The Bible and Halloween

     While Halloween has seemingly evolved into a commercialized holiday that boosts sales for retailers and gives everyone a good excuse to do something fun, Christians should continue to go to scripture to understand what may or may not be acceptable to the Lord.

     Paul focused in areas where we have liberty; “One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it….” (Rom 14:5-6).  He told those in Colosse, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days” (Col 2:16). Presumably Christians do not celebrate Halloween to honor pagan deities, departed spirits, etc., although many aren’t comfortable participating because of this concern.  Clearly idolatry in any form, including covetousness, is not acceptable to God. (Col 3:5, Gal 5:20) Personally, I don’t think God is pleased by His people dressing up or emulating witches, sorcerers, wizards, etc. given that His judgment in the OT was they should be put to death (Ex 22:18, Deu 18:10-12).

     But Paul also warned those in Colosse, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (Col 2:8).  Many churches use Halloween to host “Trunk or Treat” activities to provide a safe and fun Christian atmosphere for which to celebrate Halloween as a work of the church. It’s a personal view that more and more churches are using worldly based traditions as the basis for fellowship, using popular TV shows to title youth retreats, and other commercialized slogans to headline various activities while trying to link them to a biblical theme.  While judgment is involved, let’s be reminded that the works of the church and the various positions are for three purposes, “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Eph 4:12). 

     But however we define the activities that fit the above criteria, they are for an ultimate objective, “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:11-12).  Yes, evangelism is part of this but maturing and growing spiritually through edification, study, and fellowship is also critical.  Perhaps Fall Festivals, Trunk or Treats, ornament exchanges, etc. contribute broadly to edification and fellowship, but if Christians need a worldly wrapper to get engaged and involved with each other, but aren’t enthused about bible study, worship, and the message of repentance, then we have been forewarned.

     Jesus did not chide Martha for serving, but reminded her that Mary chose the ‘good’ part. (Lk 10:38-42) Let us please Him in all things, desire the good part, and have wisdom to encourage others to do the same.  –Matthew Johnson

World War I Victory Medal

"The Victory Medal"

At the age of 111, Ernest Charles Pusey was the third-oldest person in the world the day he died on November 19, 2006.  Nine days before his death, Mr. Pusey received a visit from Florida Governor Jeb Bush.  Bush presented him with a World War I Victory Medal on November 10, the day before Veteran’s Day.  Mr. Pusey had served in WWI as a sailor in the Navy aboard the USS Wyoming which was charged with patrolling the sea lanes around the British Isles.

Mr. Pusey's death in 2006 left fewer than 25 US veterans of World War I out of nearly 5 million who served, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.  According to Wikipedia, the last living veteran of World War I was Florence Green, a British citizen who served in the Allied armed forces, and who died February 4, 2012, at the age of 110.

Mr. Pusey didn't recall receiving a medal after the war, and there was no evidence that he had ever received the Victory Medal.  So after 87 years, Governor Bush presented him with the medal in a ceremony at Mr. Pusey’s trailer in Bradenton, FL.  A black-and-white photo of the battleship Wyoming hung on the wall of his home near a framed letter of congratulations from President Bush, and the president's brother added the glass-encased medal to a table near Mr. Pusey's recliner.

A man extraordinary for longevity and survival, "Ernie" was honored by his country on Veteran's Day, even if the honor was a bit overdue.

There is a war that continues to rage over the souls of men!   Satan wants to destroy us; God wants to save us.

Christ won the decisive victory on the cross, for it was there that He died for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2) and defeated Satan (Hebrews 2:14-15).  Defeated, Satan continues to try to “take down with him” as many as possible (1 Peter 5:8).  But Christ offers the victory over sin and death to all who will accept it on His terms.

God will save those who place their  faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  When we trust and obey Christ, we are “enlisted” in His victorious army and issued this challenge:  “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.  No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:3-4).

And in the end, God will reward our faithfulness.  The Apostle Paul, a seasoned veteran in the army of the Lord, wrote these words near the end of his “tour of duty”: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

Neal Pollard informs us that we may “have to wait what seems like a long time before receiving ‘official recognition’ for our tour of duty.  Yet, our reward will be imperishable (1 Corinthians 9:25) and eternal (1 Thessalonians 4:17)!  Don't lose heart.  God will not forget your service for Him (Hebrews 6:10).”

