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What a Former Witch Told Me About the Dark Side

 by Darris McNeely 1 comment Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Halloween is this weekend, in case you haven't noticed.

Dear World News and Prophecy Subscriber, Halloween is this weekend, in case you haven’t noticed. But it’s hard not to notice. Halloween has become the second-largest retail holiday in North America. It’s second only to Christmas in sales generated by the strong consumer desire to party with the dead and macabre elements. Imitating ghosts and demons may seem like harmless fun. It’s not. Playing with the darker elements of this world is inviting strong forces into your life. You do this at your own peril. I recently interviewed a lady who spent 20 years as a practicing witch. Her story was the centerpiece of a Beyond Today program called “Dancing With the Dark Side.” The program aired last week on WGN America and drew considerable comment from viewers. One viewer wrote asking for help counseling a child who wished to become a witch. Another wrote detailing the disastrous impact on his family from involvement with the dark, satanic world. As my interview with “Mary” (the pseudonym for the woman who was once a witch) shows, you do not want to go down that road. Here is part of that interview. McNeely: What do you think you were looking for when you entered into that world? Mary: Power. To be special, to be unique. McNeely: You think that’s what other people are looking for, as well? Mary: Oh yes. Yeah. I mean, you get into it seeking power to control your life, manifest or will things into your life, but the bad thing about it is after it progresses, it starts taking on a negative tone. I started out with Wicca. I started out with thinking I was just worshipping the earth because I wanted something tangible, something I could see, something I could adhere to. The equinox, the sabbaths in Wicca. It soon didn’t feel like enough. I felt compelled to check out or read books about necromancy and voodoo, and like I said, I was in it for about 20 years and there toward the end, I felt like if I hadn’t had the car wreck, I would’ve been gone, because I would’ve opened myself up to channeling. I’d already started using my own blood in my own rituals, in my own spells. I’d already started making voodoo dolls and casting bad spells on people. McNeely: Did you actually see those spells come to pass? Mary: Mhm. McNeely: You did? Mary: Yes. McNeely: Things happened? Mary: Yes. Things always happened. Mary went on to explain that people who dabble with the dark arts are looking for a power to control their lives and that of others. They end up being controlled by a darker power they do not understand. Fortunately for Mary, she escaped the hold of the dark side and is building a better life for herself. She finally is in control of her life, in a right way. Why not watch the entire Beyond Today video, “Dancing With the Dark Side,” on our BeyondToday.tv Web site? Is There Really a Devil?Satan offers a clever counterfeit path to power for those who venture into his dark world. But the tragedy is that his path is a dead-end street filled with wrecked and broken lives. Evil is a very real force in this modern world that scoffs at the existence of a spiritual dimension. This Halloween, instead of celebrating a holiday for the dead, why not educate yourself in the truth? Our booklet Is There Really a Devil? provides solid biblical teaching on the subject. Though the media often trivializes it today, there is indeed a dark spiritual world, and it wants to deceive and destroy you. Don’t let it happen. Resist it, and cling to the incredible future God has prepared for you. Keep watching!

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How did Halloween come to be considered a "Christian" celebration?

Does the Bible say anything about All Hallows' or All Saints' Day?

  by United Church of God 1 comment Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

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Originally Halloween was a pagan festival oriented around fire, the dead and the powers of darkness. How did it become accepted in the "Christian" world?

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Pagan festivals have had a curious way of worming their way into Christianity over the centuries.

