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Amen the title the sermon tonight is Christians should avoid Halloween Christians should avoid Halloween let's have a word of prayer Heavenly Father. We just thank you Lord for the scriptures Lord that are so clear to us Lord I pray that your scriptures would pierce and Do the work that it's supposed to do Lord in the congregation and Lord anybody hearing this sermon would have no doubt the Christians should avoid Halloween At all costs in Jesus name Amen Alright, so Anton LaVey anybody have heard of Anton LaVey he was the founder of the Church of Satan. He said this I'm glad that Christian parents let their children worship the devil at least one night out of the year Welcome to Halloween He said that and so what's he saying that that's a devil's holiday, okay? I'm glad that Christian parents let their kids at least worship the devil one day out of the year Right that to me is just a sobering statement right out of the gate I think that you know that Halloween is a very wicked holiday. I think Christians should avoid it I think Christians should avoid it at all costs and teach your children to avoid it This kind of goes along with the sermon this morning You know about raising your children and training them up in the way of the Lord You know if your kids see you compromising on this issue It could have a long-lasting effect in their life you think about the Kings in the Old Testament How one of them would cert would not serve bail, but they would dabble and let the high places still be there and then their kids would grow up and be devil worshippers or maybe they worship the devil and they did all these wicked things and Then they got right, but their kids still turned out wrong and they started serving bail and worshipping the devil and witchcraft and Let's focus in here on verse 14 of 2nd Corinthians 6 it says be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness What communion hath light with darkness and Halloween is a dark holiday? When are you supposed to go out trick-or-treating when it gets dark? you know and the Bible has a lot to say about the unfruitful works of darkness and You know what winter think when did the harlots come out at dark when did the drunkards get drunk in the night? You know when you know the night Jesus said that this is the power of darkness when Judas betrayed him in The Garden of Gethsemane when did Judas betrayed Jesus at dark when nobody else was watching you know the darkness You know we're supposed to be children of the light not of the darkness now look at verse 15 It says and what Concord hath Christ with Belial? What does Christ have to do with the devil? What does he answer that question nothing nothing? He has nothing to do with him and who's Belial Belial is the devil all right? It says or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel We should have no part with the unbelievers when it comes to any spiritual type things any business practices things like that So why would we celebrate a holiday that is totally pagan? Totally wicked and flat-out is a devil demonic holiday Why would we have anything to do with that look at verse 16 it says of what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? What's the answer to that question nothing God hates idolatry, but what do you see in the in the Halloween? Holiday idolatry everywhere people carving pumpkins and evil faces and pumpkins right that's what you see So do you think a Baptist preacher came up with that practice? Do you think it was a Christian church that had that practice of carving wicked faces in the pumpkins? No, God says you're not supposed to carve any graven images So that is idolatry It says let's see where am I at verse 16 for ye are the temple of the living God as? God has said I will dwell on them and walk in them, and I will be their God and they shall be my people wherefore for this reason Come out from among them and be he separate sayeth the Lord and touch not the unclean thing Is it unclean unclean thing to to? Participate in Halloween. I think it is You know and and kids just think oh, it's just fun and this and this and that I'll tell you what Halloween scares the hell out of kids It scares them why because everything is monsters and demons and things like that Which is do your kids get scared when they go into a department store, and they see all these demonic things in the store Yeah, you can't avoid it It's like almost like you have to take a 30 days off From taking your children to the store because you can't go anywhere without seeing all this garbage all over the place You know it's like to shove down everybody's throat And you know I know people that have taken you know our kids when they were growing up They were afraid of things like that You know the scary commercials that come on TV and make them run and hide I mean look It's wicked friend your kids shouldn't be scared to see something when they walk when they walk somewhere in public They shouldn't be scared you know and it just people get this weird attitude This time of year that it's just fun to scare people. It's fun to scare children I was hearing a story the other night about some people in our church and some guy just jumped out and scared their kids like Weird that is weird a weird thing to do to just jump out to a total strangers kids and try to scare them and make Them afraid, but that's the spirit of Halloween is to try to make people afraid Look and bobbing for apples