Every year candy companies create special packaging, marketing, and products just for Halloween. It’s a spooktacular time. Many people think this is just good business, but what if there is something more to the Halloween candy we’re indulging in every year? What if there is something sinister behind Halloween candy? Could it be food sacrificed to idols? Join ArieRashelle as she shines a light in the darkness, searching for Truth in her video, Should Christians Buy Halloween Candy?
Matthew 4:8-9 Matthew 16:26 Revelation 2:14 Revelation 2:20 Acts 15:28-29 1 Peter 5:8
Should Christians Buy Halloween Candy?
Food Sacrificed to Idols
For some reason, we, the Church, overlook the possibility of eating food sacrificed to idols. In fact, we like to pretend like that isn’t for us, but look at what the Scriptures say about it.
Warnings Against Eating Food Sacrificed to Idols
The Church at Pergamum
14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.
Revelation 2:14
The Church at Thyatira
20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
Revelation 2:20
Warning to the Church at Antioch
28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.
In the first two parts, we discussed that other gods are real as well as what those other gods are, the Host of Heaven. But does that mean that only the Host of Heaven are the gods? Are any other beings the gods? When Moses and the Israelites left Egypt, they were warned of worshiping the gods of the people in Canaan. What were they worshiping? Who were the gods of Canaan? Are the gods also demons? Join ArieRashelle as she searches through Scripture to find the answer to these questions and more in her video, The gods Pt. 3: Demons.
15 But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek; then he forsook God who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation. 16 They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations they provoked him to anger. 17 They sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never known, to new gods that had come recently, whom your fathers had never dreaded. 18 You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you, and you forgot the God who gave you birth.
Deuteronomy 32:15-18
According to God, demons are not gods. They are strange ‘gods’ that came recently, gods that the Israelites’ ancestors never knew.
How Demons Were Worshiped
37 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; 38 they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood. 39 Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the whore in their deeds.
Psalms 106:37-39
25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it.” 26 And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made. 27 And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” 28 And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them.
As Christians, we are to abstain from the very appearance of evil, but how do we know if something is evil? Aren’t we called to go out into the world? Aren’t we told to do as the Romans do when in Rome? So, once a year on Halloween, can’t Christians Trunk or Treat? It’s not like we’re really trick or treating. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he searches through Scripture to answer these questions and more in his video, Can Christians Trunk or Treat?
Proverbs 18:13 Exodus 32:4–6 Matthew 23:25 Matthew 23:27–28 Proverbs 8:36b 1 Thessalonians 5:22 1 Corinthians 10:31 Colossians 3:17 1 Peter 4:11 2 Corinthians 6:14b–16a Ecclesiastes 5:1 Proverbs 14:12
Can Christians Trunk or Treat?
Trunk or Treat
Trunk or Treat is just the Christian way of saying Trick or Treat. It’s so that our children don’t feel left out while all of their friends get to go trick or treating. We then try to make it Christian and change the name so that no one can say anything, but God still sees this as it is. It’s still sin.
14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, 18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”
2 Corinthians 6:14-18
Our Story
While in Lakeland, Florida, we did host a Trunk or Treat event, with the Pastor’s blessing and participation in 2012. We provided food. Handed out candy. Did face painting. We only played Christian music. We even had a trunk specifically about Jesus. With all of that said, there were still no converts. No one got saved. No one found Jesus. We were simply falling into the lie that you can mix paganism with Christianity as long as you make it look Christian enough.
We fell into the lie again when we moved to Tennessee in 2015. The problem was we allowed ourselves to give into a form of peer pressure, if you will. We didn’t want to come across as that rude, anti-social house. So, we gave out candy. We once again mixed paganism with Christianity. We’ll tell them happy Thanksgiving instead of Happy Halloween. We’ll build relationships with our neighbors so we can witness to them. Once again, no one saw Jesus. The only change was in our home when an evil spirit entered in 2017, which we talk about more in our video Can Christians Celebrate Halloween?
When we mix the righteous with the unrighteous, like Christians and Trunk or Treat, we are giving in to the Spirit of Belial. The Spirit of Belial is the King of The Religious Spirits. He will help you justify any sin that you want to partake in, and sooner or later, you will believe the lie that you have told yourself.
In today’s society, we love to be scared. To get our adrenaline pumping. Heart racing. We love Fear. Why? Why has fear become a drug in our society? And it’s not just the world either; it’s the Church. We, as the Church, love this drug as well. We love to be with the rest of society indulging in the drug, but does this help build up the Temple of God? Should Christians watch Horror/Scary movies? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he brings the first message of our new message series titled, ‘Oh Be Careful Little Eyes What You See.’
