain seems to be using a lot of prophetic symbolism in his campaign for the US Presidency right now.

Whether it's being done wittingly or unwittingly is immaterial. The point is that the Lord is allowing it to happen, and so it's happening, and it's happening at a time when there are so many other prophetically relevant things going on in the world right now.

Do you notice anything about Herman Cain's campaign logo?

For all the attention we gave to Barack Obama's logo in 2008 (and for good reason), I think we would be wise to be just as fair and balanced in analyzing the imagery of Cain's because it's equally revealing.

For instance, we should know that the Torch is a pretty important symbol in occult (a.k.a. Satanic) circles who believe that symbols are inherently powerful if used properly.

For the Satanically inspired The-Powers-That-Be, one of their most used symbols is the Lighted Torch, or the symbol of knowledge and the Sun. When an initiate reaches a certain level in the pyramid they are said to be 'illuminated', which is obviously more symbolism of the Lighted Torch.

In addition, one of the recurring stories in the ancient world is of a hero figure who takes fire (knowledge) from the 'gods' and gives it to the people -- the chosen few people, that is. Ancient Mythology says he is Prometheus, but we know him as a Fallen Angel.

Bottom line, the Lighted Torch (or the very symbol being used by Herman Cain) is the most obvious 'initiated brotherhood' signature.

But I mentioned Olive Tree symbolism associated with it. It goes without saying that the Bible has a lot to say about the Olive Tree/Olive Branch/Olive Oil. Yet, even the secular world views the Olive Tree with reverence too albeit for entirely different reasons.

The design of the traditional torch (like those we commonly associate with the Olympics) is drawn from the Olive Leaf's lines and its harmonious shape. The Olive Tree, one of the most powerful symbols of Greece, has been a sacred tree for Mediterranean nations for thousands of years, as well as the ancient symbol of the Athenian City-State. It is an indelible mark in Greece's mythology and art. The Olive Branch is also recognized as a global symbol of peace and freedom; peace and freedom by man's own efforts.

Thus, the world reveres it because they believe it represents things that are in complete contrast to what God tells us it stands for.

Interesting juxtaposition there between the Christian's view of the Olive Tree/Olive Branch/Olive Leaf and the secular world's view of it, isn't it? But that's not all!

I couldn't have scripted this any better because at the same time that I started picking up on the Torch/Olive Leaf/Olive Tree symbolism with Cain, I then came across this bit of breaking news today...

Now Is The Time For Action!



Five Theories About The Bizarre New Herman Cain Campaign Ad

Coinciding with a new New York Times/CBS News poll that shows Cain still leading the GOP field — 25 percent to 21 percent over Mitt Romney — the 56-second ad is simply one of the strangest you'll ever see. It consists mostly of Cain's unknown, mustachioed chief of staff, Mark Block, staring straight into the camera and saying patriotic, optimistic things about the Cain candidacy. The real weirdness, though, takes place in the ad's final fifteen seconds. First, Block takes a long, slow drag of a cigarette as a painfully cheesy tea party anthem begins to play. We've gotten used to being baffled by Herman Cain on an almost daily basis, but a new ad his campaign released last night really takes things to a new level.Then we see a close-up of Cain turning to the camera and very slowly breaking into a smile. In the words of one YouTube commenter who we're not going to try to top, "I imagine Herman Cain is closing the curtains behind him at that shady motel, turning slowly, and making that creepy smile at a scared prostitute on the bed."

The whole ad is odd, but it's the cigarette that has most people talking. So let's think about why it might have been included. Here are five theories, in order of least plausible to most plausible.

5. Over at Salon, Steve Kornacki suggests that the "smoking shot ... could represent Cain’s defiant response to recent media scrutiny of his three-year run in the late 1990s as the head of the National Restaurant Association, during which time he aligned the lobbying group with the tobacco industry." Maybe! But that's a pretty obscure reference, and Cain doesn't tend to obsess about the media as much as some other GOP politicians.

4. The smoking scene was another way to signal that Cain is not your normal, focus-grouped, politically correct politician. His chief of staff will smoke a cigarette like he's a rogue cop in a film noir, and he doesn't care if the anti-tobacco groups or the liberal nanny-staters whine about it.

3. Herman Cain is trying to appeal to people like Mark Block. He's white, he has a mustache, he has a Midwestern accent, and yes, he smokes cigarettes. In short, he looks and sounds like someone from the SNL Da Bears sketches. And he believes in Herman Cain. Come on in, working class Republicans — the water's fine!