and stuff like that It's gross It's unsanitary It's a heathen practice I mean you're sticking your face and your slobbery mouth and your runny nose into water that other people put their slobbery faces and runny noses in It's gross Who's ever bobbed for apples be honest? Yeah? Yeah, it's gross But you don't think about that you just think about winning But it's a heathen practice folks it really is and God says wherefore come out from among them and be Separate sayeth the Lord we're supposed to be separate from the world we're supposed to be separate from pagan practices We're supposed to be separate from idolatry from wickedness and and representations of devils How weird is it that God's people get sucked into doing Halloween? Well, there's a lot of peer pressure that comes along with it. I understand that some families. Just think it's no big deal Why can't you just let your kids carve a pumpkin? What's wrong with you? You're just extreme God's extreme God says not to do it. You know who are you? You're not even saying that I mean people get advice and get and cave into people that aren't even saved That's strange to me You know, but it is a real thing peer pressure is legit It is real people want to try to fit in with wherever they are That's why the Bible says come out from among them and be separate because God knows you can't hang around people That are doing those things and not get caught up into it That's why he says you got to separate yourself from it. Just get away from it It says and taught and sayeth the Lord, you know, it says it doesn't say sayeth Paul It says be separate saith the Lord God's saying to be separate God's saying not to do it It says in touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you I will and will be a father unto you and he shall be my sons and daughters sayeth the Lord Almighty now I'm not sure how much of the lore of Halloween is real how much of it's true But what I do know is what I've seen growing up I know what I see today and so it kind of matches up with some of the history That you find and I don't think there's a hundred percent accuracy I think Halloween stuffs been around for thousands of years. It didn't start with the Celts It started back when people started serving devils and started making images and graven images because look It's all tied together It's all tied together So I was gonna read some articles I'm gonna read a few things here, but nothing nothing big people think it started, you know, the the festival of Halloween started in Ireland or whatever, but here's some things that people do on Halloween. They do trick-or-treating that's where you dress up and You know knock on someone's door. That's a total stranger and ask them for candy trick-or-treat Give me a treat or I'm gonna pull a trick on you I mean, that's kind of how it started if you didn't give them candy or give them something then they mess with your property I mean, that's kind of a wicked thing to do to just go up and someone mess with someone else's stuff, right? also costume parties carving pumpkins lighting bonfires Apple Bobby and I already covered that it's pretty gross Divination Games where you're trying to tell the future or see into the liver or you know divine some kind of futuristic thing Playing pranks visiting haunted attractions, you know, look I don't believe in haunted houses Okay, it's all a bunch of garbage. Like anytime you ever see like something on Some you know, they almost always see a ghost. Well, you kind of almost saw some kind look it's garbage friends There's no such thing as haunted houses I believe the devil's exist and I believe that they trick people into thinking that that You know, they are ghosts there. Well, I mean their ghosts are spirits. They're wicked evil spirits, though So and then telling scary stories watching horror films That's some of the things that people like to do around this time of year. Do you want your children watching horror films? Do you want them watching Movies like child's play and Friday the 13th and nightmare on Elm Street I mean, come on, you shouldn't be what letting your kids watch that garbage and you shouldn't be watching it either quite frankly Christians historically abstained from meat on all Hallows Eve so see Christians tried to turn it into a Christian holiday, right and You know, they call it all Hallows Eve and it was like three days of you know They just try to mix something pagan in With some kind of you know Catholic mumbo-jumbo No Catholics are pagans, too. So they're not you know, they're not any better than these guys, right? So but throughout Ireland and Britain the household festivities included rituals and games intended to foretell one's future Especially regarding death and marriage apples and nuts were often used in these divination rituals They included bobbing apples Not roasting scrying or mirror gazing pouring molten lead or egg whites into water dream interpretation and others special bonfires were lit and there were Rituals involving them their flames smoke and ashes were deemed to have protective cleansing powers And were also used for divination in some places torches lit From the bonfire were carried sun-wise around homes and fields to protect them It is suggested that the flame the fires were a kind of imitative or sympathetic magic they mimic the Sun helping the powers of growth and holding back the decay and Darkness of winter in Scotland these bonfires and divination games were banned by the church