My, the lengths we go to to justify behaving like the world.  Do we understand the damage it does to us and to our children?

Here is an invitation we received…  followed by some thoughts.

Thanks, but no thanks…

If I recall ‘Reformation history,’ didn’t they cry ‘Sola Scriptura?’  So, what does Scripture say?

“When the Lord your God cuts off before you the nations which you are going in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, ³⁰ beware that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations serve their gods, that I also may do likewise?’ ³¹ You shall not behave thus toward the Lord your God, for every abominable act which the Lord hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

³² “Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it. Deut. 12:29-32

It says, ‘do NOT inquire after their gods and do likewise.’

Halloween: Hardly a God-honoring day…  Just go look at Walmart displays.  Rooted in paganism and various unbiblical practices such as glorifying death and darkness, it is a day that honors everything the Father calls an ‘abomination.’

‘But, Pete, they are celebrating ‘Reformation Day!  You didn’t read that part?’

I did, and that is nothing more than lipstick on the pig!  Syncretism!  Dressing up the profane in an effort to make it palatable.

Rav Shaul says,

¹⁴ Do not be ^[a]bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? ¹⁵ Or what harmony has Christ with ^[b]Belial, or ^[c]what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,

“I will dwell in them and walk among them;
And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
¹⁷ “Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord.
“And do not touch what is unclean;
And I will welcome you.
¹⁸ “And I will be a father to you,
And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,”
Says the Lord Almighty.

7 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Do we not understand what ‘come out of Babylon‘ means?

One of the great values in walking according to the ways of the Father, is learning to distinguish between the holy and the profane.  His Word teaches, through daily distinguishing between clean and unclean, what is pleasing to Him and what is not.  Mixing the profane (halloween or its likeness) with anything that professes to be holy (the people of God) does not in any way, shape, or form honor Him!  He calls it an abomination.

Christendom in general will embrace Halloween, but ‘clean it up,’ by calling it ‘Harvest Fest,’ or ‘Reformation Day,’ or some other thinly veiled excuse.  (This pastor’s excuse is, “I like the candy!“)

What does this teach our children?  How does it affect their relationship with the Father?

• It teaches our children that God doesn’t really mean what He says.
• It teaches them that it is okay to dress sin up and call it ‘good.’
• It teaches them that it is okay to participate in the things of the world as long as we put a little ‘Jesus’ paint on them.

And then you are going to tell them that virginity and purity is what He desires?

The ‘church’ has a history of dabbling in the world and practicing pagan ways while making excuses!!

• Christmas came applying ‘Jesus paint’ to the pagan holiday, Saturnalia.
• Lent came from dressing up the pig/pagan festival of mourning Tammuz.
• Easter is a fertility rite straight out of Ishtar worship.

Do the research.

To be ‘holy’ means to be ‘set apart.’  Yahweh doesn’t want us to be ‘set apart’ in our hearts with no outward change.  Go back and re-read Shaul’s comments to the Corinthians.  He closes that topic with,

let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Yahweh tells us exactly how to be ‘holy.’  He is abundantly clear in His Word and He never changes His mind or alters the original commandments.

I would encourage you to consider carefully the implications of playing patty-cake with the world!  Put lipstick on the pig, but understand, it is still a PIG.  Unclean is unclean and there is nothing you can do to make the pig clean!

I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; ⁵ for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.  Rev. 18:4-5

Selah.