Its the Devils Holiday / the Devils Night. How will you celebrate it?

[evangelist6589]

What will you do today and how will what you do impact the kingdom?

Which seed describes you?

Seed A.
You are someone that lives and looks just like the world and you celebrate Halloween like they do. You look just like them.

Seed B.
You are someone that does not care and remains neutral. You do not celebrate Halloween nor do you advance the gospel.

Seed C.
You use Halloween as a avenue for witnessing. You pass out and tracts and give out the gospel this day. You may not do open air preaching (but you should) but you do advance the gospel and this entails confronting people in their sin, and telling them of the light. This does not mean being a "friend" of someone and never telling him/her that they are lost and headed to Hell nor using the hammer of the LAW to ding the conscience of sinners.

If you are seed C listen to this message. Be aware of sinners and their rabbit trails. They often want to look at "evidences" focus on hypocrites in the church and the like. They do this because they do not want their conscience confronted and want you to make a "apologetics case" to have their intellects stirred, and missing the whole point of repentance from sin. Sinners create these hedges to hide from God just as Adam did, so don't hide behind the hedge with them, but use the rod of the LAW to break their hedges and confront their sin.

 

[Deacon]

Celebrate Reformation Day - the day Martin Luther posted the 95 Thesis [LINK]

Rob

Originally posted by Martin Luther:
When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said "Repent", He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.

The word cannot be properly understood as referring to the sacrament of penance, i.e. confession and satisfaction, as administered by the clergy.

Yet its meaning is not restricted to repentance in one's heart; for such repentance is null unless it produces outward signs in various mortifications of the flesh.

As long as hatred of self abides (i.e. true inward repentance) the penalty of sin abides, viz., until we enter the kingdom of heaven.

The pope has neither the will nor the power to remit any penalties beyond those imposed either at his own discretion or by canon law.

The pope himself cannot remit guilt, but only declare and confirm that it has been remitted by God; or, at most, he can remit it in cases reserved to his discretion. Except for these cases, the guilt remains untouched.

God never remits guilt to anyone without, at the same time, making him humbly submissive to the priest, His representative.

The penitential canons apply only to men who are still alive, and, according to the canons themselves, none applies to the dead.

Accordingly, the Holy Spirit, acting in the person of the pope, manifests grace to us, by the fact that the papal regulations always cease to apply at death, or in any hard case.

It is a wrongful act, due to ignorance, when priests retain the canonical penalties on the dead in purgatory.

 

[Winman]

You may not do open air preaching (but you should) but you do advance the gospel and this entails confronting people in their sin, and telling them of the light.

First of all, not everyone is an evangelist or a preacher;

Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Second, where do the scriptures command us to do what you call street-preaching? Did you know there is scripture that actually argues AGAINST street preaching? There is, and I am going to show it to you.

Isa 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

Isaiah 42 is universally accepted to be speaking about Jesus. Jesus is God's elect, the person in whom God is well pleased, God placed his Spirit upon him.

But note what verse 2 says,

He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

Scripture says Jesus would not stand in the street and raise his voice.

And how do we know for certain this scripture is speaking of Jesus? Go to Matthew;

Mat 12:15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
16 And charged them that they should not make him known:
17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.

Again, scripture, speaking of Jesus said he will not strive or cry, neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.

It is true that Jesus often spoke to people outdoors. He spoke to a woman by the well, he sat in a boat and preached to multitudes. But this was more like a preaching service, only outdoors.

Jesus did not stand in the street and yell at people who passed by the way most street preachers do. He spoke directly to persons who were paying attention to him, he did not annoy persons who wanted to be left alone.

Now, you may not like this, but you will not find Jesus standing in the street yelling at people in the scriptures.

That said, there are some examples of folks standing in the streets yelling at the people. Jonah is an example;

Jon 3:4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

But what is overlooked here, is that Jonah was personally commanded by God to do this, and he was even told what to say;

Jon 3:2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.

So, Jonah wasn't standing in the street yelling, "Repent! Repent!", he was telling a very specific message given to him by God. And this message was very effective, EVERYONE in the city did repent, from the greatest to the least of them.

Jon 3:5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.

So, not everyone should be a street preacher, unless that is what God has told a person to do.