elders and some parishes in Wales bonfires were lit to prevent souls of the dead from falling to earth later these bonfires served to keep away the devil Okay, so that's kind of some of the stuff where it kind of started was in that area I mean, but again I believe that this kind of garbage has been going on for thousands of years you read about it all over in the Bible witchcraft sorcery Divination all this other stuff is mentioned even as far as the Bible is as far as Moses books It's mentioned right away, so it's already taking place it probably took place during the years before the flood It's the devil. It's his thing and it's the power of darkness turn to 2nd chronicles chapter 33 2nd chronicles chapter 33 Halloween is directly tied to Satanism and Witchcraft and worshipping of false gods 2nd chronicles 33 verse number 1 Bible says Manasseh was 12 years old when he began to reign and reign fifty and five years in Jerusalem But did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord like unto the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out Before the children of Israel for he built again the high places Which has the chi his father had broken down and he reared up altars for Balaam So he built high the high places he reared up altars for Balaam who is Balaam in the in the Bible he's the devil and made groves and worshiped all the hosts of heaven and served them and He built altars in the house of the Lord Whereof the Lord had said that Jerusalem shall my name be forever So he literally built altars inside God's house So he was an evil person Says that he built altars for all the hosts of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom and he observed times and he used enchantments and used witchcraft and dealt with Familiar spirit and with Wizards he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger So you see that he was involved in all the stuff that you see in Halloween All that stuff used witchcraft dealt with the familiar spirit. He was then hung out with the Wizards You know, we're not talking about the basketball team in Washington We're talking about wizards that did witchcraft that did evil wicked things, right? He observed times He worshiped the host of heaven. So he worshiped, you know stars and angels and whatever He was a wicked person says and he set a carved image The idol which he had made in the house of God of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son in This house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel. Well, I put my name forever so we see that satanic worship and Idolatry and witchcraft all are tied together in one package. It's not just some Separate thing that's totally innocent. It's just like, you know, oh, it's just fun. You know, it's not fun It might okay. It might be fun, but it doesn't mean it's right Some of it to pee some people is fun the getting candy and the dressing up and stuff like that But look if God says to stay away from me, you should stay away from it turn to Ephesians chapter 5 Ephesians chapter 5 Ephesians 5 verse 6 the Bible says Let no man deceive you with vain words for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience Be not ye therefore partakers with them So what partakers in what way? partakers and the things that they're involved in partakers with the children of disobedience As says for in verse 8 for you are sometimes darkness But now are you light in the Lord walk as children of light? So let me ask you this question If you're supposed to walk as children of light, why would you be walking with children of darkness? You know, I mean that's what God's trying to say That's why I picked those scriptures because God's drawing a really strong contrast between the two look. This is wicked This is right and they're way far worlds apart from each other and God wants us to understand You know, what is the right thing for a children for children of light to be doing verse 9? It says for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness But rather reprove them are we supposed to be hanging out with them. Are we supposed to be reproving it? This is have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. We're supposed to read. Hey, that's wicked There's nothing wrong with getting up and saying how we Halloween is wicked That's what that's how our mentality that we should have about it that it's wicked. God hates it God's not pleased with it and you can look you can try to you know Put a put a you know jewel in that snouts nose or whatever you want to do But it's not gonna make it right you can say oh, it's just fun for the kids So you want to teach your kids how to serve the devil is that what you're saying? It's just fun for the kids hey if it's fun as long as it's fun for the kids that you know it's just okay That's a stupid way to look at things it really is It says verse 10 proving. What is acceptable unto the Lord What's acceptable that you reprove the unfruitful works of darkness? That you stay away from them that you come out from among them and be separate It says and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness rather reprove them for it's a shame To speak of those things which are done of them in secret. What's being done in secret? Look if you think Halloween is just about getting candy and having your kids dress up in funny costumes or whatever That's not all it's about Why do you think Anton LaVey said that? Because he knows what it really was like he knows what it really is. It's