Every year many Christians dress up and go out trick’or’treating. Many churches even host a Trunk’or’Treat where they get their entire church involved in this event. All in the name of fun and discipleship. But if you have to be the world to the world in order to attract the world, are you still discipling? Winning souls? Spreading the Gospel? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the darkness we welcome in this time of year in his message, Even The Appearance of Evil.
Once a year, many Christians get together and celebrate a holiday whose origins are from pagan traditions. Even though Halloween’s origins are pagan, some Christians believe that if they celebrate it without the same amount of darkness as the world, then that’ll be okay. But is that true? If Christians aren’t supposed to celebrate Halloween, what should we do on Halloween? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he shows us Christian alternatives to the pagan traditions of Halloween in his video, What Should Christians Do On Halloween?
October 31st, Halloween
What Should Christians Do On Halloween?
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
12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
Once a year, many Christians celebrate the holiday Halloween. Many churches have Trunk or Treats as an outreach program aiming to usher in new members. Even though the Church is the Bride of Christ, so many still participate in a day that seems to be nothing but darkness. Their claim for why it’s not a big deal? Because the Devil doesn’t own any days and the Holy Spirit doesn’t take days off; therefore, allowing your child to dress up in harmless costumes and go from door to door collecting candy from friends and neighbors is nothing but a tradition passed down from generation to generation. But what if there’s something more sinister happening in the spiritual realm that we can’t see with our naked eye? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the spiritual tactics of the enemies in his message, World Under Attack Pt. 10: Partaking From Two Tables.
World Under Attack Pt. 10
Partaking From Two Tables
14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18 Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the LORD and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the LORD and the table of demons. 22 Shall we provoke the LORD to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?
In the Christian world, we often talk about spiritual doors. We say that the doors God has opened for us, no one can shut. We cling to the idea that the good things God has for us no one can take away, but many of us don’t like the idea that we ourselves can take away those good things by our own actions. We don’t like the idea of the possibility of opening evil spiritual doors in our lives by participating in things that aren’t of God. Many Christians believe that the occult is just foolishness. That the Devil is just a toothless lion, but the Truth is he is a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Therefore, could participating in darkness, no matter how innocent it may look, cause someone to open a spiritual door for the demonic to enter their lives? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the dangers of careless actions in his video, Can Participating in Halloween Open Spiritual Doors?
1Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
John 10:1; 9
8 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
1 Corinthians 16:8–9
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
Revelation 3:20
1. Communication with spirits 2. Agreement with spirits 3. Passageway in from one place to another 4. A transition or an opportunity (either for the person or for the spiritual being – whether that being is good or evil)
Spiritually Opening Doors to Evil
7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.
Genesis 4:7
Spiritual doors are opened based on what we participate in. If we participate in the things of God, then the spiritual doors to be with God will be opened. If we participate in the things of evil, then the spiritual doors of evil to be with evil will be opened. Participating in occult practices, such as Halloween, opens spiritual doors to the demonic in your life.
During this season, the world seems to get darker and darker. This time of year is when the world celebrates Halloween, All Hallow’s Eve, or Samhain. Many Christians will take part in trick or treating (or Trunk or Treating), dressing up, or decorating their homes in dark and creepy decorations this Halloween. If Halloween is about darkness and horror, what does the Church have to do with it? If it’s just a tradition, is it okay for Christians to celebrate and participate in Halloween, or is it opening spiritual doors? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the Truth behind this gruesome holiday in his message, Halloween, A Tradition or A Door?
1 Samuel 16:14–16 1 Samuel 14:47–48 Matthew 12:28 Matthew 11:12 1 Samuel 14:47b–48 Numbers 31:12 Numbers 31:14–16 1 Thessalonians 5:22 (KJV) 1 Corinthians 8:13 1 Samuel 15:23a
Halloween, A Tradition or A Door?
The Tradition of Halloween (All Hallow’s Eve or Samhain) in the Bible
The origins of Halloween are in the occult, specifically the pagan festival of Samhain. Therefore, why are Christians celebrating this pagan festival? Because if it is pagan, then it isn’t of God. If it isn’t of God, then it is evil. Therefore, why are Christians celebrating and participating in Halloween if it’s evil?
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
John Ramirez’ Five Reasons Christians Shouldn’t Celebrate Halloween:
1. Gives Devil Legal Rights 2. Eternal Mistake 3. Important Satanic Holiday 4. Grieves Holy Spirit 5. Demonically Cursed Candy and Costumes
Opening Spiritual Doors
20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5:20
20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil. 23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:20-23
43 When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.
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.
Pumpkins are a beloved fall fruit. Everything is pumpkin spice for the fall season, even air freshener. Another beloved usage of pumpkins this time of year is carving them into Jack O’ Lanterns. Many Christians carve pumpkins this time of year with Scriptures or images of Jesus or just fun kid things like unicorns or puppies. If Christians aren’t carving pumpkins to be scary Jack’ O Lanterns but instead as a fun family night or a way of witnessing to the world, then is it really the same thing? Is it still wrong to carve pumpkins if it isn’t for Halloween? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he searches through Scripture for the answer to these questions and more in his video, Should Christians Carve Pumpkins?
