Redeeming Halloween

Next Saturday people around the world will celebrate Halloween. Christians have responded to this holiday in different ways. Some church-going parents allow their kids to go trick-or-treating not seeing anything wrong with that. Others ignore the day completely as to avoid “every form of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:22) Then there are parents who send their kids to a “Hallelujah party” or some other alternative event. I’ve even heard of believers having “hell houses” (instead of haunted houses) to show people what eternity will be like if they die without knowing the Lord.

Since becoming a Christian in 1991, there were a few Halloween nights when I went out street evangelizing. Another time I attempted to give out tracts instead of candy to kids who showed up at my door. I quickly realized this wasn’t an effective way to reach children for Jesus. I remember trick-or-treating as a kid and would have been disappointed if an adult offered me a tract without any candy.

Six years ago a friend of mine planned to hand out bags of candy along with mini-Bibles but had a prior commitment. We prayed about what to do and a creative idea came to us. I volunteered to take her place dressed up as Jesus. I grew a beard for the occasion and wore a white toga plus fake blood marking the spots where the Roman spikes went into the Lord’s hands and feet. In front of the house, I placed a lighted pumpkin with a cross carved in it and also had a replica of the Ten Commandments instead of a tombstone.

Trick-or-treaters started showing up around 6:45 p.m. I offered bonus snacks to kids who could tell me who I was supposed to be. Many of them didn’t know. To my surprise, a lot of them didn’t know who Jesus was. It was mostly a night of seed planting since the kids were in a hurry to get to the next house. Fortunately, one girl prayed with me to get saved after she stopped to feel one of my fake wounds. Later two more salvations occurred...teenagers who were with two younger kids. Another young man asked me if it's wrong to celebrate Halloween. I replied, “There's a better way to do it.” That’s to glorify not the dead but the God of the Living.

Sharing the gospel with trick-or-treaters is a way of doing “door-to-door evangelism” without leaving your own house. Ask the Lord what He may want you to do this Saturday night.

“redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” - Ephesians 5:16

Hiding Behind Masks

Many people like to wear masks on Halloween. Often these same folks continue wearing masks as they go through life. They put their “happy face” on claiming everything is going great while deep inside they are full of despair, disappointment, and depression. If that is you, there is hope. God loves you and has an awesome plan for your life.

Some people avoid Christianity because of church-going people wearing religious masks. You might have said to yourself, “I don’t want to hang around a bunch of hypocrites.” It’s unfortunate not every professing Christian is a doer of God’s word. Still, when you stand before the Lord Jesus Christ, He won’t examine other people’s lives…only your own.

Many people hide behind a mask of good works even though Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Think of all the times you have lied, stolen, and disobeyed your parents. Those acts are offensive to God just as murder, rape, and other sexual sins like adultery and fornication.

You could put on a Bart Simpson mask and say, “I didn't do it. Nobody saw me do it. You can't prove anything!” Numbers 32:23 warns, “…you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out.” Jesus said in Luke 12:2-3, “For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.  Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.” Every secret thing done has three witnesses: the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Changing your appearance won’t help you be in right standing with God. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Often I hear sinners say, “God knows my heart.” What they don’t realize is the human heart “is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” (Jeremiah 17:9) 

Satan is the ultimate masquerader. He has disguised himself through animals like the serpent in Genesis 3. He influences criminals to put on masks to rob banks and other businesses. Someday in the not-too-distant future, the devil will enter into a politician who will deceive people into worshipping him. The Antichrist will initially come across as a man of peace but later transform into a ruthless dictator.

The good news is you don’t have to succumb to that deception. All your sins can be totally erased if “…your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3) To receive the free gift of eternal life and reserve a place in heaven, you need to take off the masks you’ve been wearing and get real with God. Ask Jesus Christ to become your Lord and Savior today!

“And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” - Hebrews 4:13