people worshiping the devil There are people that worship the devil that do things on Halloween specific things And you know it says don't speak of those things which are done of them seek in secret So I'm not going to speak of those things But people in here know adults know what people that serve the devil and worship the devil do in secret They're not things that are good. They're things that are wicked and evil So why would we partake in some even pretend or cut or you know just be caught in the same? Thing as someone that's a child of darkness. Why would you even mix yourself into that company? It says in verse 13, but all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light for whatsoever That make manifest is light wherefore he saith awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ Will give thee light or shall give thee light See then that you walk circumspectly not as fools, but as wise redeeming the time because the days are evil Wherefore be not unwise But understanding what the will of the Lord is what's the will of the Lord concerning Halloween? That you separate you don't participate in it. It's real simple now God doesn't want you to be participating in something. That's openly worshiping the devil I Mean it's really shouldn't be that hard for us to understand and maybe I'm preaching to the choir here But I don't know where people are at maybe somebody already has Halloween plans, and they're just hiding it from everybody. I Don't know Why I preach something like this every year because it needs to be preached because Christians are Participating in it That's why God even says this in the first place. He said Separate yourself from this don't walk with the children of darkness walk with the children of light Do the things that the children of the light do what do we do we? Preach and listen to the Bible or you know read the Bible listen about we probably listen to it, too But you know the things of God is the things we should be involved in not the things of darkness Ephesians turn to 1st Corinthians 10 21 Ephesians 427 says neither give place to the devil Don't give any place to the devil. What do you mean? Don't give place to the devil in your life? You know so you know carving pumpkins in secret Well, nobody else is looking You know you're giving place to the devil if you're if you feel like you have to hide something that you're doing Then it's probably not right don't you think? Halloween Witchcraft and Satanism has no place amongst God's people and all God's people said All right 1st Corinthians 10 21 says you cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils you cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and the table of devils God's very clear over and over again Stay away from those people don't have anything to do with those people you can't have it both ways And Here's the thing Like I part of my testimony and I and I kind of just had an interview with Ben the Baptist on Friday night And he was asking my testimony and it brought to mind you know that when my friend got killed He was a tribal member in an Indian tribe Okay, and at his funeral they mixed Indian you know peyote religion with Christianity It was very confusing you know why it's confusing because it's either Jesus or the totem pole you don't mix both of them together Okay, it doesn't work that way you can't have Halloween and Jesus at the same time It doesn't make sense You know do you think God's actually pleased with you if you're secretly just taking your kids out trick-or-treating He's not You know it might seem innocent. Oh, I'm gonna take the cute pictures with the kids They're just up like a little pig or whatever. You know they're dressed up like you know Chewbacca. It's so cute It might be cute, but God's not pleased with it That's the thing that you should keep in your mind first Peter 5 8 says be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil Has a roaring lion walking about seeking whom he may devour who do you think he's gonna? Let the who do you think God's gonna? Let the devil's devour first Those that are not being vigilant those that are not being sober You know so if you're not being a bit if you're celebrating Halloween. Do you think you're being vigilant? Do you think that's being vigilant when you're actually literally partaking and something that the devil would want you to partake in? Vigilant means keeping careful watch for possible danger or difficulties. Do you think your kids think you're a hypocrite if? You dress them up on Halloween take them trick-or-treating, and then you go to church the next day That's like you know down in a fifth of whiskey every night, and then say not you know drunk being drunk There's a wicked saying that's wicked and you're drinking whiskey every night. I mean it's hypocritical and your kids see your hypocrisy So turn to Leviticus 19 31 Leviticus 19 verse 31 The Bible says regard them not them that have familiar spirits neither seek after wizards to be defiled by them I am the Lord your God has got happy with familiar spirits being around for familiar spirits are demons They're devils neither seek after wizards to be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God wizards are Like men witches or whatever I think so they're doing the same thing that witches are doing Which is casting spells you know? With chicken bones or I don't know they do all kinds of wicked things I'm not even gonna bring it up Proverbs 22 6 says train a patella the way he