 

[quantumfaith]

http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/worldview/17083-the-halloween-question

 

[sag38]

Great time for a harvest festival. We are expecting over 400 people. Many are unchurched. I am praying now for opportunities to witness. I will be giving away Bibles and sharing the gospel. By the way, why the aversion to this day? It is a great opportunity to witness. It is not the devil's day. It is All Saints Day. This is the day which the Lord has made and will be glad and rejoice in it.

 

[Revmitchell]

It is not the devils day. No one celebrates the devil.

 

[annsni]

We will be celebrating it with cake, candles, presents and laughter.



It's my son's 13th birthday.

 

[Salty]

.... It is not the devil's day. It is All Saints Day. ....

Nov 1 is All Saints Day

Celebrate Reformation Day - the day Martin Luther posted the 95 Thesis [LINK]

Interesting as to why this is always overlooked.

I will be going to work tonight - @ the C-store. If asked, I shall mention I am celebrating Reformation Day!

 

[Dr. Bob]

Note - to some misguided Baptists, celebrating REFORMATION Day in place of Halloween would be JUST AS BAD.

:BangHead:

I personally am thankful for Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, Knox et al for their heroic stand against the pervasive evil of the false so-called 'christian' religion of Catholicism/Orthodox Church.

While Baptists appeared in the SECOND WAVE of the Reformation, 80+ years after Luther, when they stood against the Reformation churches with the truth, the world was certainly different by then. The great Reformers "paved the way" for English Baptists to emerge at the turn of the next Century.

 

[webdog]

I will be enjoying the time watching my kids run house to house in cool costumes. The devil has no part in our day.

 

[Sapper Woody]

What is amazing to me is the aversion to anything Halloween. Christians condemn it so readily due to its origins. But how many of you had groomsmen/bridesmaids at your wedding? That tradition had the same exact origin as dressing up for Halloween; to confuse the spirits.

 

[preachinjesus]

The OP is ridiculous. It isn't "the devils day" or night.

We go trick-or-treating and hand out candy at home. We have our front lawn decorated with Halloween things. We enjoy Halloween.

 

[quantumfaith]

I will be enjoying the time watching my kids run house to house in cool costumes. The devil has no part in our day.

:applause::thumbs:

 

[quantumfaith]

The OP is ridiculous. It isn't "the devils day" or night.

We go trick-or-treating and hand out candy at home. We have our front lawn decorated with Halloween things. We enjoy Halloween.

:applause::thumbs:

 

[InTheLight]

Ah yes, the false choice fallacy.

What will you do today and how will what you do impact the kingdom?

Which seed describes you?

Seed A.

Seed B.

Seed C.

This is my choice:

The OP is ridiculous. It isn't "the devils day" or night. We go trick-or-treating and hand out candy at home. We have our front lawn decorated with Halloween things. We enjoy Halloween.

and this:

Originally Posted by webdog
I will be enjoying the time watching my kids run house to house in cool costumes. The devil has no part in our day.

My youngest is 13 years old and is stretching it by going out trick-or-treating one last time.

 

[Luke2427]

Note - to some misguided Baptists, celebrating REFORMATION Day in place of Halloween would be JUST AS BAD.

:BangHead:

I personally am thankful for Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, Knox et al for their heroic stand against the pervasive evil of the false so-called 'christian' religion of Catholicism/Orthodox Church.

While Baptists appeared in the SECOND WAVE of the Reformation, 80+ years after Luther, when they stood against the Reformation churches with the truth, the world was certainly different by then. The great Reformers "paved the way" for English Baptists to emerge at the turn of the next Century.

So...

Why exactly would it be misguided??

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

I classify the denunciation of Halloween as being from the same mindset that rails against Christian celebrations of Easter (or as I call it, Resurrection Sunday), Christmas and birthdays. In other words, utter nonsense.

http://www.gty.org/resources/articles/a123
​

Christians should not respond to Halloween like superstitious pagans. Pagans are superstitious; Christians are enlightened by the truth of God's Word. Evil spirits are no more active and sinister on Halloween than they are on any other day of the year; in fact, any day is a good day for Satan to prowl about seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). But "greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). God has forever "disarmed principalities and powers" through the cross Christ and "made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them through [Christ]" (Colossians 2:15).

Christians should respond to Halloween with cautionary wisdom. Some people fear the activity of Satanists or pagan witches, but the actual incidents of satanic-associated crime are very low. The real threat on Halloween is from the social problems that attend sinful behavior--drunk driving, pranksters and vandals, and unsupervised children.