2. The smoking scene guaranteed that the ad would become viral. The Cain campaign knew that the mainstream media would throw a hissy fit over the inclusion of cigarette in a campaign ad, and they were 100 percent correct! Look — we're talking about it right now!

1. All of the previous theories assume that the Cain campaign — by which we mean Cain, Block, and, we don't know, maybe that random accountant in Cleveland that helped Cain craft the 9-9-9 plan? — made conscious, deliberate decisions about the content of the ad. But maybe that's giving them too much credit. Cain hadn't even thought about his position on abortion until a few days ago — how hard could he have thought about the cigarette scene in his web ad? He probably just thought it looked cool.

Well, well, well...That's all something, isn't it? Satan thinks he's so slick, but those of us with ears to hear and eyes to see know exactly what he's up to (Proverbs 20:12).

Now, I'm not for a minute suggesting that Herman Cain is going to become the prophesied Antichrist. Sure, I suppose it's possible, but I don't personally think he will be. Just my opinion on the matter. However, I will suggest that Herman Cain does embody an anti-Christ spirit. Of that I am fairly certain (and I'm not the first to make that suggestion either).

In a sense, might we say then that Herman Cain exhibits qualities that make him 'beastly' -- as in qualities that make us think of the coming "Beast" (Revelation 13:1-4; Revelation 13:11-12; Revelation 13:14-17; Revelation 17:16-17; Revelation 19:19) mentioned in the prophetic Scriptures?

If so, then with that in mind, isn't it something how the star of this latest Cain ad that's getting all sorts of attention today is a man named 'Mark Block' who we could say is a 'Mark of the Beast' if only in a figurative sense?

I also think that's particularly ironic given the fact that allusions have been made (and for good reason!) by many of us who heard and read about Cain's 9-9-9 National Tax Plan and couldn't help but to think about flipping those numbers to 6-6-6 instead, or the infamous "Mark of the Beast", which is also directly tied to economics in the last days.

I mean, my gosh, how much more obvious do things have to get for us?

Revelation 13:16-18 (KJV) And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Adding further intrigue to all of this is what we reported in the last entry yesterday about the Vatican/Pope pushing for a One World Economy too (and just a few days prior to the annual One World Religion-like interfaith gathering in Assisi).

Watch that Cain campaign ad again. That smile. It's very creepy. It's like the 'Godfather' is hiding something from the America people and it involves some sort of dark, sinister plot that will be enforced upon an unsuspecting populace or something. At least, that's how I responded to it myself.

I'm afraid that's not all though. Apparently, there's another Herman Cain campaign ad that's even more bizarre than this one. It's a couple of months old, but it too will leave you scratching your head.

He Carried Yellow Flowers



As one blogger put it...

I watched this ad twice and it still isn’t clicking with me. Without over-analyzing the ad, it just seems odd to me that the guy telling me to vote for Herman Cain is an arrogant and pretentious a-hole of an actor that nobody’s ever heard of. Maybe I just don’t get it.

Me neither. Look, I get that to the rest of the world it's just supposed to be a parody and that we're not supposed to over-think things here, but I hope we know better than that.

Not surprisingly, we've even addressed Yellow symbolism in the past here at LUF. That, too, is now required reading in light of the revelations in this piece.

Of particular interest? The connection between Yellow Symbolism and the persecution of God's people (the Jews), which makes that first Cain piece we did even more startling. Seriously folks, this is starting to get a little too surreal. As one commenter noted about the 'Cain Smoking Ad' as it's being called, "Firing squads allow you a last puff before the drum-roll..." Precisely.

Persecution, persecution, persecution. That's the message I keep getting here whether it's entirely subjective or not. What does it all mean (if anything)? Of course, regardless, respond to none of this with fear and trepidation. Fight fear with faith.

Still, how strange is it that these anti-Christ themes keep coming up over and over again in relation to Herman Cain and his campaign to become the next US President?

For now, this verse keeps resonating with me...

1 John 3:12 (ESV) We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.

I don't care if he's a career politician and was 'only trying to play to both sides of the argument' because any adult middle-aged man or woman who insinuates that they've never thought about their stance on abortion until just recently, as evidenced by their constantly changing position on the issue, is not someone I want to rally behind in any capacity.