should go when he's old he will not depart from it So when you're training up your children are you trained to celebrate Halloween? You know that is that part of the training well. Hey, we're just gonna do this You know don't mention it to anybody at church, but we're just gonna go ahead and do it anyway Look, that's not right, and if anybody's just thinking about doing that just I'm just gonna warn you right now. It's not right It's wicked as hell Do you want to teach your children to love evil? Do you want to teach them? It's all right to break God's commandment as long as it's cute and fun Because it is cute and fun to a certain extent It is you know I'm serious Look people think that sin is always just you know what sin is enjoyable to people You know sin is enjoyable enjoyable to people or people wouldn't do it your flesh wants to do it But your spirit the new man doesn't want to and so you got to get control of your spirit and decide what you want to be So oh it's all right as long as you're not bowing down and worshiping the devil Is that is that because these are the processes that people go through in their minds, right? You know the world does look at you if you celebrate Halloween and looks at you like you're a hypocrite Oh, I can't believe you celebrate Halloween. I thought you were a Christian That's what they say, but then they turn around and say if you don't want to celebrate Halloween. You're crazy I can't believe that yourself. You're not celebrating Halloween I can't believe that you won't let your kid carve a pumpkin so you can't win either way So why don't you just please God and do what he wants you to do and stand up for what's right in your family? And who cares what they say because they're gonna judge you either way. They're gonna judge you if you're doing it They're gonna judge you if you're not doing it So why don't you just make God happy and don't worry about what your stinking family wants you to do I'm not calm. I'm sorry if I called your family's thinking but I'm talking about the peer pressure family members That's what I'm talking about and look they exist and that's the reason why Christians cave It is it's the reason why Christians cave because it's peer pressure You know you get around your family members, and they're like oh, I can't believe you're going to that cult still three times a week You go soul winning. You're knocking on people's doors. You're like a Jehovah's Witness Jehovah's Witnesses don't celebrate Halloween either they actually take a hard stand on it Unfortunately Christians don't take as hard of a stand as Jehovah's Witnesses do on that. It's pretty sad We ought to be better than the Jehovah's Witnesses because they're not even saved And they got the willpower to turn their lights off and not answer the door So Take that for what it is You know at least if you're gonna compromise know that God was pleased with you Or if you're gonna if you don't compromise know that God was pleased for me excuse me turn to 1st Peter chapter 2 1st Peter chapter 2 I'm glad I'm starting to catch things when I say them right when I say them instead of later on realize Something really stupid okay 1st Peter 2 9 says but you're a chosen generation a royal priesthood and holy nation verse 9 a Peculiar people that you should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light So the children of Israel were not supposed to be involved in this kind of stuff God called them a peculiar nation a peculiar people a holy nation Just like he calls us today, and what do they do did all the things that God told them not to do right? But see we as New Testament believers. We are a holy nation now also We are the chosen ones if we're saved if we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ So we can apply Old Testament scriptures to us You know God still is the same yesterday today and forever. He doesn't change He still doesn't want you mixed up in Divination and wizardry and Harry Potter and all that junk if you're reading Harry Potter. You're not right with God I'll just say that right now I've never read a Harry Potter book, and I never will I've never watched any of the movies ever Because Harry Potter is a wicked book it actually has real spells in it. It's not of God And anybody that's deceived thereby is not wise Alright, so it says in verse 10 Which in time past were not a people but are now the people of God which have not had not obtained mercy But now have obtained mercy dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lust which war against the soul What's it talking about we have fleshly lust things that we desire things that we want to do things that we think? we want to do but our New man should not you know doesn't want to do those things and so again you have to fight against the desires of the flesh as pilgrims and strangers From from fleshly lust and which war against the soul having your conversation honest among the Gentiles Though whereas they speak against you as evildoers they may by your good works Which they shall behold glorify God in the day of visitation So look your testimony has a lot to do with how people are gonna get saved in the future. Do you understand that? It let me just break this verse down says that they may they made by your good works, which they shall behold Glorify God on the day of visitation What's the day of visitation the day that someone knocks on their door and says hey? Are you a hundred percent sure you're going to heaven with two or to die