2 Timothy 1:7 Psalm 101:2–4 Matthew 6:22–23 Proverbs 23:7KJV 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 John 15:4, 7-8 Philippians 4:8–9 Matthew 6:33 2 Corinthians 10:4–6
More Information on Christians and Horror/Scary Movies?
According to a study done by Psychology Today in 2008,
‘And anxiety has been increasing. The average high school kid has the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the early 1950’s. We are getting more anxious every decade. Psychologists have speculated about the possible reasons for this increase in both anxiety and depression over the last fifty years.’
Psychology Today
The average high school kid in 2008 had the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the early 1950’s, and according to Psychology Today anxiety gets worse every decade. It’s now been over a decade since this study in 2008. So, how much more has our society become anxious? Why is anxiety rising at such a rampant speed in our society?
Could it be that we made a partnership with fear in the 60s when we introduced Creature Features? We no longer had to leave our homes to see horror films, we could turn on our television and tune in to watch classic horror films throughout the decades starting with the 30s. We no longer went to the movies, watched the film, and then returned to our home; instead we brought the horror films home with us.
The very definition of horror films should cause Christians to question their participation. According to Wikipedia,
“A horror film is one that seeks to elicit fear in its audience, for entertainment purposes… Horror films often aim to evoke viewers’ nightmares, fears, revulsions and terror of the unknown. Plots within the horror genre often involve the intrusion of an evil force, event, or personage into the everyday world.”
Wikipedia horror film definition
To elicit: To call forth, draw out, or provoke.
To evoke: To call forth or up.
I want you to keep in mind that fear IS a real entity. It is NOT just a feeling. The bible attributes fear to an actual real-life living spirit, but as Christians, we hold to the promise of 2 Timothy 1:7, “7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” So, as Christians, why do we try to evoke and elicit a spirit of fear into our lives by watching these horror films? Matthew 6:22-23, “22 The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” If you continuously fill your eyes with darkness and fear, will that not cause your whole body to be dark? And if your whole body is dark, how can you be the Temple of the Living God?
Movies like The Conjuring, Annabelle, Chucky, Dead Silence, Poltergeist have become beloved favorites of Horror Movie lovers. These demon-possessed creepy dolls and inanimate objects (like the box in The Conjuring) send shiver’s down the spines of viewers, satisfying a craving for a good adrenaline rush. These movies alone, have inspired several sequels and spin-offs, bringing in revenue of over a billion dollars.
After watching these Horror Movies, like Annabelle, Chucky, and The Conjuring, the majority of people calm their fears and anxieties by telling themselves that demon-possessed dolls are not real. But is this true? Or are demon-possessed dolls real?
As Christians, our first and foremost source of beliefs should come directly from The Word of God. This now begs the question, “What does The Bible say about demon-possessed dolls or inanimate objects?” Join ArieRashelle as she searches through the Scripture to find the answer to this question.
True Stories of Demon-Possessed Dolls and Inanimate Objects
Demon-Possessed Dolls: Annabelle
Annabelle is arguably the most infamous of the [true story] demon-possessed dolls. Contrary to the creepy doll used in the movie, the actual Annabelle doll was a Raggedy Ann Doll given as a birthday gift for a 28-year-old nursing student by her mother in 1970. What started as the doll seeming to simply shift positions by itself, quickly turned into the doll physically moving to random places throughout the home that she shared with her two room-mates. She would even find Annabelle on the bed of her closed bedroom when she left it on the couch.
Apparently, strange messages were left around the apartment after Annabelle was brought home, according to the different accounts of those in the home. All the notes were hand-written (in what seemed like a child’s handwriting) on parchment paper that didn’t belong to anyone in the home, and all seemed to be cries for help. Written on the notes were things like “Help Us.”
Their Reaction
The roommates went to a Medium after the doll was found on the owner’s bed with what looked like blood on her chest and the back of her hand. The Medium revealed to the roommates that a seven-year-old’s spirit was in the doll’s body. After finding this out, the spirit said that it felt comforted and safe around them and asked if it could stay. Moved by the spirits story and seemingly innocent connection to them, they agreed to allow the spirit it could stay.
