Biblical View of Halloween

I thought that since next week is "Halloween", I'd share a few of my thoughts...
Growing up, and even now, my family and I don't do the "Halloween Thing". We did harvest festivals when we were younger, and now we do "Reformation Festival". So, I was looking around for some information about it. I found-
virtually all of the common Halloween decorations represent something Demonic or Occult. For instance:
The "Jack-O-Lantern" is the ancient symbol of a damned or condemned soul. Almost all web sites connect it to Satan in some fashion.
The "Black Cat" has long been associated with Witchcraft.
Witches and Witchcraft are a dominate theme of the Halloween holiday, but consider what God said in Exodus 22:18, "You shall not allow a sorceress to live." God seems to be pretty serious here.
I also find that the "trick-or-treat" part of it, is a threat! Actually it sounds like extortion to me! "You either give me a treat or I'll play a trick on you."

So, how serious should 'we' be about whether we do the Halloween thing or stay completely away from it?
Let's consider the following:
Ephesians 5:11, "Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them..."
No, that does not specifically tell us not to stay away from Halloween... but, are any of us truly convinced that our participation in Halloween somehow pleases God?
Let's also consider 1 Thessalonians 5:22, "Abstain from every 'form' of evil."
Is it possible to dress up in costumes that represent demons and witches and the like and actually be "abstaining from every 'form' of evil"?
Let's also look at 1st Corinthians 10:31, "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do,
 do 'all' to the glory of God."
And the last scripture I will share with you is, 3rd John 1:11, "Beloved, do not imitate what is evil,
 but what is good."

As Halloween does have some connection to the harvest of crops, let me suggest to you that we ought to
 use the pumpkins to make some pumpkin bars or pumpkin pie and then sit down and discuss with our families how greatly God has blessed this nation with so much food that we can afford to cut it up and
 then throw it away or give it those in need.
I ask that you please consider these Biblical passages, as Halloween approaches.
Blessings on you all!

Living in a Corrupt World

This past week, my brothers, dad, Uncle, and Grandpa went hunting.
On one of the days, the ladies of the house and my little brother decided to go to the mall. After we'd eaten lunch, I told my mom, "I'm going to go get a coffee." As I was in line, I saw some very disturbing things, which I won't specify...
I couldn't help but ask myself and my mom, "When God sent the flood to the earth, what kind of corruption was there?" We live in a culture, where things that didn't used to be okay, are the "new" normal now.
While the internet can be used for good, it can also be used for evil.
They didn't have electronics back in the Bible times. If all of your electronics were taken away from you for let's say... a month... how would you survive? Many people can't even survive a day without their electronics, which causes many problems.

I've had to ask myself the question, "In what ways are you glorifying God?" and also, "In what ways are you NOT glorifying God?"
What ways can we improve to glorify God? Sometimes when we do things and we're honored for them, we give our-self a pat on the back and say, "Yes, I did it!" I like how in Facing the Giants Coach Taylor said, "When we win, we praise Him, and when we lose, we praise Him!" It's so hard, isn't it? It's easy to say, "Look at me" or even, "Woe is me!"
Let's look at Genesis 6:5-8, "The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them." But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord..."
Today, we live in a corrupt world. We will start seeing things that will lay heavy on our hearts.
However, we must cling to the cross of Christ! He is our Redeemer! And He is the only
one who can save us.
Blessings, 

Walking in the Truth

This last week, I had the joy of hearing my little brother talk about what Sin is, and about Adam and Eve and what they did as a sin.
My mom asked Elijah, "Elijah, what is sin?"
"Sin is when you do something wrong and disobey God."
"What did Adam and Eve do?"
"They ate the fruit from the tree that God told them not to. So, they sinned."
I was reading from Deuteronomy 6:4-7, "Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up."

Today, we see many young men and young women walking away from God. Parents aren't teaching their children diligently anymore. In many cases, children go to Sunday School to learn about the Bible, and when they have questions, their parents aren't able to answer them because the parents have not studied it for themselves; and therefore, don't know the answers.
In Proverbs 22:6, we see, "Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not
depart from it.
So, let's take Christ commandment, follow His example, submerge under Christ Authority, and walk in the Truth of the Word.
"I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth."
~3rd John 1:4~
"And this is love, that we walk according to His commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it."
~2nd John 1:6~