Reality of Halloween. What ARE You Celebrating?

Reality of Halloween. What ARE you Celebrating?

1 Peter 2:11-12 “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

Your eternal home and allegiance is to God, not to man. While we spend this time on earth we are to honor our Lord, lead others to Him, and prepare for the day when we will finally stand with Him in Heaven. A popular item among Christians today is a little bracelet that had WWJD on it. Well, what would Jesus do? Would He dress up as a goblin or a ghost and go door to door yelling “Trick or Treat”? Would He, as an Orthodox Jew, smile at references of Witches and Familiars? Do you remember Jesus, even once, worshipping the dead? How is the Gospel promoted by the House of Horror? You may not like these questions, but as a Christian you should certainly ask them of yourself, and answer them honestly.  

Romans 13:12-14 “The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”

There is a spiritual conflict going on all around us, Christians! We should be spreading the Gospel message, encouraging one another in spiritual growth, and not following after the world.The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Remember, too, as Strangers in this world there are many deceivers out there who do not have your welfare in mind. There are many out there that say, “It’s fine, it’s just a little harmless fun”. God’s Word warns us who are His children:

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.”

Which brings up the point: If the Bible doesn’t support it, how can we condone it? It’s time all believers stopped living on the edge of the old sinful life, and started living the new life that is their birthright in Christ. If the historical presentation of this study differs from what you were told, then are you released from making a Godly choice? Is the Scripture null and void because you disagree with this author? It’s your choice, believer. Be careful what you choose! Now, on with the study.
 

What Is Happy About Halloween?

Halloween originated from the witch and warlock religions of Britain, France, Germany, and the Celtic countries. The practicing witches, called druids, lived 100 years before the incarnation of Christ.

The celebration of “Hallow’s Eve” honored the pagan gods, particularly the lord of the dead. The celebration was held on the last day of October, the Eve of the Celtic New Year. On Hallow’s Eve the lord of the dead was supposed to call all of the wicked dead back from the prison of hell, and place them in lower animal bodies (dogs, cats, wolves, bats, etc.). The Celts felt that if they pleased this god with their worship, then he in turn would protect them from these resurrected demons.

Judaism and Christianity ignored Hallow’s Eve because of it’s Satanic overtones. The worship of Hallow’s Eve nearly died out until the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian (100 AD). He built a Temple of the Dead to appease the druids. The Temple gave the people a reason to start backing the festival again.

Rome went through a series of battles until Rome itself fell under barbarian conquerors. By 607 AD the Roman emperor Phocas recaptured the city. From the time Rome first fell until 607 AD, the Church of Christ had moved into Catholicism. Phocas wanted to insure the Rome remained a part of the Roman empire, so he gave the city to Pope Boniface IV. Boniface reconsecrated the Temple of the Dead, dedicating it to Mary, the “Mother of God”.

It was a long standing policy of the Catholic Church to avoid making religious waves among the pagans. The Catholics began to wrongly equate physical growth with spiritual growth, so they would modify Church doctrine in an attempt to make it more pleasing to the pagan. “Certainly”, the bishops reasoned, “If the pagan joins the Church, they will be converted to Christ in time”. Actually their tactic had the reverse effect, and the Church doctrine became more and more muddied by pagan influence. When the city of Rome was given to Boniface IV, he decided to allow worship of the lord of the dead to continue as long as the pagans joined the Church. The legacy of Boniface is that many Catholic Christians, even today, light candles and pray for the dead, just as the druids did nearly 1400 years ago. The Catholics, rather than praying to the lord of the dead, pray to Mary, the Mother of God. This practice, fermented out of the religions of the druids, finds no support in the Holy Bible. The druids day of worship, Hallow’s Eve, was modified to be called All Saints Day.

For two centuries the yearly celebration of the dead was called “All Saints Day”, and was held on the last day of October. In 834 AD the celebration was moved to November 1st, though it still retained the name of All Saints Day. As I said before, Catholics still pray to Mary (just as the druids prayed to the lord of the dead) for the souls of the dead. Their reasoning is that, since Mary was Jesus’ mother, surely she’ll convince Jesus to let these unrepentant souls into Heaven. The Bible, however, makes it plain that you can only be saved if you accept Jesus as Savior while you are in this life:

Acts 4:10-12 “Then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.’”

Why The Children Shout
“Trick or Treat”

The most effective ploy that Satan ever uses is to try and deceive as much of Christianity as is possible using the same trick in different ways. The Catholic Church, by allowing pagan ritual and worship, followed pagan god worship under the guise of All Saints Day. But what about the Reformed Protestant Church?

Ancient druidism had another practice that, up to now, we haven’t discussed. The druids demanded human sacrifice in order to show “proper respect” for the lord of the dead. In order to accomplish this, the druids went from castle to castle and demanded women so that they could be sacrificed.  The women were then taken to sacrificial altars and killed (one of the most prominent areas we know of today for human sacrifice was Stonehenge in England). If the sacrifice was willingly given, the druids left a hollow gourd outside of the castle walls filled with burning human fat. This burning fat was supposed to protect the castle from demonic attack. If the druids were refused the sacrifice, they drew a hexagram on the door or wall of the castle and left. Before dawn someone in the castle would be found dead from fear.

This practice of going “door to door” eventually found it’s way into society as a form of Halloween ritual. The earliest settlers in America encouraged their children to go door to door shouting “Trick or Treat”, little knowing that they were mimicking ritualized murder of days gone by. The children were given fruit, much like the druids were given human sacrifices. If the children were refused a treat, they were allowed to play a little “trick” on the household. Parents put candles inside of pumpkin gourds (just as the druids put human fat inside of hollow gourds) to commemorate Halloween. By making it all seem like harmless fun, Satan drew both Catholic and Protestant, believer and unbeliever into the web of druidic paganism.

What’s Wrong With A Little
Innocent Fun?

Most people, even Christian believers, defend Halloween as only “A little innocent fun for the kids”. It may be innocent, but is it fun to mimic (however unknowingly) devil worship, female sacrifice, and witchcraft? Once the Christian household allows paganism into it’s midst, then how much harder is it for Satan to get us involved in real druidism? The Ouija board, seemingly harmless, is no less than a familiar spirit:

Leviticus 20:6-7 “‘I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people. Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God.”

Deuteronomy 18:10-13 “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the LORD your God.”

The question that the Christian must ask his or her self is this: “Do I want to play Satan’s game? Do I want to participate in a festival that originates from human sacrifice and demon worship? What do I want my children to learn?” Take a hard look at these questions and the evidence presented: your spiritual condition (as well as that of your children) may well depend on your answer.

Are there alternatives to Halloween? Absolutely! Many Churches have begun promoting “Fall Festivals” on Halloween night. The festivals are held at Church, children are offered Christian activities and adults have valuable time in which to fellowship with each other. Other Christians use Halloween night as a time to take their children out to eat, to skate, to a clean movie, or just to spend quality time with them. You do not need to deprive your children of fun in order to avoid Satan’s traps. Christians may even use Halloween as an opportunity to witness to the “visitors”. Rather than decorating your yard with ghosts and ghouls, focus on the Christian theme of love and salvation through Jesus. If you feel compelled to give out “treats” to the children, give out salvation tracts as well while telling the children about your Savior. Reclaim the night for Jesus!