Annabelle apparently attacked one of the roommates in two instances. Once, the roommate woke up to find Annabelle at his feet, and then she began to choke him. The very next day, the man was home alone and heard odd noises coming from the bedroom. So, he went to investigate but found no one in the room except for the Annabelle doll. He then proceeded to search for any sign of forced entry but found nothing. As he went to inspect the doll, he got the chilling feeling that someone was behind him. Spinning around, he saw no one there. Then suddenly, he found himself grabbing for his chest and doubled over in pain. He had been cut by an unseen entity and he was now bleeding.
Where Is Annabelle Now?
Annabelle has since been removed from the home, and now resides in a custom-made glass case, spiritually bound by a Catholic Priest’s binding prayer, in the Warren Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut. The doll has since seemed to stop moving around and has chosen to stay put, as the owners did not cast the demonic entity out of the doll. Because the demon was not cast out of the doll, Ed and Lorraine Warren have forbidden anyone from ever opening the glass case or touching the doll.
Demon-Possessed Dolls: Robert
The grandfather of Robert Eugene Otto bought his grandson, Robert (nicknamed Gene), a doll for his birthday from Germany in 1904. The Robert the Doll is a one-of-a-kind, handmade doll, seeming to be made in the likeness of his original owner, by the Steiff Company of Germany in 1904.
Gene would wake up in the middle of the night, screaming as a crash was heard. When his parents entered, it was always the same response, “Robert did it. It was Robert.” Gene reportedly blamed any misbehavior on Robert the Doll. It’s even reported that when Gene would speak to Robert, Robert would respond. Throughout the home, maniacal giggles could be heard coming from the doll.
Gene died in 1974, and his home, with Robert still there, was sold. These new owners reportedly heard footsteps coming from the attic room above them where Robert resided. Once, it’s reported that a plumber heard giggling behind him. When he turned, he found Robert had moved across the room on his own.
Malcolm Ross a Solares Hill Reporter’s Recount of Visiting Robert The Doll:
Malcolm Ross visited Robert and said:
“It was like a metal bar running down my back. At first, when we walked through the door, the look on his face was like a little boy being punished. It was as if he was asking himself, ‘Who are these people in my room and what are they going to do to me?’
When Malcolm Ross was told Robert’s back-story and the children’s furniture was pointed out to him, Malcolm noticed a change in the doll’s expression as if he was following the conversation. Robert’s expression changed once again when one of the men with there made a comment that Gene Otto must have been an old fool. Robert’s expression was now one of disdain.
“There was some kind of intelligence there. The doll was listening to us.”
From haunted houses to horror movies, we, as a people, have become obsessed with the supernatural, specifically possession. We see girls’ heads turn all the way around, people levitate, get telekinetic abilities all because of demon-possession, but are any of that even real? Is demon-possession real at all? Does the Bible validate the notion of people being possessed by demons and levitating or their head spinning all the way around?
If demon-possession is real, what does it look like? If we haven’t experienced something for ourselves, oftentimes, we find ourselves relying on what we’ve seen and what we’ve heard to understand a subject, even if the source is fiction. We see the words ‘based on a true story,’ and we automatically assume that every portrayal in that movie (or book) is accurate, but is that true? Is demon-possession just like in the movies?
What about Christians? If demon-possession is real, can Christians be demon-possessed? How can God live in us if we are possessed by an evil spirit? The two just seem to contradict. God can’t be where evil is. Right? Join ArieRashelle as she searches through Scripture to answer these questions and more.
Luke 13:10-13 Mark 9:17-29 Matthew 11:4-6 John 9:1-7 John 5:2-9 1 Kings 18:28 Job 2:7-10 Genesis 12 Genesis 20 Mark 5:1-15 Acts 19:11-16 Acts 16:16-19 1 Samuel 28:8-14 Luke 13:16 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 Colossians 2:13-15 Isaiah 53:5-6
Demon-Possession: The Spirit of Infirmity
14 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” 16 while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven.
Luke 11:14-16
32 As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. 33 And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” 34 But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”
Matthew 9:32-34
21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22 And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”
25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And at once His fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
Mark 1:21-28
Non-Demonic Infirmity
25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.
30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
Mark 5:25-34
46 And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.”
50 And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.
Mark 10:46-52
40 And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 45 But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.
Mark 1:40-45
1 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
Mark 2:1-11
27 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” 28 When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” 31 But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.
Matthew 9:27-31
Demon-Possession: Cutting and Self-Mutilation
1You are the sons of the Lord your God. You shall not cut yourselves or make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead. 2 For you are a people holy to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
Deuteronomy 14:1-2
28 You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord.
Leviticus 19:28
Demon-Possession: Violent and Supernatural Strength
9 Then a harmful spirit from the Lord came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing the lyre. 10 And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.