Won’t YOU trust and obey Christ for the victory and serve Him faithfully the rest of your days?

David A. Sargent

The older I grow the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom

There Is A Generation
by Tom Wacaster

I suppose that every generation tends to despise the younger. Maybe that's why Paul wrote Timothy these words of encouragement: "Let no man despise thy youth." (1 Tim. 4:12). Perhaps the same advice could be given to those whose hair is graying and health is fading, "Let no man despise thy age."

Age tends to develop wisdom, something that is often lacking in youth simply because of lack of experience. Of course there are always exceptions. H.L. Mencken concluded, "The older I grow the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom." The down side of growing older is the temptation to become cynical and hyper critical of the leadership and capability of the next generation. Having now surpassed by 67th birthday and rapidly approaching the beginning of my 8th decade upon this planet, I am determined not to become overly critical, not because of the foolishness of a generation gone awry, but because I know God is in control.

Someone warned, "In case you're worried about what's going to become of the younger generation, it's going to grow up and start worrying about the younger generation." The "baby boomers" are passing the torch to generation "Y" (or is it "X"?) in preparation for their social security checks, retirement, and increasing medical bills and ill health. Like the generations now passed into the dust bins of history, these "baby boomers" are anxious about where the next generation will take them. Having aborted more than 45 million babies since 1973, the work force has reached a crisis of precisely how they are going to provide for the aging population. But they need not worry, for the medical and scientific minds that were allowed to come to full term and somehow avoid the knife of the abortionist are now seriously considering euthanasia as a viable means of getting rid of so many unwanted senior citizens (quite ironic isn't it - or perhaps more like poetic justice).

Since every generation needs wisdom, it seems appropriate to seek that wisdom from a source that is reliable - I speak, of course, of the Bible. Most of our readers know that there is a book in the Old Testament called "Proverbs." I have been meditating on some of those pithy sayings this past week, and there was one that struck me as particularly interesting, and motivated me to pen this week's article. Listen to the words of Agur from Proverbs 30:11-14

"There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men."

"There is a generation" was Agur's assessment of either his present generation or that which was soon to follow. Keep in mind that the Proverbs were written during a time of great affluence in Israel. The temptation of wealth turned the heart of Israel away from God, and plunged that nation into moral corruption, the likes of which are described in these four verses.

There is an amazing similarity between the rich and abundant years of Israel's history, and our generation - whether we are speaking of generation "X," "Y," or the baby boomers. Youth have learned the language of Ashdod. Honor for mother and father have fallen upon hard times and in many instances a child is no longer afraid of parents because he knows that society will protect him from discipline. I have pity for a child, any child, who does not honor his or her parents.

This is a generation "pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness." We have justified homosexuality, adultery, drunkenness, lying, embezzlement, cheating, gambling, and every other ungodly act known to men while claiming to be a "Nation under God." Why is it that we become so upset when someone suggests that we should take the words, "In God We Trust" off our currency, but seem so unconcerned about the hundreds of thousands of babies being slaughtered each year?

This is a generation that is "lofty.and their eyelids are lifted up. "When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom" (Prov. 11:2). "In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them" (Pro 14:3). "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall" (Prov. 16:18). Pride will sully the noblest of men, and bring low the mighty. It will render leaders ineffective, and destroy the good influence of all who are caught in its grip. Our generation has produced great strides in science, medicine, technology and education. But our successes and blessings have made us proud so much so that we have lifted up our eyes and declared God dead and religion a non-essential.

This is a generation whose teeth are as swords and their jaw teeth as knives. The violence in the theater has poured out into the streets, and our hatred for fellow man has found vent in the internet and "blog" pages of personal expression. A recent article in the Dallas News pointed out that web sites fostering racial hatred, fascism, neo-Nazi, and anti-Semitic mentality have increased dramatically in the last ten years.

Finally, there is a generation that devours the poor from the earth and the needy from among men. Con artists and shysters prey on the needy and elderly. From the dishonest salesman to the lying televangelist, this generation has its fair share of those whose only aim in life is to make a buck or get ahead, and the needy suffer as a result.

Perhaps this generation will run its course and the pendulum will swing the other way. I like to hope this will happen. But with every passing year, I see little hope for a generation that cares only for itself, with little interest in things eternal. Maybe, just maybe, when this generation is lying in the muck and mire of sin and ungodliness they will look to the God Who created them and long for something better and declare in hope of something better, "There is a generation."