"I am pro-life from conception... I don’t believe government should make that decision."
— Herman Cain, interviewed by John Stossel on Fox Business, Oct. 11, 2011

"What it comes down to is not the government’s role or anybody else’s role to make that decision. Secondly, if you look at the statistical incidents, you’re not talking about that big a number. So what I’m saying is it ultimately gets down to a choice that that family or that mother has to make."
— Cain, during an interview with CNN’s Piers Morgan, Oct. 19, 2011

"That first clip that you played was taken out of context...I simply said, if you get pushed to that extent, the family isn't going to be thinking about what the laws are at that point. They're going to be thinking about their family member and that baby. That's what I mean by it was taken out of context."
— Cain, on Fox and Friends, Oct. 24, 2011

As always, it comes down to life and death. Which side are you on? If you're a Christian, the choice has already been made for you by the One who purchased you with His own blood.

Let's all prayerfully consider these findings.

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Posted in: America In Prophecy,Antichrist,Herman Cain,How Close Are We?,Mark Of The Beast,Media,Poligion,Political Signs,Spiritual Deception,Symbolism,Synchro-Pop

A Pope, A Prince, An Uncommon Word, A Global Proposal, And An Olive Tree

There's symbolism and then there's outright overt actions and words that are meant to communicate a very specific message to those with ears to hear and eyes to see (Proverbs 20:12).

Folks, things are heating up in the arena of eschatology. We have a Pope, a Prince, an uncommon word, a global proposal, and an Olive Tree. That's today's subject matter. To get there we have to start by asking a question: What's wrong with Christianity today? I know, it's a loaded question.

Well, one thing that's wrong with Christianity today are the so-called 'religious leaders' who are more apostate than anything else.

Interestingly enough, these same people are often incredibly spineless as well. Then again, maybe what I'm calling 'spinelessness' only looks that way because it's a natural byproduct of all apostates.

Why do I say that? Because when it comes to 'sticking to their guns', so-to-speak, or whenever they are pushed to give an account over what it is God's Word really says, or whenever they are actually expected to live out their faith publicly for the entire world to see, that's precisely the moment they reveal their true colors.

Case in point, something I read today about Pope Benedict and his upcoming inter-religious meeting has me scratching my head.

In case you missed it, the Pope is going to sponsor another religious party to end all religious parties at Assisi later this week, and he'll even be hosting a true blue Muslim Prince who will be there in all his worldly splendor.

This certainly isn't the first such gathering (it's actually the 25th since it began thanks to Pope John Paul II), but it's happening amidst all sorts of signs of the times unfolding all around us. That's why we must take notice and keep a close eye on things over there later this week...just in case.

Personally, I'm interested in this 'Common Word' thing I keep reading about that's a part of the event thanks to that Muslim Prince I mentioned earlier.

Prayer Event Is A Move Toward Prophesied One World Religion

Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal, promoter of the 2007 document 'Common Word' (which emphasizes the common word between Islam and Christianity), will be attending the interfaith prayer service led by the Pope on October 27th. The Common Word document strives to find common ground between the two religions focusing of love of the God and neighbor. You might want to also check out 'The Amman Message' too, which was crafted by Prince Ghazi.

Benedict XVI will lead many representatives and religious leaders, as well as some people who are not overtly religious to Assisi for an event titled "Pilgrims of truth, pilgrims of peace."

How lovely.

Ok, we'll dissect the event and the Pope in good time. First, however, who is this Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad Talal guy? I think this is the first I've heard of him. You? Check this out...

Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad of Jordan (born October 15th, 1966 in Amman, Jordan) is a Jordanian prince, professor of philosophy, and is a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. He is the son of Prince Muhammad bin Talal of Jordan and his first wife, Princess Firyal. He is the grandson of the King Talal of Jordan.

Prince Ghazi gave the welcoming address on the occasion of the pilgrimage of Pope Benedict XVI in Jordan, May 9th, 2009. His wide-ranging speech, during Benedict's visit to the new King Hussein Mosque in Amman, "was remarkable for erudition, humanity, composition and beauty of style" (carried live on EWTN TV). A valuable account of Muslim-Christian relationships, it was in line with his interfaith initiative. Notable were his references to the Pope's kindness toward Muslims but also an appeal on behalf of Muslim minorities (as on Mindanao). He did not omit mention of historical role of crusaders who damaged the Christian tribes in Jordan that had "preceded Islam by 600 years."