Jeremiah 13:23 Exodus 32:2–6 John 10 Isaiah 5:20
Should Christians Carve Pumpkins?
The Origin of Jack’ O Lanterns
The legend of Stingy Jack
The Devil heard about Stingy Jack, and one night he went looking for him to see if the stories were true. When Jack saw Satan, he realized that Satan had come to claim his unredeemed soul. So, Jack asked for one final request before Satan took his soul to Hades. His request was to have one last drink of ale at the pub.
Satan, seeing no reason why he shouldn’t, took Jack to the local pub and gave him some drinks. To Satan’s surprise, when the drinks were finished and it came time to pay, Jack asked Satan to pick up the tab. Jack, being the sly cheat he was, talked Satan into turning himself into a silver coin so that they could rip off the pub. Impressed, Satan agreed. Jack then took Satan, who was now a silver coin and put him in his pocket next to a silver crucifix, preventing him from changing back into his original form. Unable to change back, Satan had no choice but to agree to Jack’s demands that he would not bother him for 10 years.
When the 10 years were up, Satan went looking for Jack again. As Satan was preparing to take Jack to Hades, Jack asked for one last apple to eat to satisfy his hunger before his eternal damnation. Once again, Satan obliged and climbed up the apple tree. Jack then quickly carved a crucifix into the trunk of the tree, once again trapping Satan. Unable to go free, Satan once more agreed to Jack’s terms; this time, Satan had to agree that he would never be able to take Jack to Hades.
Eventually, Jack died from alcoholism. As his soul was preparing to enter Heaven through St. Peter’s Gates, God stopped him and would not let him in. His deceit, lies, drunkenness, and wickedness had finally caught up with him, and Jack was unable to enter Heaven. So, Jack, now without an eternal home, went to the Gates of Hades begging to enter, but Satan refused, honoring the promise he had made those many years ago.
Now without a final resting place, Jack was doomed to roam the Earth, becoming a permanent citizen of the Netherworld. Stuck in the darkness of the Spirit Realm, Jack asked Satan how he would be able to see where he was going, as he had no light. So, mockingly, Satan threw him a burning coal to light his way. Going back up to Earth, Jack took a turnip (his favorite food), carved it, and then placed the burning coal inside of it. He began his eternal punishment to endlessly walk the Earth, never finding a resting place. The once Stingy Jack soon became known as “Jack of the Lantern” or “Jack O’ Lantern.”
People In Ireland and Scotland began to make their own versions of Jack’s lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them in windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets are used. Immigrants from these countries brought the Jack O’ Lantern tradition with them when they came to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make the perfect Jack O’ Lanterns.
Carving Pumpkins (Jack O’ Lanterns) Today
The origins of carving pumpkins (Jack O’ Lanterns) is in the occult. In other words, it’s not of God. That which is not of God is evil, and we, Christians, should take no part in it.
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.”
Throughout history, the Devil has set the same trap for us over and over again, only changing his bait to fit the times, and we keep falling for it. He hides the evil in plain sight, knowing that we will overlook it if it is seemingly innocent enough, but Paul tells us that we are not unaware of the Devil’s schemes. He has made the Spirit of Discernment available to us; we need only ask. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he sets us on the path to discernment in his message, Deception Pt. 2: The Devil’s in the Details.
11 And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Ephesians 4:11-16
As a Christian, we aren’t meant to be deceived by the deceitful schemes of the Devil. This is why we are meant to build our faith so that we can see through the lies of the enemy and all of his deception.
Spirit of Discernment
8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
1 Corinthians 12:8-10
The Spirit of Discernment gives us the ability to see through the deceitful schemes of the devil and his followers. We can see through his bait and traps by the Holy Spirit. This helps us to distinguish between the spirits of good and evil.
Throughout the years, movies and tv shows have become darker and darker. Even more so in our children’s movies that are now filled with demons, incantations, conjurings, curses, spells, witchcraft, and more. Is this something that should alarm the Church, or is that just progress because this is the way the culture is going? Is freedom to take part in witchcraft and magic something the Church should back and/or support, or should we make a stand against these changes that causes us to fall spiritually asleep? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he sheds some light on this controversial subject in his message, Deception Pt. 1: Falling Asleep.
Falling Asleep Because of Deception
Warning Against Deception in the Bible
Falling spiritually asleep can be the cause of many Christians’ failure to finish the race set before them. They become lulled asleep by the deception of the World. They bought the lie that because people are trying to shift the culture a certain way for progress. But all of these sins have been outlined in the Bible.
16 Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them; 17 then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the Lord is giving you.
Deuteronomy 11:16-17
24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.
Revelation 18:24
Witchcraft in the Bible
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
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19-21
Necromancy in the Bible
Necromancy is talking or communicating with the dead.
6 If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people. 7 Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 20:6-7
6 If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people. 7 Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God.
Why are we so attracted to darkness? Could it be because we are the light of the world, and we’re meant to go out into the darkness? or is it something much darker drawing us? What about witchcraft? Isn’t there a difference between White Witches and Black Witches? White Magic and Black Magic? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he brings the powerful second part of our series “Oh Be Careful Little Eyes What You See,” exposing the truth behind witchcraft and the occult.