Most people know that Halloween takes place on Oct. 31. Far fewer understand the connection between Halloween and the next day on the calendar, the festival of All Hallows’ or All Saints’ Day, celebrated by some churches and denominations Nov. 1.
One author concludes that All Saints’ Day was established to commemorate the saints and martyrs of the Roman Catholic Church and was first introduced in the seventh century (Man, Myth, and Magic, Vol. 1, 1983, p. 109). Oddly enough, history shows that Halloween—this ancient, thoroughly pagan holiday with its trappings of death and demonism—is inseparably tied to All Saints’ Day.
Pagan festivals have had a curious way of worming their way into Christianity over the centuries. The Encyclopedia of Religion explains that “the British church attempted to divert the interest in pagan customs by adding a Christian celebration to the calendar on the same date as the Samhain [the ancient Celtic name for the festival that we call Halloween].
“The Christian festival, the Feast of All Saints, commemorates the known and unknown saints of the Christian religion just as the Samhain had acknowledged and paid tribute to the Celtic deities” (1987, Vol. 6, p. 177).
How did this strange turn of events come about? How did the Catholic Church transform an ancient pagan festival into one to supposedly honor dead saints?
The 1913 edition of The Catholic Encyclopedia says this about All Saints’ Day: “In the early days the Christians were accustomed to solemnize the anniversary of a martyr’s death for Christ at the place of martyrdom. In the fourth century, neighboring dioceses began to interchange feasts, to transfer relics, to divide them, and to join in a common feast. Frequently groups of martyrs suffered on the same day, which naturally led to a joint commemoration.
“In the persecution of Diocletian the number of martyrs became so great that a separate day could not be assigned to each. But the Church, feeling that every martyr should be venerated, appointed a common day for all. [Eventually] Gregory III (731-741) consecrated a chapel in the basilica of St. Peter to all the saints and fixed the anniversary for 1 November” (Vol. 1, p. 315).
Pope Gregory’s choice of Nov. 1 for this celebration was significant. Author Lesley Bannatyne explains: “That the date coincided with Samhain was no accident: the Church was still trying to absorb pagan celebrations taking place at this time…
“Villagers were also encouraged to masquerade on this day, not to frighten unwelcome spirits, but to honor Christian saints. On All Saints’ Day, churches throughout Europe and the British Isles displayed relics of their patron saints. Poor churches could not afford genuine relics and instead had processions in which parishioners dressed as saints, angels and devils. This religious masquerade resembled the pagan custom of parading ghosts to the town limits. It served the new church by giving an acceptable Christian basis to the custom of dressing up on Halloween.
“In addition, the Church tried to convince the people that the great bonfires they lit in homage to the sun would instead keep the devil away” (Halloween: An American Holiday, An American History, 1998, pp. 9, 11).
Later a second celebration, All Souls’ Day, was instituted on Nov. 2. Eventually these two holidays merged into the present observance on Nov. 1, which was also called All Hallows’ Day. The name of All Hallows’ Even (evening) for the night of Oct. 31 evolved into the name Hallowe’en, or Halloween as it is called today.
This is a brief history of how men rationalized taking an ancient pagan festival rooted in death and demonism and adapting it for use as a “Christian” celebration. Regrettably, it flies in the face of God’s explicit instruction to not use pagan practices to worship Him.
He clearly states in Deuteronomy 12:30-32 Deuteronomy 12:30-3230 Take heed to yourself that you be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before you; and that you inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. 31 You shall not do so to the LORD your God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hates, have they done to their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. 32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: you shall not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
American King James Version×: “Do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods… Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.”
For more understanding, please read our booklet Holidays or Holy Days: Does It Matter Which Days We Observe?

Halloween Behind the Mask

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Halloween

Behind the Mask

  by Jerold Aust 3 comments Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

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Every year, on the evening of Oct. 31, millions of families celebrate a distinctly odd holiday known as Halloween. For your own good, you need to know what lurks behind the mask of Halloween.

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Many parents encourage their children to celebrate Halloween, assuming it to be harmless and innocent fun. But would parents honor this holiday if they knew what’s behind it?

Halloween is undoubtedly one of the strangest holidays people celebrate, with its symbolism of witches, devils, skeletons, bats and black cats. Is it not a little bizarre that children are taught to dress up as ghosts and monsters to go from house to house demanding “trick or treat!” (with the threat of a trick or prank constituting a playful form of extortion)?

Would God be against something as harmless as Halloween, especially since it allows children to have fun and enjoy a little entertainment? Can’t we let them have a little harmless fun? 