[NOTE: While putting this piece together my 6-year-old son walked in, saw that I was watching a video on my laptop, comes over to check it out, and when he saw Prince Ghazi speaking in the above clip he exclaimed, "Is that Jesus!?!" Man, talk about timing, huh? Geesh that was a little uncanny.]


On September 23rd, 2010, King Abdullah II of Jordan proposed a 'World Interfaith Harmony Week' to the UN General Assembly. On October 20th, 2010, Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, Personal Envoy and Special Advisor of the King of Jordan, presented the proposal -- having conceived and written the draft resolution -- before the UN General Assembly 34th plenary meeting in New York where it was adopted unanimously. His speech was a powerful call to those who love God and love the neighbour, or the Good and the neighbour, to coordinate and concentrate their activities in a more effective way. "The misuse or abuse of religions can thus be a cause of world strife, whereas religions should be a great foundation for facilitating world peace. The remedy for this problem can only come from the world’s religions themselves. Religions must be part of the solution, not part of the problem." The World Interfaith Harmony Week will fall on the first week of February every year. Its purpose is the promotion of interfaith harmony between religious and spiritual congregations the world over.

Seriously though. That's quite a striking resemblance, isn't it? I mean, some might point out that he looks a lot like someone else (even though we know better). Just another in a long line of cheap imitations (Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22).

Still, I should also point out that his Thesis at Cambridge University was titled 'What Is Falling In Love?: A Study Of The Literary Archetype Of Love'. That figures. Trying to make his name synonymous with love. Did I mention he was a finalist this year for the Nobel Peace Prize? Oh yeah! He's also the Founder and Chairman of the Board for 'The National Park of the Site of the Baptism of Christ' too. That seems odd for a Muslim Prince, doesn't it?

Despite all of that (which I'm sure has you scratching your head), you're probably wondering what it is that I read about the Pope and his shin-dig in a few days that has me scratching my head because we already know that Catholicism is an apostate form of Christianity, and so this should be nothing new or all that surprising [PODCAST: What Every Catholic (And Christian) Needs To Know]. Fair enough.

It was this headline that caught my eye...

No Joint Prayer At Pope's Interreligious Meeting

We mentioned a 'Common Word' a few moments ago. You wanna know what an 'uncommon word' would be? A Christian -- particularly the one person on the planet that the world collectively regards as being the 'model Christian' -- hosting a religious gathering completely devoid of prayer! Absolutely ridiculous.

Again, nothing new, right? I mean, we've grown accustomed to this sort of thing from Catholicism and the Vatican and Pope in Rome. So, announcing that there would be no joint prayer at this event didn't really shock me, but then I read that it was "because Benedict doesn't want to show different beliefs and rituals mixing", and that's when I became more than a little puzzled.

I took a closer look and found...

Benedict, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, didn't attend that first 1986 meeting and later criticized it as an example of religious relativism — the idea that there are no absolute truths and that all religions are somehow equal — since people of different faiths were seen praying together, jointly.

In 2000, when he was head of the Vatican's doctrine office, Ratzinger issued a controversial document in part as a response to the Assisi meeting, which suggested the fullness of human salvation was found in the Catholic Church alone.

Now Benedict is presiding over his first Assisi interreligious gathering, and the decision to eliminate the common, public prayer is being seen as his way of further correcting the wrongs from the 1986 event, which was repeated in 2002, albeit with changes.

Wait a minute! What is going on here?

Such information suggests that Pope Benedict recognizes that this type of event is wrong and certainly not emblematic of true Christian behavior (that it's un-Biblical), but he still refuses to separate himself from the world and show his allegiance to our Lord (2 Corinthians 6:17).

Perhaps he should take some time to prayerfully consider something else we find in Scripture...

Galatians 1:10 (KJV) For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

It's quite obvious who he's serving, isn't it? After all, you can't play both sides. You can't sit on the fence and let a leg dangle over onto each side and think you've hedged your bets in life. Sitting on the fence is making a decision in and of itself.

Sadly, this is illustrative of much of contemporary Christianity. The problem is that self-proclaimed 'Christians' are too concerned about what the rest of the world thinks of them. They're worried so much that they've even succumbed to the pressure to conform to the world by allowing the world's styles, systems, and trends to influence them rather than the other way around. It's tragic really.

The tragedy is that Pope Benedict has a genuine opportunity here to bring glory, honor, and praise to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; to Him and Him alone.

