Heaven Bound

Halloween has come and gone for another year and I for one am glad.  The constant barrage of witches, ghosts, goblins and ghouls in an attempt to sell costumes, candy and more is now relegated to the discount table pushed aside for the more wholesome fare of turkey’s, stuffing and pumpkin pie.

When I was a kid, Halloween used to be one of my favorite times of the years. I used to love getting on a costume and heading out to the local school carnival, where we would bob for apples, ring toss, cake walk, eat chili and just have an all around good time. Afterwards, coats bundled over costumes we would trick or treat at our grandparents house and a few neighbors along the street. It truly felt like innocent fun. Today, I know that even back then, it was far from innocent for the roots of Halloween have always been steeped in the occult and in fact, originated there.  What many people don’t realize today or perhaps refuse to recognize is that Halloween today resembles very little the Halloween they remember from their childhoods. What was then a night of mischief and fun is now a night of open and perverse evil.  Exposed for what it really is – hell-o-ween, the un-holiest of nights.

Every year, Halloween becomes more bizarre – more over the top.  Costumes today seem to be designed to provoke a response as adults revel in the opportunity to express alter-egos with costumes ranging from titillating to lewd,  ghoulish to macabre.  And, if these crazy costumes were not enough, people now want the props to go with them!   Just a short walk around my neighborhood on late afternoon Halloween was a real eye opener for me.  The money and work some people went to in order to create a “good scare” was as amazing as it was appalling.  Here is some of what I saw:

One house had a giant inflatable cat on the roof of the house which looked down on the yard turning its head back and forth looking as though it were ready to pounce on an unsuspecting victim.

One yard had probably close to a dozen life-size ghouls standing in clusters about the yard – skull like faces draped in long robes surrounded by a bevy of graveyard themed objects.  Can you imagine bringing a group of young children to this doorway on a dark windy night – for the innocent “fun” of trick or treating.  Do these people think or care that Halloween is supposedly for children. No, they are more interested in creating their own personal “nightmare of elm” street – it seems.

Not to be outdone- the neighbor along with his ghosts and ghouls had a bloody and dismembered head tied to a rope attached to the bumper of his car. 

A few houses over – a 12 foot tall or more inflatable grim reaper complete with sickle and a host of dismembered heads mounted on short sticks which lined the walk way to the house.  Yes, kids this looks like fun! 

Coffins in yards, grave stones, and apparitions swaying in the wind.  One home owner had even constructed a mini town of the old west complete with jail and saloon and a body swinging from a gallows.

And, all of this – within a three or four blocks from my home.  Unbelievable!  What did I miss from around town that I didn’t see?  Oh, the extreme haunted houses – yes, you’ve read about those – people by the hundreds, even the thousands paying good money to strip down to their underwear (in some cases) and be subjected to hands-on simulated torture for hours on end.  What’s next – real torture,  death – even perhaps?  Oh, but its just for fun …. yeah, right!

I work night shift in a long term care facility ( which I have done off and on for many, many years) and, just after midnight on Halloween the other night, we had a number of incidents that were frightening and unexplainable enough for me to gather my co-workers together for prayer against the entities that were manifesting that night.  I’m not a nervous Nellie and have never really encountered anything quite like this in my years of working night shift – but, when this happened, I knew exactly what was going on.  My co-workers were very freaked out and did not hesitate one iota when I suggested joining hands for prayer.  I would like to say that was the end of it but, last night there was more of the same.  Continued prayer in the name of Jesus and by his blood is the only way to eradicate these unwelcome guests. Unfortunately, people and organizations like the one I work for unwittingly invite these forces in by decorating with goblins, ghouls, spiderwebs, black cats and more.  These entities are always looking a doorway and a host – sadly (and stupidly) we often provide them just that.

I know many Christians who remain comfortable with Halloween sticking to their beliefs that it is harmless fun for kids and adults.  I’m not out to change anyone’s opinion. That is between them and the Lord. But, for me, it is something that I cannot participate in anymore.  The roots of Halloween which have always been in the dark realm are expressing themselves must more openly in these last days. .  It never was innocent fun …. not really. It has always been anti-God, anti-Christ and anti-the good news of the gospel.  Instead of celebrating and welcoming the one who has over come death – we have become a culture of death. In fact, people today surround themselves with it.  They are in for a rude surprise.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper who love thee”  Psalm 122:6

Watching and waiting with YOU for the soon return of Jesus!  Cindy