While tricks are no longer the norm in most places, it used to be common in many areas that refusal to give trick-or-treaters candy invited minor acts of vandalism, such as having one’s windows marred with a bar of soap, trash dumped on the lawn, toilet paper unrolled across tree limbs, and raw eggs thrown against the house and car.
Where, how and when did such strange customs begin? And why do they continue?
Many parents encourage their children to celebrate Halloween, assuming it to be harmless and innocent fun. But why? Would parents honor this holiday if they knew what’s behind it—behind the mask?

Halloween’s origins

Few people really understand the origins of Halloween. However, many clues are obvious from the trappings of the holiday—witches, ghosts, jack-o’-lanterns, skeletons and the like.
History shows that behind the dark mask of this popular children’s holiday reside the terrors of an ancient Celtic festival renamed All Hallows Eve. It was originally a holiday marking the mythical time when the dead supposedly rose from their graves to walk the earth.
To better understand the origins of Halloween one needs to be introduced to the ancient pagan festival of Samhain (usually pronounced sow-en ).
In The Encyclopedia of Religion, under the heading “Halloween,” the authors link Halloween to the eve of Samhain, “a celebration marking the beginning of winter as well as the first day of the New Year within the ancient Celtic culture of the British Isles.”
This encyclopedia explains that “the time of Samhain comprised the eve of the feast and the day itself (31 October and 1 November). This event was a crucial seam in the social and religious fabric of the Celtic year, and the eve of Samhain set the tone for the annual celebration as a threatening, fantastic, mysterious rite of passage to a new year” (1987, p. 176).
Both the eve and day of Samhain were thought to be a time when the barriers between the human and supernatural worlds were broken, allowing passage between the two. “Other worldly entities, such as the souls of the dead, were able to visit earthly inhabitants, and humans could take the opportunity to penetrate the domains of the gods and supernatural creatures.
“Fiery tributes and sacrifices of animals, crops, and possibly human beings were made to appease supernatural powers that controlled the fertility of the land. Samhain acknowledged the entire spectrum of nonhuman forces that roamed the earth during that period” (ibid., p. 177).
The Encyclopedia of Religion then explains the origin of the bizarre customs that survive in today’s Halloween: “Divination activities remained a popular practice. Adults, dressed in fantastic disguises and masks, imitated supernatural beings and visited homes where occupants would offer tributes of food and drink to them. A fear of nocturnal creatures, such as bats and owls, persisted, since these animals were believed to communicate with the spirits of the dead” (emphasis added).

Halloween comes to the New World

Centuries later, Irish and Scottish immigrants brought the custom of Halloween with them to the New World. After massive immigration of the Irish to the United States during the great potato famine in Ireland (1845-46), Halloween eventually became a national event.
Today, says The Encyclopedia of Religion, “modern Halloween activities have centered on mischief making and masquerading in costumes, often resembling otherworldly characters. Folk customs, now treated as games (such as bobbing for apples), have continued from the various divination practices of the ancient celebrants of this occasion. Supernatural figures (such as the ghost, the witch, the vampire, the devil) play a key role in supplying an aura of the mysterious to the evening, whether or not they originally had an association with the festival.
“Children are particularly susceptible to the imagery of Halloween, as can be seen in their fascination with the demonic likeness of a carved and illuminated pumpkin, known as the jack-o’-lantern. In recent times, children have taken up the practice of dressing in Halloween costumes and visiting homes in search of edible and monetary treats, lightly threatening to play a trick on the owner if a treat is not produced …
“There also has been renewed interest in Halloween as a time when adults can also cross cultural boundaries and shed their identities by indulging in an uninhibited evening of frivolity. Thus, the basic Celtic quality of the festival as an evening of annual escape from normal realities and expectations has remained into the twentieth century” (p. 177).