I read that the guest list includes a record 300+ delegates representing dozens of faiths -- and even 4 people who profess no faith, which is a new feature this year.

Could you imagine if a conflicted Pope released this statement saying there would be no joint prayer, then, later this week, he brings representatives from all the numerous pagan cults together in one place only to decide to lead them in a prayer that asks everyone in attendance to humble themselves, to repent for their sins, and to place their faith in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Could you imagine such unwavering courage from a Christian in this day and age? Courage in such a public venue and to such a hostile crowd?

One can pray for such a glorious event to take place, can't he? Galatians 1:10, right? Sure, he would sacrifice his image and prestige because the world would verbally crucify him for such a 'disrespectful' and 'inconsiderate' action. But aren't we supposed to give an account regardless of the personal cost? You bet we are!

Now, contrast such a 'sacrifice' with the sacrifice made in blood and bodies (some made with their own lives) by fellow Christians in other parts of the world like Egypt who are being violently persecuted for simply expressing their same faith in Christ.

The Pope has an incredible opportunity here, but I have no doubt whatsoever that he will seek the easy road rather than speak the truth in love to a group of lost souls who desperately need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Like I said earlier, that is both sad and tragic.

Yes, Pope Benedict called for Christians to be better protected in Egypt and he was met with a flood of protest from the usual suspects, but he could be doing so much more given his position given to him by God.

I'll parrot something a protester at St Peter's Square said yesterday: "Pope, where is Christ?" "Where is Christ?" indeed. If the guy's willing to shun prayer as a so-called 'Christian', then he's certainly going to shun Jesus Christ as well. That's just my humble opinion.

What about the big picture though? Well, to this point, we've addressed a Pope, a Prince, and an 'uncommon word' as we've called it. Now, we focus our attention on a global proposal that directly relates to everything else we've been looking at here today.

Again, I wouldn't count on Pope Benedict surprising us because the Vatican just called for a "global public authority" and a "central world bank" to oversee the global economy. You can read all about it here. Wow!

Incredible, isn't it? Of course, it was under the guise of being the only response to the "idolatry of the market", but we know better, don't we? Sickening how the Vatican the Pope are more concerned with geo-political issues than they are about spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. "By their fruits..." (Matthew 7:16; Matthew 7:20).

Certainly, things are coming together upon the world stage as the curtain is ready to rise on Daniel's 70th week. Specifically, politics and religion are growing closer together as global governance in all forms continues to move forward by leaps and bounds. Why? Because there cannot be a 'New World Order' (a.k.a. prophesied 'One World Government' system) without a 'One World Religion' too.

So, any time you see the word 'ecumenical', 'interfaith', and/or 'inter-religious' anywhere that's a BIG red flag. It's this whole idea that all the religions of the world can come together because we all 'worship the same god' supposedly.

No, we don't. The Bible is crystal clear about that (John 14:6).

Plus, this is no different than what occurred with man and their building of the Tower of Babel and it will end with the same result -- God's judgment (Genesis 11).

The saddest part? Like I said, that this 'interfaith' meeting is being hosted by Pope Benedict. To reiterate, if anyone should know better, it's him.

Any Christian who attends such an event, or who is in support of this kind of 'All-Religions-Should-Just-Get-Along' business, might want to seriously examine themselves (2 Corinthians 13:5) because it's obvious that they are not a Christian who reads God's Word regularly (and they most definitely do not read those passages dealing with end times prophecy).

That's just the reality and it only sounds 'harsh' and 'insensitive' and 'mean' because that's what the world (and Satan) wants you to think (John 8:44), and that's because we're clearly in the last days, or the times that God said would be like this as evidenced by Christians falling away from the faith by not representing it properly (Luke 18:8; 2 Peter 3:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:3).

This push for a One World Religion/One World Economy will continue to press on and it will be highlighted front-and-center in just a few days when all the pagan religions and 'Christians-In-Name-Only' will come together to worship as one in Assisi for the 'cause of world peace' and 'unity' we'll be told.

For those not born of the Spirit of God, this meeting will be looked at as a 'wonderful, uniting experience -- bringing the world closer together' I suppose.

Those of us who adhere to the Word of God know that this is the work of the enemy who is setting up his copycat kingdom. Don't fall for the lies!

1 Thessalonians 5:3 (KJV) When they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall in no wise escape.

Luke 21:28 (KJV) And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

That's the truth, my friends.