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What follows is an article from New Wine magazine. All copyrights belong to New Wine Magazine and the author John Stanko:

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?
by John Stanko, New Wine Magazine, 1984

Every October 31, Christian parents face a number of questions about Halloween, such as, “Should we allow our children to be out trick or treating?” and Should we answer the door and give out candy  or tracts? ” Without a sufficient knowledge of Halloween’s history and what the Bible says, it is difficult for a Christian to adequately answer these and other questions about participation in Halloween.

 The celebration of what we know as Halloween dates back to before the time of Christ.  In the Celtic countries of Britain, Germany, and France, the Druids (the priests and teachers of the Celts) set aside October 31 to  honor Samhain, the lord of the dead.  At this time of year the  crops were harvested and it was a  time of general decay. The day honoring Samhain highlighted the gloom and cold of the coming season.  The Celts believed that Samhain assembled all the souls of the dead on October 31, the eve of the Celtic new year. This freed them to return to their homes, where their families were to entertain them. If they didn’t find an acceptable welcome the spirits would cast spells or cause other problems for the living (the first form of trick or treat) To prepare for the arrival of these spirits the Druids built huge bonfires, sacrificing animals, crops, and even humans.  This fire was also used for divinations (they studied the remains of the sacrificed animals). During this ritual, many people wore costumes made of animal heads and skins.  When the Romans conquered the Celts, they combined the festival to Samhain with their own festival honoring Pomona, the goddess of fruit and trees, making apples and nuts an important part of the rituals.

Despite the prevalence of Christianity this pagan rite continued. The Irish held parades to honor Muck Olla, one of their gods. A leader wearing a white robe and an animal head marched at the head of the parade. Those who followed him asked for food to help celebrate the October 31 festival, punishing farmers who refused to cooperate (another form of trick or treat).  Bonfires raged throughout Wales, Scotland, England on October 31. In the year 834 Pope Boniface IV moved the church feast of All Saints’ Day (also known as All Hallows’ Day) from May to November 1 to counter this growing pagan rite.  October 31 naturally was called All Hallows’  Evening – eventually abbreviated  Halloween.

In medieval times satanic witches took Halloween as an opportunity to mock the saints of the church commemorated on All Saints’ Day. The witches supposedly flew on broomsticks accompanied by black cats (also believed to be a type of witch).  In later years the poor in England went door to door for food on November 2, All Souls’ Day.  Beggars received “soul cakes” in return for their promise to pray for the dead of  that household. In America however, because of the strong religious convictions of the early settlers, Halloween celebrations were banned. In the early 1800’s,  as more immigrants of Celtic origin arrived, Halloween celebrations were instituted

Despite the contemporary decline in trick or treating (perhaps because of dangers such as poisoned candy) Halloween lives on.  School parties, the media, and peer pressure all serve to make Halloween a fun and necessary time in children’s eyes. Christian parents face extreme difficulty in deciding what their family should do about the annual celebration.

Considering Halloween’s origins, it should not be difficult to establish a Scriptural position on the holiday. Deuteronomy 18.9-12 states:“When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you.”

As  Christians seek to make a firm decision regarding participation in Halloween, it is important to keep in mind that  believers are called to:

1. “Be separate from the world”:1 Peter 4:1-4 “Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you.”
2.  Be transformed:Romans 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
3. Be obedient and holy: 1 Peter 1:14-15 “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.”
4. Be God pleasers:James 4:4 “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”
5. Be leaders:Ephesians 5:11 “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”

In answering questions about distributing candy on Halloween or allowing children to ‘trick-or-treat’, we must look at the roots of Halloween and what the Bible says, we now have the firm foundation we need to base our decisions on.

 

HALLOWEEN GLORIFIES SATAN AND WITCHCRAFT

Halloween is filled with darkness and paganism, and it is saturated with the influences of Satan. Satan is a very real person. Jesus used personal pronouns when referring to Satan (John 8:44). To accomplish his purposes, Satan uses many “devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11). He has his own synagogue (Revelation 2:9); his own gospel (Galatians 1:6-9); his own ministers (2 Corinthians 11:14-15); his own doctrines (1 Timothy 4:1); and his own communion service (1 Corinthians 10:20-21).

Halloween is not just a fun day. For witches and worshippers of Satan Halloween is serious business. Halloween is a time when Satan makes light of his own operations. He presents himself as a hoodlum–a kind of cartoon character rather than who he is–the real arch-enemy of God. Witchcraft today embraces dozens of unbiblical beliefs and practices, and has many thousands of adherents. The Old Testament and the New Testament make repeated references to the practice of witchcraft, and God always condemns all such practices. Note the following references:

“Do not turn to mediums or wizards; do not seek them out, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:31). They used divination and augury; and they sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord…therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight” (2 Kings 17:17- “Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery…those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).

The initiation rites for those involved in witchcraft and the worship of Satan are indeed very gruesome. Two girls described their experience. They had to go to a graveyard in the dead of the night, step on and walk across a large wooden cross, and renounce any belief in Christ; and then they had to drink the blood of animals that had been skinned alive. Surely these are gruesome anti-christian activities. Halloween is the chief holiday of Satanists, and those who practice witchcraft. To participate in the celebration of the pagan festival called Halloween, is to give an open invitation to the forces of Satan to gain more influence on our lives.

HALLOWEEN CLEARLY HAS THE APPEARANCE OF EVIL

One of the wholesome principles which God’s people are to carefully observe, is expressed in the words of 1 Thessalonians 5:22, “Abstain from all appearance of evil.

All the symbols of Halloween are evil. Note briefly each of the following symbols:

Jack-o’-lanterns–were originally carved images of demonic beings and thus have been in league with Halloween celebrations. The carved out pump-kin was lighted with a candle to scare off ghosts and witches and goblins and other supernatural forces wandering around on “the night of the dead.”

Black cats–have long been associated with witchcraft and miscellaneous superstitions related to sorcery and Satanism. Ancients believed that black cats had once been humans who had changed into animals because of evil deeds which they had committed.

Bats and owls–have been related to Halloween since early times. The pagan Celts believed that bats and owls were able to communicate with the dead.

Skeletons, skulls, and corpses–belong to Halloween because it is really a festival celebrating death.

Trick-or-treating--is nothing less than extortion. The concept of “You either give me a treat, or I’ll play a trick on you” is hardly in keeping with the Integrity and second-mile honesty which Jesus taught. (Historically, food and drink were often left on outside porches in the hope of appeasing the demonic night creatures who were roaming around seeking shelter. Mischievous children capitalized on this practice, and disguised themselves with a costume and mask to scare off the ghosts–and then they themselves would steal the food set out for the spirits. This is the origin of the “trick or treat” custom.)