God unmasks Halloween

Does the Bible have anything to say about strange customs and holidays such as this? In fact, it does—and none of it is good.
While God’s Holy Days in the Bible celebrate the role of Jesus Christ in bringing mankind to salvation in the eternal family of God (as explained in the following article and our free Bible study aid  God’s Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind ), Halloween is a celebration of the opposite—of demonism, witchcraft, death and evil spirits.
God’s Word makes it clear that no one should dare entertain witchcraft or act as a sorcerer. “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD” (Deuteronomy 18:10-11 Deuteronomy 18:10-1110 There shall not be found among you any one that makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that uses divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
American King James Version×, emphasis added throughout).
God pronounced death on any Israelites who would dare dally with demonism or Satanism: “A man or a woman who is a medium, or who has familiar spirits, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones. Their blood shall be upon them” (Leviticus 20:27 Leviticus 20:27A man also or woman that has a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be on them.
American King James Version×). “You shall not permit a sorceress to live” (Exodus 22:18 Exodus 22:18You shall not suffer a witch to live.
American King James Version×).
Why such a harsh penalty? God did not want such perverted, demonic practices to spread among His people and corrupt others. “But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst” (Deuteronomy 13:5 Deuteronomy 13:5And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he has spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust you out of the way which the LORD your God commanded you to walk in. So shall you put the evil away from the middle of you.
American King James Version×).
Would God be against something as harmless as Halloween, especially since it allows children to have fun and enjoy a little entertainment? Can’t we let them have a little harmless fun?
Frankly, Halloween is anything but harmless. It focuses one’s attention on witchcraft and demonism, which flies in the face of the holy God Almighty! When parents not only allow but also encourage their children to celebrate witches and goblins, they are teaching them that it’s acceptable to deal in demonism.
And we have seen what God thinks of that. God is a God of light and truth (1 John 1:5 1 John 1:5This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
American King James Version×). Satan, “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4 2 Corinthians 4:4In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine to them.
American King James Version×), is a very real being—a being of darkness, deception and death (Revelation 12:9 Revelation 12:9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
American King James Version×; John 8:44 John 8:44You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and stayed not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
American King James Version×). We are to have nothing to do with his ways. (To learn more, request our Bible study aid Is There Really a Devil? )
Do not assume that Halloween is a harmless holiday. God hates mankind’s dabbling in the spirit world of Satan and his demons!
If there were no other reason available, that should be enough. But there are more reasons. Halloween keeps humankind, and many Christians, confused, disoriented and separated from the one and only true God.
God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33 1 Corinthians 14:33For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
American King James Version×). Nor is He the author of Halloween or any other “Christianized” pagan holidays (Amos 5:21 Amos 5:21I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.
American King James Version×). Why would the only true God who loves mankind support any worldly holiday that blinds human beings to Him and His truth and that holds men, women and children captive to deception?

What does God expect from you on Halloween?

You now know what lurks behind Halloween’s mask: Satan the devil! God will one day unmask the ritual and tradition of Halloween to all people (Hebrews 8:10-11 Hebrews 8:10-1110 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, said the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
American King James Version×).
If you believe that God exists and you understand that He is highly offended by the holidays designed and perpetuated by the god of this age, then you have a choice: whether you will begin honoring God the way He expects to be honored and be blessed for doing it, or whether you will ignore the truth revealed in history and His Word. Don’t wait!
God is not a god of masks, but a God of truth. God says that if you honor Him, He will honor you (1 Samuel 2:30 1 Samuel 2:30Why the LORD God of Israel said, I said indeed that your house, and the house of your father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD said, Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
American King James Version×). Ignore God and He will leave you subject to the god of this world and all that entails. God expects all who love and honor Him to repent from dead works and turn in faith toward Him, the only true God.

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Can Halloween Be Christianized?

 by Good News 9 comments Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

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What should you do in deciding how you will approach this hotly debated issue?

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Can Halloween Be Christianized?