today? But they all they've seen is Christians celebrating Halloween doing all kinds of wickedness, and they're like nah I'm good I'll everybody all the church is all full of hypocrites. How many has ever heard that when you go to the door? And so when they see you celebrating Halloween with all the rest of the heathen hordes, then what are they gonna think well? They weren't separate they weren't doing anything different, and they're gonna say no. I don't want nothing to do with Christianity sad But sad that the people say that to us when we walk not walk and knock on the door You know, but we're sinners we messed up And I understand people have their choices and things like that, but it says where they shall speak against you as evil-doers They're gonna speak against you if you don't celebrate Halloween. You're crazy. You're in a cult whatever blah blah blah blah blah But if they see you compromise that could have something to do with their salvation at a later date So let's apply Deuteronomy 18 to us Deuteronomy 18 turn over there I Deuteronomy 18 verse 9 says when our coming to the land which the Lord thy God give thee giveth thee Thou should not learn to do after the abomination of those nations So if we're a chosen generation where God's people were a peculiar nation You know work these apply to us Lord not to do after the abominations of those nations Nations of those nations there should not be found among you Anyone that maketh his son or daughter to pass through the fire that useth divination an observer of times or an enchanter or a witch Everything that has to do with Halloween Everything and you know you say well, I'm just we're just dressing up like Bible characters. You're still partaking in it You're just you're just being like a Catholic You know oh, it's all Saints Day now It's garbage Says verse 11 or a charmer or a consultant with familiar spirits or a wizard or a necromancer These are people that are talking to Devils trying to get the future. They're looking into livers They're looking in chicken butter. You know they're shaking the chicken bones You know the nuts they're looking at the nuts or whatever and the apples or bobbing the apples and they're telling your future I guess I don't know how that whole thing worked, but These are what the abominations of the heathen do This is not what God's people do for all these things all these All that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord. That's what the Bible says all that do these things Do what things they're charmers or consulters with familiar spirits wizards and necromancers? Witches wizards all that kind of stuff Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God for these nations which thou shalt possess Harken unto observers of times and unto diviners, but as for thee the Lord thy God hath not suffered Thee to do so to do he doesn't God hasn't suffered us to do that. We're supposed to be different We're supposed to be a peculiar people. We're not supposed to Partake with the table of devils. We're not we're supposed to be separate from these things So you know what you might say? What's God gonna? Do what's he gonna? Do if I'm forgiven? I'm saved Maybe he'll just kill you You ever think of that? If you just want to openly rebel against his word and say you know what I don't care what pastor Thompson says he's crazy You know we're going trick-or-treating kids come on Well turn over to first chronicles chapter 10 first chronicles chapter 10 You think God's playing around When it comes to when it comes to what he wants us as Christians to do look He's the same God in the Old Testament as he is right now As a matter of fact he's probably more strict with Christians than he is was in the Old Testament be honest with you First chronicles 10 13 just talking about King Saul it says so Saul died for his transgression Which he committed against the Lord even against the word of the Lord which he kept not and also? For asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit to inquire of it Why did Saul get killed because he transgressed against the word of the Lord? And for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit to inquire about well you say well I'm not going to inquire of a spirit pastor Thompson. Nobody you're hanging out with people to do you're hanging out people that are glorifying that kind of art that kind of dark art You know the witches were around the witch's brew with the cauldron and all that junk You know we I can't even drive through my neighborhood without all these puffy toys that have air going through them That have all these monsters and stuff can't even drive down the street I can't imagine what it's like for people with young children right now I mean, I remember what it was like when our kids were young and I hated that I Hated that they were scared for 30 days out of the you know I can't wait till Halloween's over. It's a wicked It's not just one day. It's a whole month. It's super commercialized now you know it's a lot of money spent on Halloween and So people want you to buy their stupid products. They want you to buy their stupid costumes or vampire costumes and all that Garbage, and you know we have people are bombarded with it So turn to acts chapter 19 acts chapter 19 So what do you see in the book in the bible when it comes to demonic spirits and things like that? What did God's people do did they hang out with them and go hey? I'm just going to study your little witchcraft book with you, and