Halloween has been a time dedicated to ghosts and ghouls and goblins and monsters and senseless vandalism. Malicious people have hidden drugs in candy and rarer blades in apples. Getting involved in Halloween celebrations cannot be consistent with the Brethren peace position. Also, police departments in various parts of the country have warned people to guard their animals on Halloween night, because frequently dogs and cats and other animals are mutilated as a result of the ritualist slaughter of animals in sacrifice to Satan at Halloween time. Actually, Halloween not only has the appearance of evil; it is clearly associated with the wicked practices of the god of this world.

Those who get involved with Halloween celebrations, must remember that what was once the accepted practice of European pagans, has now become the accepted practice of many American church members. Many church-goers despise the vandalism and destructive behavior often associated with Halloween, but they go along with it as a necessary once-a-year evil. What was once modified from the pagan Festival of Samhain to the Christian All Saints Eve has now been further modified to become a semi-pagan ritual honoring ghosts and goblins and witches. Many youth fellowships sponsor Halloween parties in church recreation halls and award prizes for the most outlandish costumes. They usually have some group singing and a short devotional to make the evening seem more sanctimonious.

What’s wrong with Halloween? Everything about it is wrong. It does not have one single redeeming virtue. Halloween is a festival which glorifies the devil. Those who go by the name “Christian” should have nothing to do with Halloween celebrations. It is time that we expose Halloween for what it is–a ritual for the occult.

We should never make fun of Satan’s power. Celebrating Halloween can encourage children to take lightly the forces of darkness (Jude 8-10). God’s people are not to be conformed to the world. We are not expected to Wit in” with the practices of our society (Romans 12:1-2). How seriously do we take the words of Jesus about being “in” the world, but not “of it? (See John 17:14-15).

It is proper for children to have good times. “Having fun” is not what is wrong with Halloween. Parents and church youth leaders should provide plenty of family and group activities for children and youth. If there must be an activity on October 31, you can plan an evening of Bible study on demons and sorcery and death. October 31 is a good time to study the Reformation period of church history (Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on October 31, 1517). You can spend an evening reading a youth version of Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. You can have a Harvest Festival, gathering foods and grocery items and delivering them to the poor and to those who may have had a variety of misfortunes.

Another alternative, which could be a worthwhile event, is to plan for an “All Saints Eve.” The first weeks after a death in the congregation, the bereaved family receives much attention, but a year or two later, many widows scarcely hear their husband’s name mentioned. People who were once a major part of a congregation’s life are easily forgotten (except by the family of loved ones). Perhaps on an “All Saints Eve” the pastor (or an older member of the church) could give some vignettes of numerous departed saints from the congregation, and point out specific characteristics of that person’s life and faith that are worth remembering.

It is our prayer that Brethren across the land will resolve to stand apart from the crowd, and dare to stand alone for the truth like the young man Daniel did when he was carried into the land of Babylon many years ago (Daniel 1:8-20). Let us decide to no longer participate in a pagan holiday which commemorates the activities of the powers of darkness.

Halloween glorifies Satan.

      When America and the world celebrates the powers of darkness by masquerading as evil creatures or decorating our homes, schools, businesses and churches with occult symbols, Satanic power is glorified. While you may have participated “all in fun”, be assured, Halloween is serious business for Satanists and Witches.

      Anyone familiar with witchcraft would tell you that there are certain rituals and spells that can only be cast on Halloween night. That is the night when the “veil” believed to separate the living from the dead is thought to be the thinnest, and futures are easier and more accurately foretold by diviners.

      Those who oppose Christ are known to organize on Halloween to observe Satanic rituals, to cast spells, to oppose churches and families, to perform sacrilegious acts, and to even offer blood sacrifices to Satan. Last year, Newscasters in numerous cities warned their viewers to guard their animals on Halloween night. Dogs and cats are thought to be the most often sacrificed animals on Halloween, and many S. P. C. A. centers will not allow black cats to be adopted until after Halloween. In rural communities, it is not uncommon for farmers to awake to find the mutilated remains of their farm animals (cows, calves, chickens, even horses) that were ritualistically slaughtered in Satanic sacrifices. The practices that accompany such sacrificial rites are almost too revolting to believe-the drinking of animal (or human) blood and urine, the digestion of entrails and organs, orgiastic rituals, substance abuse, and something becoming more frighteningly common across the U.S.-human sacrifice. The 700 CLUB interviewed several people last Halloween (several of which were teenagers) who actually participated in or witnessed human sacrifices while involved in Satanism. No one scoffs at such stories anymore, as police departments around the country have had to scurry to develop a whole new field of investigation dealing with the gruesome reality of Satanic sacrifices.

      Isn’t it sad that while Satanist, Witches, Occultists and Police are taking Halloween very seriously, many in the church protest our “spoiling all of the fun for the children,” by urging Christians not to participate in it.

It is the Appearance of Evil.

      The Bible says, “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” (1 Thess.5:22).

      Who can deny that virtually all of the symbols of Halloween are evil? Witches, monsters, ogres, vampires, ghosts, ghouls, goblins, devils and demons all portray evil! On the other hand, Christians are called to be “followers of God” (Eph.5:1), and “lights” to a sin darkened world. How can we justify our masquerading as creatures of darkness in the light of the Scriptures? And if our houses and churches are dedicated to God and are to glorify Christ, how do we justify decorating them with demonic and occult symbols?

      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 soul.

      The “black cat” has long been associated with Witchcraft and numerous superstitions are still connected to it.

      Witches and Witchcraft are a dominant theme of the holiday, but are an abomination to God (Exodus 22:18; Deuteronomy 18:8-14; Leviticus 18:24-30).

      Even the “trick-or-treat” is a threat! It’s nothing less than extortion! “You either give me a treat or I’ll play a trick on you.”

What Should Our Position Be? 

      Clearly, we should have nothing to do with the Halloween celebration whatsoever. If Christians assemble on Halloween it should be to worship, sing, praise, pray, intercede, wage Spiritual warfare and pull down demonic strong-holds. Under no circumstance should we compromise with this celebration or attempt to imitate the world in any manner. It should not be observed as any kind of a festival or “party” (masquerades, apple-bobbing, games, treats, etc.), but rather as a time to wage holy warfare and be separate from the world.

      The Christian should not fear Halloween or any of the powers of darkness, for we have authority over them (Mk.16:15; Lu.10:19), and “God has not given us the spirit of fear…” (2 Tim.l:7). But at the same time, “We are not ignorant of Satan’s devices” (2 Cor.2:11)

      Some may call me “legalistic” for doing so, but I have forsaken this pagan celebration altogether. Perhaps its time you considered doing the same.

“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.” (Eph.5:8).

  

 

Verses depicting God’s opinion on participating with evil:

 

Deuteronomy 18:9-14 Detestable Practices  9 When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. 13 You must be blameless before the LORD your God. The Prophet  14 The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.

Exodus 7:11-1211 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: 12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.