Finding the shadows of the evil customs of Halloween abhorrent, many Christians have sought to sanitize the holiday by integrating religious symbols with which they are more familiar and comfortable (this process is called syncretism). Some, for example, carve the name Jesus onto pumpkins and add religious phrases in the hopes of evangelizing those who go trick-or-treating.
Others have undertaken a more elaborate revision of the holiday, attempting to turn it into a harvest festival interwoven with Christian themes and devoid of its more obvious pagan overtones. Church basements are turned into carnivals featuring games, contests and, of course, candy.
What should you do in deciding how you will approach this hotly debated issue?
The fundamental argument in favor of mixing ancient pagan customs and practices with the worship of God is that some believe it is an effective way to gradually win people over to Christian understanding. (Of course, in the present world we should ask ourselves why people who already see themselves as Christian would find any need to continue associations with pagan religious customs.)
This is sometimes a hotly disputed subject, and sincere people have concluded it indeed is useful to integrate the practices of ancient religious customs with the worship of God.
But perhaps we should address a fundamental question: What does God advise?
There is a scriptural precedent that offers guidance and direction for those who accept the Bible's instruction. The Israelites were confronted with these issues as they settled and built a new nation in the Promised Land. They encountered many worshipers of pagan deities as they entered the land and for centuries faced the problem as they dealt with neighboring peoples.
Even before they entered the land, God revealed His thinking and told them how to handle this challenge. His directions were explicit: “When the LORD your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed that you are not ensnared to follow them … Do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.' You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods … Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it” (Deuteronomy 12:29-32 Deuteronomy 12:29-3229 When the LORD your God shall cut off the nations from before you, where you go to possess them, and you succeed them, and dwell in their land; 30 Take heed to yourself that you be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before you; and that you inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. 31 You shall not do so to the LORD your God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hates, have they done to their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. 32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: you shall not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
American King James Version×).
God's instructions are crystal clear. He refuses to accept worship that is compromised and tainted by customs used in the worship of fraudulent religion. He expects His worshipers to revere Him in accordance with His commands, not their own imaginings.
Many centuries later the apostle Paul expressed a similar thought when correcting some in the church in Corinth for their poor judgment. “What partnership can righteousness have with wickedness?” he asked. “Can light associate with darkness? Can Christ agree with [the devil] …? Can there be a compact between the temple of God and idols? And the temple of the living God is what we are” (2 Corinthians 6:14-16 2 Corinthians 6:14-1614 Be you not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what concord has Christ with Belial? or what part has he that believes with an infidel? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? for you are the temple of the living God; as God has said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
American King James Version×, Revised English Bible).
The modern debate over Christianizing pagan worship customs could be resolved simply by reading and heeding God's plainly expressed will.
To help you learn more about what the Bible says about Halloween, please read these online articles:
Halloween: A Celebration of Evil
How did Halloween come to be considered a “Christian” celebration? Does the Bible say anything about All Hallows' or All Saints' Day?
Halloween: Behind the Mask
Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?
How Did a Pagan Holiday Become a 'Christian' Celebration?
Video: Don't Kid Yourself About Halloween

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What is purgatory?

  Estimated reading time: 1 minute

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Does the Bible say anything about purgatory? If so, who goes to purgatory, and what happens to them there?

The Catholic Encyclopedia defines purgatory as “a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who, departing this life in God's grace, are not entirely free from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions.” This concept is like a place for people not bad enough for hell, but not yet good enough for heaven. The Bible, however, does not speak of anything like purgatory at all.
The Bible is very explicit in what happens immediately after death: “For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing ” (Ecclesiastes 9:5 Ecclesiastes 9:5For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
American King James Version×, emphasis added). According to the Bible, there is no immortal soul that is whisked off to an eternity in heaven, hell or purgatory—there is only unconsciousness until the resurrections following Jesus Christ's return to the earth (1 Corinthians 15:51-52 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 51 Behold, I show 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
American King James Version×; Revelation 20:12-13 Revelation 20:12-13 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
American King James Version×).
The concept of purgatory also clashes with biblical truth in its assertion that sins can be erased through punishing the sinner. No such idea exists in the pages of the Bible, which contends that only the death of our Savior pays the penalty for sin (Acts 4:12 Acts 4:12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
American King James Version×; Romans 5:8 Romans 5:8But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
American King James Version×). Scripture also teaches that there are no minor sins (James 2:10 James 2:10For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
American King James Version×). Sins cannot be purged by cruel punishment, but they can be forgiven and overcome with the help of a loving Creator.
What about those who die without ever having had an opportunity to repent of their sins? That is likely the reason some hope in the unbiblical doctrine of purgatory. God intends to give everyone an opportunity for salvation, as we explain in What Happens After Death?