If you're the type of person who continues to snicker at all the evidence of prophecy unfolding all around us, preferring to dispute and ignore it altogether, then please prayerfully consider this bit of breaking news from earlier today...

Israel Gifts Pope With Olive Tree

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- An olive tree more than 200 years old grown near Nazareth was sent as a gift from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Pope Benedict XVI. The tree will be planted Wednesday during a ceremony at Viale Degli Ulivi, or Olive Tree Boulevard, in the Vatican Gardens. According to Netanyahu, the tree symbolizes the blooming friendship between Israel and the Vatican, and it represents the aspiration to foster peace and brotherhood between peoples and religions. The gift follows the prime minister's recent visit to the Vatican Museum. Keren Kayemeth L'Yisrael, the Jewish National Fund, selected and shipped the tree to Ravenna Port in Italy. JNF World Chairman Effi Stenzler will attend the ceremony.

What unbelievable timing!

Pope Benedict is presented with an historic symbol of peace -- by the Israelis (or God's chosen people; His timepiece that determines where we are on His prophetic timeline) -- only a few days before the global interfaith event for peace and harmony to be held in Assisi.

Yep, I'd say that qualifies as "When they are saying, Peace and safety" (1 Thessalonians 5:3), wouldn't you? You might want to take a closer look at Olive Tree symbolism in the holy Scriptures too.

Keep looking up!

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Posted in: America In Prophecy,Antichrist,Apostasy,How Close Are We?,New Age,New World Order,One World Religion,Pope And Vatican,Prince Ghazi,Spiritual Deception,Why Study Prophecy?

Dear Rush: The LRA Is Not 'Christian'

It seems one of the world's brightest minds is in need of a history lesson on who the 'Lord's Resistance Army (LRA)' really are. Here's a hint: They are not a group of Christians.

I pray that this very brief entry helps to that end...

***I COULDN'T ACCESS THIS VIDEO ANYWHERE FOR SOME REASON***

Evelyn Apoko is now 22 years old and works with the Strongheart Fellowship Program, a non-profit group designed to "help bright, resilient young people from extremely challenging circumstances around the globe." However, her scarred face shows the pain she once faced.

From the Strongheart Fellowship Program’s website:

"When she was just a little girl, Evelyn Apoko was abducted in the middle of the night by a brutal rebel group in Uganda that calls themselves The Lord’s Resistance Army. Left unchecked by the world community for decades, the group – which is also known as the LRA – has abducted thousands of children to serve as soldiers, porters or sex slaves. After years in captivity, Evelyn was badly wounded and faced the terrible choice of attempting a near-impossible escape or certain death at the hands of the rebels who were repelled by her horrific injuries. Miraculously, Evelyn escaped and made it to a rehab center and hospital, where she came to the attention of Strongheart."

Her video begins with the simple text, "Dear Mr. Limbaugh," and then Apoko begins talking, finding the words difficult either because of tears or her wounds.

"I am a former abducted child. My heart breaks when I hear your message about the LRA. I experienced first-hand the pain and hatred of humanity in the LRA. I know that there is nowhere in the Bible that says Christians should treat humans like animals."

Powerfully moving stuff.

Of course, we also spent some time trying to expose this terrorist group as anything but the 'Christians' they've tried to self-style themselves as for the past two decades (and as so many people apparently -- and erroneously -- believe that they are).

LRA: Lord Reveals Apostasy

Uganda: An Unconventional War

That should give you a pretty definitive overview. Just in case it doesn't, then I hope that this video from Washington DC helps to further set the record straight too...

Inhofe Sets LRA Record Straight



Frankly, I'm surprised at Rush Limbaugh.

Yes, my interest and passion in politics has changed dramatically as I've matured in my faith (compared to what it was like just a couple of years ago), but this is the kind of thing that really gets under my skin.

There's just no excuse for this kind of ignorance; the kind of ignorance born out of a desire to advance one's own personal agenda.

I was actually listening to him on my way home for lunch the day he made those stunning comments. He should know better and so should we.

Let this serve as a lesson to everyone not to speak before making sure their personal politics haven't blinded them to the facts of the world around them.

Thankfully, as Christians, we have a filter and a worldview that helps us with that, and it is already predetermined for us as clearly outlined in Scripture.

Use it.

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Posted in: Africa,Apostasy,Black Awakening,Islam,Media,Moral Decline,New World Order,Occult,Political Signs,Religious Persecution,Spiritual Deception,Terrorism