then I'll try to tell you about Jesus afterwards No, they didn't do that junk They they kept themselves separate from it look at acts 19 verse 11 It says God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul so that from his body Were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons and diseases departed from them and the evil spirits went out of them but when people when a handkerchief a Nasty little handkerchief came near him the evil spirit departed out of that person Paul was so powerful. He was doing all these miracles the devils wanted nothing to do with him They fled they took off when he cast devils out right and left so did the Lord Jesus Christ when the devils came they bowed down and they You know they gave up their demonic spirits The demons fleet we shouldn't be fleeing. We shouldn't be going to the demons the demons should be fleeing from us Right so it says in certain vagabond jews actresses took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus saying we adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth and there were seven sons one of Sceva a Jew and one of the chief priests which did so and the evil spirit answered said Jesus I know and Paul I know but who are ye and the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them and overcame them and prevailed against him so that they fled out of That house naked and wounded and this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus and fear fell on them All and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified see just that story of these wannabes Trying to cast out devils they knew that the power of Jesus and Paul and and the power of Paul Was casting these devils out and these guys ran in to the wrong demon they ran into the wrong demon Asked him out because they weren't saved You know, but when saved people come across demons they should scatter from you. I see people that are demon-possessed all the time You know they don't ever mess with me They don't ever come and try to attack me. I had one to downtown one night not too long ago about a week ago and He got off the max had puke all over the front of his shirt and he instantly came and tried messing with me and I was with a couple other co-workers and he was like, I'm gonna kill you. I'm gonna burn you guys up I just like whatever dude. I just kept working ignored him You know, but that's the most I've been messed with since I've been down to and doing any jobs I just ignored him and when I started rolling up my hose I like turned off the because I was torching in a crosswalk And when I turned it was 500 degree cross, I mean I wasn't really afraid of the guy I mean I was you know, and he's burnt up, you know He was talking tough. He was probably possessed You know, he was drunk You know, maybe he was just drunk, but he looked possessed. Anyway, you know, he didn't want to mess with me He's just all talk. That's what demons demons will do but most of the time they don't even say anything to me But you can tell when they're possessed or talking to themselves or just acting really weird They should fear us. We shouldn't fear them It says in verse 19 many of them also which use cure. Okay. I'm sorry. Let me back up here Verse 18 it says many that believed came and confessed and showed their deeds Many of them also which use curious arts brought their books together and burned them before all men and they counted the price of them And found it 50,000 pieces of silver so mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed See the Word of God is gonna prevail over wickedness But if you're a compromising Christian and you get involved in this garbage of Halloween, you have no power You're just a clown, you know, you're just a compromising Christian that has no power God's Word has power though. You can get people to give up their wickedness and get rid of this stuff Look Manasseh end up getting saved Manasseh end up getting saved out of that. All right, you know, I haven't told this story before but My wife's grandma had a Ouija board that she kept underneath her bed for many many years and she used it and she Contacted tried to contact the spirit of her dead son and all this other garbage and I just took the Bible With her what she I knew she was saved, but she still hadn't given up the Ouija board, right? I Just went to her with the Bible and showed her the scriptures. It says how wicked it is and she threw it in the garbage You know, you can still like you God's Word is powerful and you can get people to give up those things But if she would have saw me doing trick-or-treating Maybe she had maybe she wouldn't have thought that way Maybe she wouldn't have Given up her Ouija board. You know what I mean? So first John 5 19 says and we know that we are of God and the whole world lieth and Wickedness it shouldn't surprise us when the whole world lieth of wickedness But we shouldn't be partakers with them in that wickedness So why would you as a Christian want to join with them in their wickedness? You shouldn't want to do that Leviticus 20 verse 27 says a man Also or woman that hath a familiar spirit or that as a wizard shall surely be put to death They shall stone them with stones their blood shall be upon them It's a serious sin, you know, and obviously people can be saved out of those sins But what does God say that should be done with them? They should be stoned with stones Stoned with stones. So do you want to partake and share in a holiday with people that deserve to