Exodus 22:18 18 “Do not allow a sorceress to live.”

Leviticus 19:26 26 ” ‘Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it. Do not practice divination or sorcery.”

Leviticus 19:31 31 ” ‘Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.'”

Leviticus 20:6 6 ” ‘I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people.

Leviticus 20:27 27 ” ‘A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.’ “

1 Chronicles 10:13-14 13 Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD; he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance, 14 and did not inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

2 Kings 21:5-6  In both courts of the temple of the LORD, he built altars to all the starry hosts.  He sacrificed his own son in  the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger.

Isaiah 2:6 The Day of the Lord 6 You have abandoned your people,        the house of Jacob.        They are full of superstitions from the East;        they practice divination like the Philistines        and clasp hands with pagans.

Jeremiah 27:9-10 9 So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your interpreters of dreams, your mediums or your sorcerers who tell you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon.’ 10 They prophesy lies to you that will only serve to remove you far from your lands; I will banish you and you will perish.

Zechariah 10:2 2 The idols speak deceit,        diviners see visions that lie;        they tell dreams that are false,        they give comfort in vain.        Therefore the people wander like sheep        oppressed for lack of a shepherd.

Malachi 3:5  5 “So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me,” says the LORD Almighty.

Acts 8:9 Simon the Sorcerer  9Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great,

Acts 16:16 Paul and Silas in Prison  16Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling.

Acts 19:19 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.

Galatians 1  1Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2and all the brothers with me,       To the churches in Galatia:  3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. No Other Gospel  6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!  10Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. Paul Called by God  11I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. 12I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.  13For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased 16to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.  18Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. 19I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. 20I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie. 21Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. 22I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24And they praised God because of me.

Galatians 5:16-21 Life by the Spirit  16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.  19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

2 Timothy 3:88Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth—men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.

Revelation 21:88But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Revelation 22:1515Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

Exodus 7:11-1211 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: 12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.

Exodus 22:18 18 “Do not allow a sorceress to live.

Leviticus 19:2626 ” ‘Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it.       ” ‘Do not practice divination or sorcery.

Leviticus 19:31 31 ” ‘Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.

As believers, we are calledto “Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. [1 Thessalonians 5:21-22] Who can deny that virtually all of the symbols of Halloween are evil? Witches, monsters, ogres, vampires, ghosts, ghouls, goblins, devils and demons all portray evil. Christians are to “… have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” [Ephesians 5:11]  “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” [Romans 12:2] “For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?” [2 Corinthians 6:14, 15] Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. [1 Peter 5:8]

Originally published 30 Oct., 2009 at www.justinlessard.wordpress.com.

Must see video on abortion rights vs. life rights

This important new video, offered for free, is a must see. Street preacher/ evangelist Ray Comfort produced this powerful 33 minute video with real life reactions to real life questions. One of the nicest things about this work is the not just the underlying message, but the fact that all participants are random people- not actors. This is real life at its most crucial.

CLICK HERE and watch for FREE: http://180movie.com/

Consider this article from WND.com:

The new movie “180,” with its “power of truth” is turning out to be an abortionist’s worst nightmare.

The intensely stunning new production from author, evangelist and street preacher Ray Comfort has drawn more than 600,000 views in just a few days, and hundreds more are purchasing a copy for their home.

And the reactions have been flooding in.

“I watched this today – three times,” wrote Sonya Shirk. “Each time I was overwhelmed with the power of truth. I have shared this everywhere I can think of. I can’t begin to tell you how this video has changed my perspective.”

Added another poignantly, and to the point: “Your film just led a 17-year-old girl away from abortion.”

“I am very thankful for the Internet,” Comfort told WND. “It is so often used for evil, but in this case it is being used for good. In just 10 days 180Movie.com has had over 600,000 views.

“Keep in mind that this isn’t a one-minute humorous clip that doesn’t bite into your day. This is a commitment of 33 minutes of intense film, giving the viewer a rollercoaster ride of emotions,” he said.

For those quick with math, that’s more than 12,500 days that have been dedicated to watching “180.” Or more than 34 years.

“In an age where there’s more chance of flossing the back teeth of hungry lions at the LA Zoo at feeding time than getting ‘180’ on secular television, millions are going to see it uncensored via the Internet … and many will change their minds about abortion,” he said.

Wrote one viewer, “It’s so powerful. And although I have thought about abortion and Hitler on a passing note, this really made me think and did change my mind about abortion. I am not Christian or even know if God exists but this really does make you think. Thank you, it could be life-changing.”

Another: “The day after wearing a 180movie T-shirt to school, my daughter found out fellow classmates had seen the shirt and went to the site. Several commented they had never really thought about the issue of abortion but now know it’s wrong.”

Of course, Comfort noted, there’s another perspective. He cited this comment, “You rude anti-choice pig! Pro-choice doesn’t mean pro-death; Pro-choice just means freedom for women to choose! If you don’t want abortion, don’t get one! Oh, and no one cares about that stupid 180 *$@!*! Grow up, you zombified, conservatarded hypocrite!”

“These emails make me smile, because when a person has no justification for the killing of a child in the womb, they will resort to personal abuse, something called ‘ad hominem,'” Comfort said.

Comfort initially thought he would produce a video to go with an upcoming book called “Hitler, God, and the Bible” to be published by WND Books and soon to be available at the WND Superstore.

Join the discussion about “180,” at WND’s Forums.

That book is soaring on Amazon even though it’s not scheduled to come out until February.

It exposes Hitler’s theology and abuse of religion as a means to seize political power and ultimately instigate World War II and genocide. It mines the depths of Hitler’s beliefs and convincingly argues that without Hitler’s misuse of Christianity, the Third Reich would not have had its terrible rise, resulting in the deaths of millions.

“‘180’ wasn’t the video I meant to produce,” Comfort told WND.

Comfort explained his idea: “I decided to go out to the streets with a camera and find out what people believed about Hitler.

“I ended up with 14 people – mainly university students – who had no idea who Adolf Hitler was. This really bothered me, because I believe that when we forget our history we are more apt to repeat it,” he said.

In fact, recent media reports highlighted a sports day at a school in Thailand where students proudly paraded in Nazi costumes, including one student dressed as Hitler, to celebrate.

According to the London Daily Mail, the students and teachers were oblivious to “what all the fuss was about.”

It’s about life and death, Comfort explained, and not just during World War II

Comfort said his research for the book turned up a recurring theme regarding the Holocaust and the deaths of an estimated 11 million people, including some 6 million Jews: Moral apathy.

“I realized that the same kind of moral apathy that permitted such an incident to take place is still present today when it comes to the matter of abortion,” he said.

“While making the video I was amazed at how quickly people did a complete 180 after this connection was pointed out to them in a particularly effective way. They changed from being adamantly pro-abortion to being pro-life in a matter of seconds.”

The name “180” came from just that observation.