1 Samuel 19:9-10
22 Abimelech ruled over Israel three years. 23 And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, 24 that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. 25 And the leaders of Shechem put men in ambush against him on the mountaintops, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way. And it was told to Abimelech.
Judges 9:22-26
Demon-Possession: The Spirit of The Occult
1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem will I put my name.”
5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. 6 And he burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. 7 And the carved image of Asherah that he had made he set in the house of which the Lord said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever.
2 Kings 21:1-7
9 When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer 11 or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, 12 for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.
Deuteronomy 18:9-12
16 And they abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made for themselves metal images of two calves; and they made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. 17 And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. 18 Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah only.
2 Kings 17:16-18
4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. 5 I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me. 6 So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.
7 Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation. 8 At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods—and I told him the dream, saying, 9 “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation.”
Daniel 4:4-9
Explanation:
Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, had a dream that troubled him deeply, so he went to his magicians and his enchanters, all those who were demon-possessed or filled by a Spirit of The Occult, but none of them could tell him his dream. Because of this, he had to go to Daniel because he knew that the Spirit of God rested upon and Daniel. So, if no one else could determine the meaning of the dream, he knew Daniel could because he knew Daniel’s God could.
During the time of Moses, Pharaoh also had demon-possessed men who were magicians able to imitate some of the works of God that Moses did. Exodus 7:10-12, “10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. 12 For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.”
Christians and Demon-Possession and Demonic Legalism
There is a Christian who used to dabble in the occult, but then she found Jesus and accepted His Salvation. She even was filled with the Holy Spirit, but the demonic realm still had a legal tie over her life because she didn’t cast out that demon. Here’s her story.
1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. 4 And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.”
5 And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by. 6 And the angel of the Lord solemnly assured Joshua, 7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here.”
Zechariah 3:1-7
Explanation:
This has to occur before the Final Judgment because Joshua has not yet been changed into his immortal, pure, perfect body. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:51-53). So, this has to before The Final Judgment, and yet, Satan, the Accuser, is accusing a Christian in the Courts of Heaven.
Satan The Accuser:
Satan is constantly accusing the Church, if all ties are broken the moment that you accept Salvation what is he accusing you of? 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.” (Revelation 12:10)
Peter’s Warning To The Church:
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8-11)
Healing Is The Children’s Bread:
26 And He answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” (Matthew 15:26)
24 He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24)
“If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer a male without defect. He must present it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord. He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. He is to slaughter the young bull before the Lord, and then Aaron’s sons the priests shall bring the blood and sprinkle it against the altar on all sides at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.” ~ Leviticus 1:3-5
God is giving Moses detailed instructions on how to present atonement offerings. When we read this, we don’t normally imagine what is actually going on. We think that the worshiper brings the animal, gives it to the priest who slaughters it, and presents the blood on his behalf. Then the worshiper goes away nice and clean and forgiven. But nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is the worshiper himself has to present the offering, lay his hands on the animal’s head, then with his own hand, cut the throat of the animal with all the gory details – blood everywhere, on his hands, his clothes, etc.
He sees first hand the cost of sinful disobedience, the bloody mess we are spared. What I’m getting at is, it would not be as easy after experiencing all of that to continue in a luke-warm situation and use the worn-out excuse: “God understands.” For Jesus, who purchased our salvation, was a bloody mess, beaten almost unrecognizable for our salvation, peace, and healing. Let us, therefore, fight the good fight of faith, pressing on toward the prize wholeheartedly and without excuse or apology. Put on your full Armor of God and prepare yourselves daily for the Spiritual Warfare that is before you. Be confident in your stance for Jesus and all that He stood for.
Heavenly Father, grant us the boldness and the confidence to proclaim Your Word, that others may see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven. In Jesus’ name, I pray amen.
When we worship, the Spirit of the LORD enters in, and where the Spirit of the LORD is, there is freedom. Jesus didn’t abandon us here to be alone. Instead, He sent The Holy Spirit to dwell inside of us and guide us. He left us blueprints on how to win every battle that we have to face in life. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he shares our most important weapon against our enemies in his message, Demons Flee When We Worship.
Matthew 4:8-11 Isaiah 6:3b-4 Acts 16:25–34 Psalms 44:5 Psalms 42:8 1 Samuel 15:9 1 Samuel 15:15 1 Samuel 16:14 1 Samuel 16:15-23 Acts 27:23 2 Corinthians 4:16–18 2 Corinthians 11:23b–28 Psalms 44:5
Demons Flee When We Worship
The Holy Spirit of The LORD
3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel (His people).