Like any other day of the year, Christians should exercise caution as wise stewards of their possessions and protectors of their families. Christian young people should stay away from secular Halloween parties since those are breeding grounds for trouble. Christian parents can protect their children by keeping them well-supervised and restricting treat consumption to those goodies received from trusted sources.

 

[evangelist6589]

Re: WinMan

First of all, not everyone is an evangelist or a preacher;

Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

False. Read Mark 16:15
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

The call to proclaim the gospel is to all believers. It is true that not everyone is called to this profession, however everyone is called to witness. It is a sad fact in many Arminian churches that they believe in "professional" evangelists and always are striving to get people to come and hear a evangelist speak and many are so lazy they won't go out and and witness themselves. Such types often rely on "results" and do not trust God to bring forth the converts.

Second, where do the scriptures command us to do what you call street-preaching? Did you know there is scripture that actually argues AGAINST street preaching? There is, and I am going to show it to you.

Mark 16:15. Have you read it?

Isa 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

Isaiah 42 is universally accepted to be speaking about Jesus. Jesus is God's elect, the person in whom God is well pleased, God placed his Spirit upon him.

But note what verse 2 says,

He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

Scripture says Jesus would not stand in the street and raise his voice.

Wanna bet? Have you read the gospel of Mark? Its obvious that you need to read it, or re-read it because you missed many good points about Jesus and his preaching!

And how do we know for certain this scripture is speaking of Jesus? Go to Matthew;

Mat 12:15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
16 And charged them that they should not make him known:
17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.

Again, scripture, speaking of Jesus said he will not strive or cry, neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.

It is true that Jesus often spoke to people outdoors. He spoke to a woman by the well, he sat in a boat and preached to multitudes. But this was more like a preaching service, only outdoors.

Jesus did not stand in the street and yell at people who passed by the way most street preachers do. He spoke directly to persons who were paying attention to him, he did not annoy persons who wanted to be left alone.

But Jesus does not condemn those that preach the word of God does He? He certainly favors them over people like you that do nothing....

Now, you may not like this, but you will not find Jesus standing in the street yelling at people in the scriptures.

Jesus preached.

That said, there are some examples of folks standing in the streets yelling at the people. Jonah is an example;

Jon 3:4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

But what is overlooked here, is that Jonah was personally commanded by God to do this, and he was even told what to say;

Jon 3:2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.

So, Jonah wasn't standing in the street yelling, "Repent! Repent!", he was telling a very specific message given to him by God. And this message was very effective, EVERYONE in the city did repent, from the greatest to the least of them.

The Arminianism shows up again. Why do you base your methods on "results"? What of Jeremiah and Noah whom did not have converts? What about Enoch? These men were called to preach and they did not see many converts in their ministry did they? Noah no one besides his family. Was Noah a failure? In your book he certainly was!

Jon 3:5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.

So, not everyone should be a street preacher, unless that is what God has told a person to do.

I agree. You no question should not be one because you will not use the law to convict the sinners of their sin, and you would try and persuade one's intellect over their conscience. I certainly do not want you street preaching! I do not want anyone street preaching whom preaches a "God has a wonderful plan for your life" message, nor do I want anyone street preaching whom does not use the LAW, YES THE LAW, THE LAW to convict the sinners conscience of his/her sin.


Listen to this audio clip.

The Enemy's tactics in evangelism

 

[evangelist6589]

:applause::thumbs:

Satan is hard at work these days and has convinced many that he does not exist, he is not powerful, and there is not a spiritual battle going on. Satan has used Halloween and other methods to silence many Christians. I would suggest you read the following books.

1. I never Thought I'd See the Day by David Jeremiah and read the chapter on Spiritual Warfare
2. Satan's Evangelist Strategy for this New Age by Erwin Lutzer. Satan is using Halloween and other methods to silence Christians.

These are not Reformed authors so even they see the Spiritual Battle going on!

 

[evangelist6589]

Great time for a harvest festival. We are expecting over 400 people. Many are unchurched. I am praying now for opportunities to witness. I will be giving away Bibles and sharing the gospel. By the way, why the aversion to this day? It is a great opportunity to witness. It is not the devil's day. It is All Saints Day. This is the day which the Lord has made and will be glad and rejoice in it.

The best post of this entire thread. God speed brother you are doing the right thing and advancing the gospel.