“As we watched ‘Steve’ – a proud, Jew-hating, foul-mouthed, anti-black, ‘I hate America’ neo-Nazi atheist with a 14-inch blue Mohawk – do a complete 180 and almost become likeable, it suddenly dawned on us that the same thing happened to most of the people on the video. They were all doing a 180 … their worldviews radically changed,” Comfort said.

The video follows Comfort’s winning formula of colorful, fast paced street interviews popular in the award-winning “Way of the Master” television series.

The series, in its fifth season, is co-hosted by Kirk Cameron and is viewed in 70 countries on 42 networks.

Comfort told WND that “180” is already considered “transforming.”

Message after message that reach his desk say things such as:

“I confess, I have committed 7 murders! GOD forgive me, I will never NEVER AGAIN trivialize abortion. NEVER again will I agree with the lie.”

And:

“This video has been popping up all over Facebook. I finally clicked on the link. I am a history buff with a passion for WW2. My attention was immediately grabbed. As soon as the switch to abortion began I wanted to stop watching, but I couldn’t. Part of me needed to keep watching. I don’t know what to do with this information, but I think it is changing the way I view these things. I might need to watch it again. That’s something I never thought I’d say.”

And

“I had always thought I was an ‘open-minded person’ when it came to abortion. But after viewing this movie, my stance has changed.”

Not everyone is thrilled with the powerful message of “180,” though. One Internet forum for atheists featured a number of bloggers scheming on how to ruin the video release or even hack into the video for an “atheist version.”

One post said this:

“There are many ways to spoil his release …

“For one, link up to every group of interest and offer a download. This will really hurt the b——. A lot of money went into this video production and an atheist-controlled version which he cannot profit from would hurt his finances.”

But it’s only $5 for a DVD.

Comfort said the project has nothing to do with profit and everything to do with transforming lives.

“We will also distribute 200,000 free copies of the ‘180’ DVD in 100 of the top U.S. universities (in one day) sometime in 2011, and we will invite pro-life organizations, churches, and individuals to join us by having additional giveaways in their own area,” the movie website says.

In a WND interview, Comfort said about the atheists that attack him: “We have a love/hate relationship. They hate me. I love them.”

He said the issue today is that there is a generation “that has been hardened.”

“I was horrified that youth I spoke to lacked compassion for other human beings.”

“180” tells how many of the people of Germany also lacked compassion while Hitler murdered 11 million people, 6 million of them Jews.

By comparison, “This country [the USA] has killed over 50 million babies,” Comfort said.

Comfort believes that “180” has the ability to change peoples view on abortion and maybe the way they vote for candidates who favor abortion.

“In ‘180’ we have a nation changer,” says Comfort.

Viewers of the movie have been deeply moved. Living Waters recently checked into the possibility of billboard advertising for “180” in California.

“When we looked into billboard advertising, a woman representative asked us what ‘180’ was about, so we invited her to come to the ministry for a special screening,” Comfort said. “She did, and afterwards she sat there biting her pencil. She said that it made her rethink her stance on abortion, and she wanted her teenage daughter to see it.

“We ended up praying with the woman for salvation.”

Read more: Video facts and logic becoming abortionists’ nightmare http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=352741#ixzz1abM0synF

Read more: Video facts and logic becoming abortionists’ nightmare http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=352741#ixzz1abLu7Zbn

Read more: Video facts and logic becoming abortionists’ nightmare http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=352741#ixzz1abLpYSjY

Read more: Video facts and logic becoming abortionists’ nightmare http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=352741#ixzz1abLdSBUy

Read more: Video facts and logic becoming abortionists’ nightmare http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=352741#ixzz1abLJxAqQThe new movie “180,” with its “power of truth” is turning out to be an abortionist’s worst nightmare.

The intensely stunning new production from author, evangelist and street preacher Ray Comfort has drawn more than 600,000 views in just a few days, and hundreds more are purchasing a copy for their home.

And the reactions have been flooding in.

“I watched this today – three times,” wrote Sonya Shirk. “Each time I was overwhelmed with the power of truth. I have shared this everywhere I can think of. I can’t begin to tell you how this video has changed my perspective.”

Added another poignantly, and to the point: “Your film just led a 17-year-old girl away from abortion.”

“I am very thankful for the Internet,” Comfort told WND. “It is so often used for evil, but in this case it is being used for good. In just 10 days 180Movie.com has had over 600,000 views.

“Keep in mind that this isn’t a one-minute humorous clip that doesn’t bite into your day. This is a commitment of 33 minutes of intense film, giving the viewer a rollercoaster ride of emotions,” he said.

For those quick with math, that’s more than 12,500 days that have been dedicated to watching “180.” Or more than 34 years.

“In an age where there’s more chance of flossing the back teeth of hungry lions at the LA Zoo at feeding time than getting ‘180’ on secular television, millions are going to see it uncensored via the Internet … and many will change their minds about abortion,” he said.

Wrote one viewer, “It’s so powerful. And although I have thought about abortion and Hitler on a passing note, this really made me think and did change my mind about abortion. I am not Christian or even know if God exists but this really does make you think. Thank you, it could be life-changing.”

Another: “The day after wearing a 180movie T-shirt to school, my daughter found out fellow classmates had seen the shirt and went to the site. Several commented they had never really thought about the issue of abortion but now know it’s wrong.”

Of course, Comfort noted, there’s another perspective. He cited this comment, “You rude anti-choice pig! Pro-choice doesn’t mean pro-death; Pro-choice just means freedom for women to choose! If you don’t want abortion, don’t get one! Oh, and no one cares about that stupid 180 *$@!*! Grow up, you zombified, conservatarded hypocrite!”

“These emails make me smile, because when a person has no justification for the killing of a child in the womb, they will resort to personal abuse, something called ‘ad hominem,'” Comfort said

Skeptics may say that no one could possibly change their mind so quickly. Comfort would have shared that thought had he not seen the extraordinary changes before his own eyes.

A viewer had this to say on the “180” Facebook page: “When I first saw the link [to the video], I knew it wasn’t the best time for me to view it, so I clicked on it to watch the first five minutes. Needless to say, I did not stop viewing it to the very end.”

Many big names in Christian circles have wholeheartedly endorsed “180.”

• “Brilliant and powerful,” says Joseph Farah, CEO of WND.com
• “Riveting,” says Joni Eareckson Tada of Joni & Friends
• “You don’t view this video. You experience it!” declares Gary T Ansdell, pastor of Hosanna Christian Fellowship

Mark Hall, the lead singer for Casting Crowns, said the video rocked his world: “I dare you to watch ‘180.’”

There even have been endorsements from the unexpected.

“I’m not a fan of Ray Comfort, but I have to hand it to him, he did a great job putting this video together. As a prolife atheist, I was afraid this video was going to be arguing against abortion using Christian rhetoric once again … good job Ray, and as a pro-life atheist – I support this video!” wrote one person.

“I am a witch but am prolife and have always been. I have no desire to share the Gospel part of this but some of it seemed pretty interesting,” added another.

Evident throughout the “180” video is Comfort’s passion for exposing the abortion lie. He told WND why he has such passion for the issue.