Psalms 22:3
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
2 Corinthians 3:17
The LORD dwells in the praises of His people. So when we worship the LORD comes down to meet us and dwells in our worship. And where the Spirit of the LORD is, there is freedom and demons must flee.
The Power of Worship
31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, God listens to him.
John 9:31
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2
Jesus didn’t abandon us, He sent His Spirit. So that when we worship, we might enter into His presence and overcome all that comes against us.
According to the Bible, the ancient Israelites continuously fell prey to the worship of Baal and Asherah (Ashtaroth). They did many abominations in the eyes of the LORD, but have we thousands of years later done the same? Do we know what our enemy looks like? Can we spot them in a crowd? Or are they able to blend in, going unnoticed and unopposed? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the spiritual and physical presence of two notorious spirits from the days the judges that are still present in our world today in the final message of his three-part series, Recognizing the Enemy Pt. 3: Baal and Asherah.
Jeremiah 7:8-10 1 Kings 18:26-28 2 Peter 2:1-3
The Baal Arch
London, England April 19-21, 2016 The UN’s General Assembly calls International Mother Earth Day, and just before the Beltane celebration
City Hall Park, New York September 2016 The UN General Assembly celebration
Florence, Italy In March of 2017 and stayed until April 2017 The first ever G7 Cultural Summit, G7 and not G8 since Russia was dropped. The culture ministers from the US, Germany, Japan, France, UK, Italy, and Canada were all in attendance.
The National Mall in Washington DC In September of 2018 The UN General Assembly.
Baal Arch erected in LondonPossible Asherah (Ashtaroth) Pole Possible Asherah (Ashtaroth) Pole
Baal Arch erected in Washington DC Possible Asherah (Ashtaroth) Pole
Baal Arch erected in New York city Possible Asherah (Ashtaroth) Pole
Baal and Asherah in the Bible
Who is Baal?
Baal in the Bible is a god that blatantly tries to merge himself with Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
16 And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’ 17 For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more.
Hosea 2:16-17
The people of Israel were mixing Yahweh, the one True God, The Great I Am, with the false god, Baal. Going as far as to even call Yahweh, ‘My Baal.’
Who is Asherah?
When the worship of Asherah or Ashtaroth is mentioned in the Bible, it is in connection to the Asherim.
25 That night the Lord said to him, ‘Take your father’s bull, and the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it 26 and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order. Then take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah that you shall cut down.’ 27 So Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had told him. But because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night.
Judges 6:25-32
They would carve a wooden pole and then proceed to either place in the Temple of Baal, on the rooftops, or near the houses somewhere. Now when it comes to Baal, we see that a pillar or an arch represents Baal. And the interesting thing about this is that Ashtaroth is female, while Baal is male. It would make more sense for Baal to be represented by the pole or pillar and Ashtaroth represented by the arch. Could this tie into the sexual immorality that was a part of the worship of both Baal and Ashtaroth?
For more on Baal and Asherah and their description in the Bible, check out our video on the notorious duo.
Throughout the Old Testament, we see the Israelites succumb to the worship of both Baal and Asherah. They followed in the footsteps of the people that God drove out before them. Thousands of years later, in today’s society, are we doing the same thing? Have we fallen prey to this evil duo’s tricks, not even realizing that we are worshiping these ancient spirits? Join ArieRashelle as she dissects the Bible to find any similarities between the ancient practices of Baal worshipers and today’s culture in our video, Baal and Asherah.
Baal and Asherah were two giant stumbling blocks for the people of Israel. All through the Old Testament, the people of Israel fell into Baal and Asherah worship, and it is no different for us today. We may not sacrifice our children on altars for everyone to see; instead, we sacrifice them behind closed doors at a doctor’s office and call it healthcare and freedom. Ever wonder why if you try to fight for the rights of the unborn, you are accused of ‘starting a war on women’?
America has fallen into the same traps that the people of Israel did thousands of years ago. Spirits never die; they just evolve with culture. We no longer call out to Baal as we slice our arms hoping he will respond; instead, we do it behind closed doors so that we can ease the pain. We’ve bought the lie that if we cut ourselves, we are numbing the pain. All we’re doing is causing ourselves more pain, both mental and physical.
Now What?
The only thing that can save us now is prayer and fasting. We have to break down the strongholds that hold our nation. We have to pull down the veil that these spirits have blinded our people with.
14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
