aahhhh.....the Holy Days...oops...I mean Holidays!
I know, I know...just from the Title of my Post, you must know already what a killjoy I am, right ?
Well, truthfully...I hope that by shedding some light on this area, I would actually be doing the Father's will (glorifying Him) and thus bringing true joy to the party, instead of some facsimile that the world has sold you !
So.....what willyou be doing for 'Halloween'? Are you one of those bold (or uneducated?) enough to say, "I'm a Christian, and I don't see what the big deal is.....Halloween is 'what you make it', right?" At least these have an out...ignorance. Then there are the Christians who say, "We don't really do 'Halloween'.....our Church has a "Fall Festival". Some others call this a "Harvest Service", and yet others a "Hallelujah Festival". Well.....ignorance...no, I already used that once...anyway these are some of the worst. Who do you think you are kidding? This is pragmatism at its worst. Then there is the "Reformed (ing) Crowd" (O.K., I'm preaching to the choir!), who will be calling theirs 'Reformers Day' or 'Protestant's Day' or something like that, and singing the old chorus that goes, "95 theses nailed to the wall, 95 theses nailed, take one down, pass it around, 95 theses nai....." Well, you get my drift #:-)
(1) First group: So you're going to go to church on Sunday and say that you trust in God, you'll read the Holy Bible that you are so sure is God's Word to us (you know, the Book that says that those having to do with familiar spirits or sorcery, witchcraft, or the like should be put to death), and then on Monday dress your kids up like ghouls and goblins, witches and warlocks, and say, "Lighten up, it's harmless fun". By the way, that goes for any other sweet little costume (princess, cowboy, ballerina, clown, or Spiderman, etc.) either! I guess you aren't so sure about that "Word" after all, are you?
(2) Second group: Okay...you Fall Festival folks: I am not known for my subtlety, so here goes: You are guilty of instituting "traditions of men" of your own making. I know, you'll say, " We can reach more people for the Lord this way, especially the young people", won't you? Get real, this is pragmatism at its worst. What's next? We will have a Harvest Festival at the local First Baptist (of course, this is an evangelistic outreach program for young people.....OH PLEASE!!) and the next thing you know there will be a "Mardi Gras Mania" Sunday night, lest we loose anybody to that perverted celebration either!! Churches using "Halleluyah Festival" need to know what the word 'halleluyah' means. It means "praise to Yah", or "praise God". I have been to a few, and saw little praise directed heavenward. Most of what I saw was games and folly. They turned church out on Sunday night to have that.
(3) Third group: The intentions are good, but we are doing close to the same thing. Yes, I have preached on Halloween Sunday about Martin Luther and the protestant reformation. I do not do that now. I will be preaching in John 10, because I finished John 9 last Sunday night. Fellow reformING Christians, let us not feel that we must provide a "religious" substitute for every pagan holiday that hurtles down the humanistic highway. Those of us in this group should be setting an example for non-believers, and "believers" in groups 1 and 2.
To the Christian, this October 31st should only be one thing.....Monday! Let us not conform to the world in trying to get worldly people to conform to Christ. Let us show them the Christ in us, preach the Word, and pray that God blesses His Word!
May Monday find you dwelling on the things of God instead of perpetuating this pagan principle one more year.
No candy here kids,
The Dogpreacher
P.S. As for that "trick" business, MY GOD is bigger than your god. So there!!!
Well, truthfully...I hope that by shedding some light on this area, I would actually be doing the Father's will (glorifying Him) and thus bringing true joy to the party, instead of some facsimile that the world has sold you !
So.....what willyou be doing for 'Halloween'? Are you one of those bold (or uneducated?) enough to say, "I'm a Christian, and I don't see what the big deal is.....Halloween is 'what you make it', right?" At least these have an out...ignorance. Then there are the Christians who say, "We don't really do 'Halloween'.....our Church has a "Fall Festival". Some others call this a "Harvest Service", and yet others a "Hallelujah Festival". Well.....ignorance...no, I already used that once...anyway these are some of the worst. Who do you think you are kidding? This is pragmatism at its worst. Then there is the "Reformed (ing) Crowd" (O.K., I'm preaching to the choir!), who will be calling theirs 'Reformers Day' or 'Protestant's Day' or something like that, and singing the old chorus that goes, "95 theses nailed to the wall, 95 theses nailed, take one down, pass it around, 95 theses nai....." Well, you get my drift #:-)
(1) First group: So you're going to go to church on Sunday and say that you trust in God, you'll read the Holy Bible that you are so sure is God's Word to us (you know, the Book that says that those having to do with familiar spirits or sorcery, witchcraft, or the like should be put to death), and then on Monday dress your kids up like ghouls and goblins, witches and warlocks, and say, "Lighten up, it's harmless fun". By the way, that goes for any other sweet little costume (princess, cowboy, ballerina, clown, or Spiderman, etc.) either! I guess you aren't so sure about that "Word" after all, are you?
(2) Second group: Okay...you Fall Festival folks: I am not known for my subtlety, so here goes: You are guilty of instituting "traditions of men" of your own making. I know, you'll say, " We can reach more people for the Lord this way, especially the young people", won't you? Get real, this is pragmatism at its worst. What's next? We will have a Harvest Festival at the local First Baptist (of course, this is an evangelistic outreach program for young people.....OH PLEASE!!) and the next thing you know there will be a "Mardi Gras Mania" Sunday night, lest we loose anybody to that perverted celebration either!! Churches using "Halleluyah Festival" need to know what the word 'halleluyah' means. It means "praise to Yah", or "praise God". I have been to a few, and saw little praise directed heavenward. Most of what I saw was games and folly. They turned church out on Sunday night to have that.
(3) Third group: The intentions are good, but we are doing close to the same thing. Yes, I have preached on Halloween Sunday about Martin Luther and the protestant reformation. I do not do that now. I will be preaching in John 10, because I finished John 9 last Sunday night. Fellow reformING Christians, let us not feel that we must provide a "religious" substitute for every pagan holiday that hurtles down the humanistic highway. Those of us in this group should be setting an example for non-believers, and "believers" in groups 1 and 2.
To the Christian, this October 31st should only be one thing.....Monday! Let us not conform to the world in trying to get worldly people to conform to Christ. Let us show them the Christ in us, preach the Word, and pray that God blesses His Word!
May Monday find you dwelling on the things of God instead of perpetuating this pagan principle one more year.
No candy here kids,
The Dogpreacher
P.S. As for that "trick" business, MY GOD is bigger than your god. So there!!!
posted by dogpreacher | 10:47 AM
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