die? They're it's like hanging out with a rapist. It's like hanging out with a serial killer. It's like hanging out with a sodomite You know, I mean and obviously these people could be saved out of this I'm not saying that they can't be but you know partaking with them in that wickedness Is not something that God wants to do Isaiah 5 20 says won't to them that call evil good and Good evil and put darkness for light and light for darkness that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter So as you know people that are Christians that go, oh, there's nothing wrong with it. It's all good, bro That's not all good. It's not all good And I think that I've showed enough scripture tonight to prove that God is totally against this kind of wicked stuff He's totally against Halloween. He hates it He hates the facts that the children are being scared from it, you know, God says that the you know The that he beholds the ain't the faces of these children That are put to death and in our past through the fire and kill children or die from abortion You know God had their angels behold the face of God, you know, they have angels and So do you think that your kids should be subjected to being you know, put through these look when you go trick-or-treating If you've gone trick-or-treating before There's people out that you might not have a scary costume on but people other people do It scares kids to death And you shouldn't be letting your kids get scared, you know, just so they can go have some fun That's stupid. There's a lot of fun things you can do without having to go worship the devil so Turn to Hebrews chapter 11. I'm almost done Hebrews chapter 11 Hebrews chapter 11 verse 24 and if you're that person that says well, you know, I just I'm doing the fun stuff I'm I'm avoiding all the other stuff Here's what Moses did in the Hebrews chapter 11 verse 24. It says by faith Moses When he was come to years refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. She's the one that raised him Basically he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season So you can enjoy the pleasures of sin. Like I said earlier in the sermon sin can be pleasurable They can be and people what people why do people want to sin because it's a brings a pleasure to them but Moses said I'd rather suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of Sin for a season because you get you get pleasure out of it for a season, but when you reap what you sow Then that's not pleasurable. That's Punishment from God it says esteem in the reproach of Christ greater Richer than the treasures in Egypt for he had respect under the recompense of the reward Moses had some foresight He was like looking forward to the rewards He was gonna get for not partaking in the wickedness that he could have partaken and he was rich He was a prince of Egypt You know this the daughter of Pharaoh was the was a princess, right? And so his son would have been a her son would have been a prince And he Moses would have been could have been high up. He could have lived high on the hog He could have you know lived out the rest of his life in pleasures of sin for a season But he decided you know what? I'm not gonna do that. I'm gonna separate myself from Egypt I want to go serve the Lord. So if you do the right things concerning God his commandments He's gonna you're gonna receive a reward also First John turn to 1st John 1 1 John 1 1st John 1 verse 5 says This then is the message which we have heard of him and declare unto you that God is light and in him is no Darkness at all if we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness. We lie and do not the truth So if we say we have fellowship with God and we're walking in darkness, we're not doing what's right We're not doing the truth. We're not doing what God told us to do It says but if we walk in the light as he's in the light We have fellowship one with another in the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness This is not talking about getting saved over and over again This is talking about when you've done something wrong when you've done something and you need to handle business with God If you confess your sins to God and say God, I'm sorry, you know I didn't really think Halloween was as wicked as it really is. I was wrong I'm gonna confess my sin to you right now and just say I don't want anything to do with it ever again You know, the Bible says that he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness You can be wrong and then turn it around and get it right. That's what I'm saying So I don't like I said, I don't know what anybody's doing in their private life. Okay, I'm not like spying on Anything like that? I don't know about your secret Facebook page where you're planning a Halloween party. Okay? But why should Christians avoid Halloween because God said to that's why In second Corinthians 6 17 says wherefore come out from among them and be separate saith Lord and touch not the unclean thing And I'll receive you. Let's pray. Well, we thank you so much for the Word of God how clear you make it I pray Lord that you just help us to be a people that just says you know what we're gonna do what God says and We're gonna we're gonna take the reproach and we're just gonna do the things that God says do I pray Lord that You just help this people take everybody home safely Lord and just pray for them as they travel home and I pray that you bring us back safely to church this coming Thursday in Jesus name. Amen