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Is the Devil in Your Church?

   by Steve Myers Listen

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Is the Devil in Your Church?

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Is it possible Satan is closer than you think - even within the church you attend? Learn what the Bible reveals.

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The devil versus the church. It’s an old story. Yet in Medieval England, the north side of a church was said to belong to the devil. Now today that seems old and obsolete and yet even in modern Britain today, the north face of the church is known as "the devil’s side." That’s supposedly where the devil and his demons lurk and pounce on unknowing church-goers.
It brings the questions to mind, is the devil only on the outside of the church? Prepare to be challenged on Beyond Today as we consider: "Is the Devil in Your Church?"
[Announcer] Join our host, Steve Myers and his guests, as they help you understand your future on Beyond Today !
[Steve] We often think of the devil as being out there somewhere. But is it possible that Satan is closer than you think? Historically, churches like the one we’re visiting today have been places that you feel safe in. And yet, is it possible that the devil is in your church?
In England, on the north side of some churches, there’s a special door that’s known as "the devil’s door." Now, why in the world would a church have a door that belongs to the devil?
Well, when there is a baptism or a christening, they open the door in order to let the devil out, or let the evil spirits out of the church.
That’s an incredible thought! In order to let the devil out of the church, he had to already be in the church.
So as you think about that, is it possible that the devil is in your church? Is it possible that he’s influenced your thinking, has he influenced your understanding of the Bible?
Could the devil really be in your church? What does the Bible say? When you look at Revelation 12:9 Revelation 12:9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
American King James Version×it tell us: "the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."
How much of the world has Satan conned? How much has he deceived? Well if you believe your Bible, God says that Satan has fooled, not just a few, not just some - but the Word of God says he has fooled and deceived the whole world. That’s the entire world!
That includes deception in education. That’s deception in politics. That’s deception in business and you know we cannot exclude the fact that Satan has deceived religion. Religion is deceived as well. The devil has hoodwinked religion today. So we can’t help but ask, has the devil deceived your church? Has the devil deceived you? Because you’re probably thinking, "No, not my church. Not my thinking. The devil certainly hasn’t deceived me." And yet that’s exactly what the Bible says.
Now here’s an interesting example. Imagine this church. Imagine this aisle that used to be here where the pews have been removed. Imagine people walking down this aisle as they were married. How many do you suppose that might be? Now this church was build 130 years ago, so there’s probably a lot of people that were wed in the building, walked down this aisle. And I’m sure there wasn’t any question what marriage was all about, what a family was all about.
Now there was an interesting study that was done and in that particular study it compared Christians to the rest of the world. Do you know what they found? They found in this particular survey that Christians in America were almost identical to the national average when it came to being divorced. 33% of Christians surveyed were married and divorced! (Study by Barna Group; "New Marriage and Divorce Statistics Released "; March 31, 2008).
Now, you can argue with those facts. You can argue with those figures. You know maybe it’s just truly committed Christians really aren’t that high in number. But there’s one thing you can’t argue with, that there is divorce among Christians and there is no doubt what your Bible says about that. Your Bible says that God hates divorce! (Malachi 2:16 Malachi 2:16For the LORD, the God of Israel, said that he hates putting away: for one covers violence with his garment, said the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that you deal not treacherously.
American King James Version×).
Now you might say, I’m not divorced - well that’s a good thing - but are you for marriage? You might be against divorce but are you really for marriage? If we claim to be Christian and we are truly for a godly marriage then shouldn’t we be praying with our spouse? Shouldn’t' we be teaching our children godly values? Shouldn’t we be studying the Bible together as a family? Wouldn’t that really be indicating that we are for marriage, not just against divorce - shouldn’t we be teaching our family those true values that are found in the Word of God?