“The taking of the life of an unborn child is murder, and for that we should all be more than concerned. We should be horrified,” he says.

He tells of a time in the 1980s when he learned about a new Christian named “Fran” who was scheduled for an abortion.

“When I found that she had already checked into a hospital, I jumped into my car, sped into the city and ran to the second floor and into her room. She was sitting on a bed and had already been given the pre-operation medication. I pleaded, ‘Please don’t do this!’

“She smiled and said, ‘It’s okay. I’m not going to have an abortion. I just prayed, God, if you don’t want me to have an abortion, make Ray Comfort come and see me.’ I didn’t have to say a thing.”

Two years later, Comfort had the privilege of seeing Fran’s child at a picnic.

“Then it dawned on me that I had been used in a small way to help save a human life,” he said.

On abortion, Comfort said, “We should all be horrified. I think that there are many people out there that want to do something to stop this horror, but they don’t know what to do.

“If they stand outside an abortion clinic and protest, the media paints them as doctor-killing, narrow-minded, hate-mongering religious bigots,” he said.

But he believes “180” has the potential to change many lives.

“It already has,” he said.
Read more: Video facts and logic becoming abortionists’ nightmare http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=352741#ixzz1abMPAwse

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=352741

Read more: Video facts and logic becoming abortionists’ nightmare http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=352741#ixzz1abLJxAqQ

Holocaust Museum Shooter Hates Christianity, Follows Hitler

 

by: Justin Lessard

Recently, America and the world were shocked by a brutal shooting at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.  Seemingly, only moments after the attack which left a security guard dead, the media began to label the shooter, suspect James von Brunn, as a “right-wing extremist” and terrorist. Suddenly the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) brought to attention the hand that was sent to every law enforcement agency in the country, before it’s recall was demanded. In the document, DHS warned law enforcement officials to be on the lookout for potential terrorists which include pro-lifers, returning war veterans, anyone who supports traditional marriage as between one man and one woman, and anyone who believes in Bible prophecy. That document available here: http://wnd.com/images/dhs-rightwing-extremism.pdf  DHS has since agreed to rewrite some of the offensive and prejudice language in the letter, but as of this point, I have seen no such thing. In fact, they are referencing the retracted copies, stating that such motives prompted the shooting in question, as well as the recent assassination of abortionist George Tiller and several other isolated acts of violence throughout the nation.

What is less than ironic, and quite predictable is that the U.S. Government has once again jumped the gun and spoken without evidence. It took very little journalistic research for conservative media to determine that von Brunn is not a “right-winger”, but in fact is quite the opposite. He is not a Bible believer, stating quite clearly and publically that he finds it to be a “hoax.” Von Brunn is also a follower of Darwinism and the teachings of Adolf Hitler, citing those as his reason for his anti-Semitism. Typical of our current presidential administration, they are fast to blame the right side conservatives, painting a picture of violence where there is none, and blaming violence by their own left wingers on the other side. The following article from World Net Daily explores this further.

To visit WND, click here: http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=100882

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Darwin-loving museum shooter hates Bible, Christians
Suspect in death of security guard defies easy stereotyping

Posted: June 11, 2009; 11:45 pm Eastern

By Bob Unruh
James von Brunn, the man who allegedly shot and killed a guard at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., was a Darwin-lover who hated the Bible and Christians, and defies media efforts to classify him as a stereotypical “right-winger,” according to reports.

The Moonbattery blog revealed von Brunn advocated the socialist policies espoused by Adolf Hitler and used Darwinian theory to support his anti-Semitism.

And in statements that later were stripped from an anti-religion website, he wrote, “The Big Lie technique, employed by Paul to create the CHRISTIAN RELIGION, also was used to create the HOLOCAUST RELIGION … CHRISTIANITY AND THE HOLOCAUST are HOAXES.”

The blog had an answer to how to classify von Brunn, who remains hospitalized after being shot while attacking and shooting a guard at the museum: “If it barks like a moonbat, it’s a moonbat.”

Von Brunn’s diatribe on religion, according to the website, included:

“The New Testament was written in Greek. Paul – who believed the World was flat, that Joshua made the sun stand still, and Jehovah spoke from a burning bush – wrote one-third of it, perhaps more. The events described in the 24 Books are often contradictory, fail the time-line, defy both archaeology’s and nature’s immutable laws, and are suicidal if practiced. Nevertheless, the shamans bought it, taught it, and the illiterate public was coerced, brainwashed, threatened, tortured, murdered, and enthralled. … The Gospels profess that only Christians may enter Yahweh’s Kingdom of Heaven. To qualify, among other demands, Christians must LOVE THEIR ENEMIES (Jews); give away their personal belongings; eschew knowledge; judge not, despise nature, abandon earthly pleasures, acknowledge that all YHWH’s children are equal; and above all else worship YHWH, the jealous, wrathful, vengeful, unforgiving, genocidal, anthropomorphic tribal god (Jesus’ father) created by Hebrews in their image and likeness. Omnipotent, omniscient YHWH promises Hebrews that they alone shall inherit the earth, that it is commendable to steal from Gentiles, better yet — kill them. Whereas Gentiles, if they fail to worship YHWH, are transported straight to Hell. And it is written, ‘A little child shall lead them.’ These dangerous, imbecilic, concepts, tenets, and teachings, often treasonous, DESTROYED the Roman Empire and drenched the soil of Europe with Aryan blood for almost 2000 years!”

According to writer Kathy Shaidle at Examiner.com, von Brunn left a trail of “unhinged” writings.

“The anti-Semitism of von Brunn is the first thing one notices when visiting these bizarre websites. However, like those of most ‘white supremacists,’ many of von Brunn’s political views track ‘Left’ rather than ‘Right.’ Clearly, a re-evaluation of these obsolete definitions is long overdue,” she wrote.

Von Brunn, for example, hated both President George H.W. Bush as well as George W. Bush, and the writer confirmed his posting “reveals a hatred of, say, big corporations that is virtually indistinguishable from that of anti-globalization activists.”

“None of this will surprise readers of Jonah Goldberg’s bestseller ‘Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Change,’ which clearly demonstrates that ‘fascism’ of the kind advocated by the British National Party (BNP) and the likes of James W. von Brunn is just as likely to reflect ‘leftwing’ views as ‘rightwing’ ones,” Shaidle wrote.

She noted anti-Semitism, in fact, is something the “New Left” and the “Far Right” have had in common since the 1980s.

“That this shooting occurred shortly after President Obama’s former mentor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, blamed ‘the Jews’ for his lack of access to his former parishioner is a troubling confluence of events as well,” she wrote.

She wrote that von Brunn clearly was “deeply confused,” but isn’t the “mainstream conservative and/or rightwinger currently being depicted on leftwing blogs and by liberal commentators.”

“In short, von Brunn’s connection with conservative thought and action today – be it talk radio or ‘tea parties’ – is tenuous. Those trying to puff up such ‘connections’ are acting in bad faith, out of blind partisanship – of the sort which is as corrosive to the health of the body politic as von Brunn’s own b[l]atherings,” Shaidle wrote.

On the Examiner forum page, the assessments on von Brunn ran along similar paths:

• The man is a lunatic irrespective of ideology.
• This loon is now responsible for the same number of dead as Teddy Kennedy is!
• The guy is a nut, as was the abortion [doctor] killer, and the Army recruiter killer. There is extremism across the political spectrum. Have you ever heard that stereotyping people can be unhealthy and even dangerous, and something I hope we discourage in this liberal society.

Author Jame Glazov, whose book “United in Hate: The Left’s Romance With Tyranny and Terror,” is a rising star, also has examined the links between the left and tyranny.

Glazov, who is managing editor of Frontpagemag, wrote, “As history shows, leftist beliefs have spawned mass carnage and misery. Put into practice, they have caused the deaths of millions. Until now, it has been extremely difficult for rational people who value personal freedom to understand the motivations of those who live in comfort and yet embrace monstrous dictators, ideologies, and policies that leave only death and destruction in their wake.”

Glazov in his book “presents startling new insights into the toxic beliefs and torturously contorted thought processes of the leftists who lust to destroy the very freedoms that allow them to exist.”

Glazov, a refugee from the Soviet Union, contends there is an unholy alliance between jihadists and people such as Michael Moore, Sean Penn, Ted Turner and Noam Chomsky. At the heart of the mutual admiration, he says, is a willingness to accept massive numbers of deaths to achieve their objectives.

What’s bound to be most infuriating to those Americans and many other westerners mentioned in the book is the way Glazov uses their own words to make the point.

“Not only do I think it’s possible [a Muslim-leftist alliance] but I think it is vitally necessary and I think it is happening already,” explains leftist British lawmaker George Galloway. “It is possible because the progressive movement around the world and the Muslims have the same enemies. Their enemies are the Zionist occupation, American occupation, British occupation of poor countries, mainly Muslim countries.”

The Cost of Being Christian

 ³“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 ⁴“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

 ⁵“Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

 ⁶“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

 ⁷“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

 ⁸“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

 ⁹“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

 

 ¹⁰“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 ¹¹“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

 ¹²“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:3-12)

 

“Persecuted.” “…people insult you…” “…evil against you…”

Upon Jesus’ saying this, the outlook of being a follower of Jesus changes greatly. Prior to this, all of the “Blessed are…” verses contain instruction on being humble, merciful, pure in heart, and peacemakers. Then the whammy: You will be hated, pursued, bullied and harassed because of Jesus. You may die for Jesus.

To many, this is a shock to the system. Churches and evangelists often paint the picture of coming to Christ and having a peaceful, wonderful life without worry or fear. Many falsely believe that they will become a Christian and no longer have financial burden, family struggles, relationship issues, or disrespect.

Unfortunately, saying, “I’m a Christian,” is not a magical phrase that makes all needs and problems go away. Jesus never said, “I’ll make your life easy.” In fact, those last verses point to life being anything but easy. Jesus let us know that you may die for His cause, being persecuted for being righteous, by Jesus’ Godly standard. Yet, the reward is heaven. Jesus let us know that they will revile, mistreat and abuse us, and even persecute us because we belong to Jesus. Of course, the ultimate persecutions are torture and even death. And let us not forget the prophesied end-times in which all believers will be hated, sought and killed based entirely on their faith.

This is not to say that there are no benefits to being Christian. First of all, there’s heaven. We also do have immeasurable amounts of mercy upon us, peace that surpasses understanding, Spiritual gifts, such as tongues, prophecy, wisdom, etc. We are allotted blessing upon blessing for both the present life and our eternal life, all according to the Holy Spirit. The rewards always outweigh the concerns of being Christian.

What many do not understand is that being persecuted is not all bad. Surely, it is terrible for the moment. It is horrific to undergo the suffering that some brothers and sisters in Christ endure, even to this day. Yet in the end the reward is amazing. We live eternally in the presence of God; we get to look on the face of Jesus the Christ.

Jesus also said, “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25) He will give in return an eternal reward. A blessing that lasts not for a day, but forever. The joy is forever. The peace is unending. The harmony is eternal. The presence of the Almighty, Creator God, the Christ who died in our place, such a presence you will be in ceaselessly. These will never, ever go away. Should you suffer for Christ for your entire life of 70, 80, even 100 years, yet in ten-thousand-million years your joyous reward will have only begun.

opportunity for blessing

Recently, I’ve embarked on a very new and unique kind of ministry for myself. Most of my readers know that I have been planning a second missionary trip to a Maasai village in Kenya, Africa. I have been working and stressing over raising funds, planning what activities will go on, researching flights, costs, guest houses, etc. I have been trying to get myself there and get accomplished the supplying of needs, as far as possible on my part. I realize that I cannot do it all, that I won’t be able to once-and-forever solve the need for food, water, education, biblical teaching, etc. I just want to do all that I can, but nothing less.  I don’t want to face the Lord one day and hear Him say, “Good, but you missed this and this and that, and didn’t want to do these.”  I don’t want to hear about what I didn’t do; I don’t want to miss out on the blessing.

 

So when this new need arose, I was at a loss. Having a picture in my mind of doing this work, I had to come to realize that I can’t do it all, even if I wanted to and tried to. There is a worldwide food crisis. I’ve heard about it on the radio, seen an article or two, and here in the U.S., a few food items have gone up in price a couple dimes. In parts of Asia, South America, and especially Africa, the crisis is much more real. People are literally dying. Not just a few small colonies on some sappy “Support the people” infomercial at 3 a.m.; these are real people, working hard 40, 50, or more hours every day. There simply is no food. A large part of this is from lack of rain.

 

When I heard that my friends in Kenya were affected- the ones whose village I’m going to- I was taken off guard. I must admit that I felt ashamed. I never thought hard enough about the need. I just knew it was “out there” and was glad it wasn’t me. Immediately, I decided to do something, but what could I do? This could not wait for my mission trip. I didn’t have enough money on my own to make a difference. I came to the conclusion that the best thing I could do was ask the church. I called my Pastor and explained the situation, asking if I could speak for a few minutes on Sunday about the need. I was advised by another brother that it might be wise to extend the offering for two Sundays, giving people a chance to plan ahead for the next week.

 

So that’s what we did. I printed up a request sheet sent by my friend in Kenya. Sunday, I put a copy in every family’s possession, stood up during the announcements, and shared my heart. We left a basket out until everyone had left. The take- $40, not counting what I put in myself. I wondered if this was a mistake. Did anyone really care about a bunch of starving tribes on the other side of the world? The next Sunday came and went, but I didn’t see what was in the basket. When I picked up the check that week, my heart was heavy. Then I opened the envelope- $1,000.00. I was in awe. I once again had faith in the compassion of the American church. Keep in mind, the congregation is only about 40-50 members.  

 

Everything is different when you know the people helplessly starving. Suddenly, breakfast isn’t so important; you don’t really care what you eat for lunch; and when you throw out what you can’t eat, you feel glad that they aren’t there to see. Suddenly, you notice the running water when you brush your teeth, the cooler with water bottles by the checkout, and the extra five buck in your pocket feels like guilt money. When you know people dying because they don’t have these luxuries, everything changes. This should not be. We should have always cared.

 

I researched a few banks to see who would send for less, and only had to pay a $30 fee in the end. This is part of the email I just received from my contact in Kenya:

 

Dear Brother Justin,
 
The money came through and we were shopping for food here in the city and will be headng to the village tomorrow with a pick-up full of food! This next two weeks, the villages at Oloilalei will be different. The people will be able to work, without having to worry what the children will eat come evening. Please thank all the brethren for their kindness and expression of Christian love. The rains are suppose to be here but and not! We continue to pray and trust God for the rains.

Thank you again for your love and care.
 
Warmly in Christ,
 
Josiah

 

Anyone truly can change a life, make a difference, and save children’s lives. I am so glad that this isn’t about me; its about the goodness of God and His faithfulness, and because of that I truly feel good. Until the next opportunity-

Justin

 

“Every challenge is an opportunity for blessing”

 

Love Vs. Sex- A brief story of encouragement

A teenage girl about 17 had gone to visit some friends one evening and time passed quickly as each share theirvarious experiences of the past year.

She ended up staying longer than planned, and had to walk home alone. She wasn’t afraid because it was a small town and she lived only a few blocks away.

As she walked along under the tall elm trees, Diane asked God to keep her safe from harm and danger.

When she reached the alley, which was a short cut to her house, she decided to take it.

However, halfway down the alley she noticed a man standing at the end as though he were waiting for her.

She became uneasy and began to pray, asking for God’s protection.

Instantly a comforting feeling of quietness and security wrapped round her, she felt as though someone was walking with her.

When she reached the end of the alley, she walked right past the man and arrived home safely.

The following day, she read in the newspaper that a young girl had been raped in the same alley just twenty minutes after she had been there.

Feeling overwhelmed by this tragedy and the fact that it could have been her, she began to weep.

Thanking the Lord for her safety and to help this young woman, she decided to go to the police station.

She felt she could recognize the man, so she told them her story.

The police asked her if she would be willing to look at a lineup to see if she could identify him.

She agreed and immediately pointed out the man she had seen in the alley the night before.

When the man was told he had been identified, he immediately broke down and confessed.

The officer thanked Diane for her bravery and asked if there was anything they could do for her.

She asked if they would ask the man one question.

Diane was curious as to why he had not attacked her.

When the policeman asked him, he answered, “Because she wasn’t alone. She had two tall men walking on either side of her.”

Amazingly, whether you believe or not, you’re never alone. Did you know that 98% of teenagers will not stand up for God?

PS: God is always there in your heart and loves you no matter what…..and if you stand up for Jesus, He will stand for you.

“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. “ –Matthew 10:32-33

“But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” -1 Timothy 1:5

Growth- A Spiritual Look at Our Standing (or Running)

GROWTH

One of the biggest, if not the biggest problem that Christians face is a lack of growth. So many just, kind of stop. Wherever they happen to be in life, they cease going to Bible studies, and prayer meetings, and the worship thing that all your friends were going to at that other church, and… You get the idea.

I’m not saying its your fault or their fault, I’m just pointing it out. Maybe the church put the men’s group on hold for the holidays and just never picked it up again. Maybe the prayer meetings were canceled for the summer when the leader was out of town and they haven’t restarted. Maybe the worship thing is too far away, or maybe, whatever it is, just fell off your radar. That happens. Unfortunately, though, life goes on. The world continues.

The thing we need to do, is find another place to plug into. What group, activity, fellowship, etc. could-

a.) benefit from your presence;

b.) be a blessing to you;

c.) act as a continuance of your worship and/or exaltation of the Lord

The first thing to do in order to find the right fit is to find what’s missing. While you’ve been “doing your thing”, the planet has been spinning. That means that there have been multitudes of people answering God’s call without you. Thousands around the world, even millions, have been praying, fasting, worshiping, studying; all to keep up the work of the Lord. For you to plug back into that, think back. Think of the time when you feel that you were doing the most for God. Meditate on that time and remember what it was that you were active in. Was it High School? College? When you joined a new congregation? When was growth at its peak; when did you shine the brightest?

Take that time and hold it in your mind. Now, from then to today, divide that in half. For example, if my high point was 3 years ago, then my half way point is 1 ½ years ago. Measure your growth as a Christian from beginning to halfway, and from halfway to now. Which has the bigger growth? If you said the first half, then you are behind schedule. What stopped? What took place to move you from that place of substantial Spiritual growth to a stunted growth? That is what you must rectify. If you cannot return to the same group, for whatever reason, find another one that is both available and Biblical.

In some cases, it isn’t the group that had problems; it might’ve been you. Perhaps you weren’t ready to go to the next level at the time when everything else seemed to be doing just that. Perhaps the growth is in an area that you are now able to achieve. Here is a list of things that every believer should strive for. Not only to do, but to do better.

1.      Forgive others freely

2.      Worship God wholeheartedly

3.      Be readily available and willing to witness your faith to others

4.      Serve God unselfishly in any capacity

5.      Give cheerfully, not just monetarily, not just materialistically, not just emotionally, but entirely

6.      Generously offer encouragement

7.      Be a Scriptural leader (maybe that means you lead the new Bible study)

8.      Receive correction humbly

9.      Accept thanks respectfully

10.  Pray over others in any circumstance (even if you have to find one to pray about)

11.  Discern spiritual traps, don’t give the devil an inch

12.  Overcome addictions and pleasures of the world

13.  Control the tongue

If you constantly work at these, you will become increasingly better equipped to serve God, your church, and others. You will notice a distinct difference in your life and the lives of people you encounter. You will be able to look back and see that the last half has had an increasingly improved Spiritual growth, and that it will continue to grow even more. The beauty of growing with God is that we never quite arrive; we just keep improving in ways that we may never have thought possible for us. Remember what Jesus said, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

Don’t hesitate. Now that you know what you need, and where you need it, go to God with it. Whether you are at home or sitting in a coffee shop or online with your phone, humble yourself before God in prayer right now (or as soon as possible). Shut the door and turn your phone off for a few minutes and just talk to God. He will always welcome you back and He always has more for you.  In closing, carefully read this selection of Scripture and meditate on it as you consider God’s faithfulness to His prodigal, even when that prodigal is you.

 From Luke 15:

 11And He said, “A man had two sons.

 12“The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me ‘ So he divided his wealth between them.

 13“And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.

 14“Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished.

 15“So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

 16“And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.

 17“But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!

 18‘I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight;

 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”‘

 20“So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

 21“And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

 22“But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;

 23and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;

 24for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.

25“Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.

 26“And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be.

 27“And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’

 28“But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him.

 29“But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends;

 30but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’

 31“And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.

 32‘But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’

(Luke 15:11-32)