That’s really showing that we truly are for marriage. Because God’s Word, His Scripture should shape our view. It should shape the way we think about adultery. It should shape the way we think about sex before marriage. It should shape the way that we feel about living together, because you know society out there accepts all of those things. It even glorifies those things! And yet the Word of God says they are unacceptable. So the question becomes, has the devil influenced your thinking?
Yeah, you may think, "Well the devil may be in some churches, but he’s not in my church. Out church, it’s not old and stodgy. We’re a church that’s really enjoyable to attend and when you leave you feel good about yourself."
Perhaps your church takes a more theatrical approach to worship. Maybe you’ve got a rock band; maybe you’ve got big-screen projection. You might just even have a coffee shop at your church. But let me ask you a question: Has your worship become entertainment?
You see true worship is not entertainment. You know you might hear some personal stories, you might hear a message about self-esteem; maybe you’re hearing messages about dealing with personal problems. But what about sin? What about the message of the Bible? What about consequences to sin?
Do you hear messages about that? Do you hear messages that challenge you to be a better person? To be a more godly person? To be more Christ-like? Isn’t that more than just entertainment? What about following the words of the Bible?
Over in the book of Luke 6:46 Luke 6:46And why call you me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
American King James Version×, here is what Christ said. He said, "… why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and [do not] the things which I say?" True, biblical worship means obedience to the Ten Commandments, following the Word of God. It’s not just about feeling good. You see obedience to God’s Word reminds us that keeping the Commandments is good for us!
Now here’s a question. Have you heard this message at church? How about this passage? It’s one that’s found over in the book of Deuteronomy 10:12 Deuteronomy 10:12And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
American King James Version×. It says "...listen to what the LORD your God demands of you: Worship the LORD and do all that he commands. Love him, serve him with all your heart, and obey all his laws. I am giving them to you today for your benefit" (GNT).
So you see, the Word of God says that true worship is so much more than just entertainment. That’s what Christ talked about - John 4:23 John 4:23But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him.
American King James Version×. He said "…the hour is coming, and now is, when [the] true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and [in] truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him."
Can you begin to see how true worship, how Christianity and perhaps even your own thinking has been influenced by the devil? I’d like to help you with this study aid to really understand the depth of the influence of Satan and what you can do to combat it in your life.
It’s called: Is There Really a Devil? It will help you see through the confusion in religion and expose the real source behind so many of our world’s problems and the underlying reason for so many of the difficulties that you face in your own life.
Call toll-free: 1-888-886-8632. Or go online to BeyondToday.tv to download, read or order your free copy of Is There Really a Devil? Outside of North America, please go to our website or write us to order your free booklet.
Now is the time to realize who’s determined to bend your thinking and how you can more effectively worship in spirit and in truth.
The truth can be a challenge to grasp, because there are so many versions of the truth out there. In fact, that’s another way that the devil has gotten into the church.
Notice what your Bible says in 1 Timothy 4:1 1 Timothy 4:1Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
American King James Version×. It says, "...in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons."
Now could it really be that serious? Absolutely! In fact, some think very little about sin and its effect on us. They think, "It’s really not that big a deal." Course then there’s others that think they should come and confess their sins to a man, and then perhaps say a few Hail Marys, a few Our Fathers and that should take care of it.
But you see, that’s penance. That’s a teaching of demons! Now you might say, well why might that be? Well it implies that you can pay for your own sins. That’s a demonic teaching and it goes against everything that the Bible teaches. You cannot make up for one of your sins. You can’t compensate for that. You cannot sacrifice for that. There’s only one sacrifice that covers sin.
It’s just not biblical to think penance will take care of things; in fact that is an insult to God! 1 John 1:9 1 John 1:9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
American King James Version×, it says: "if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing" (GNT).
Now you may say, "Well, I’m not one of those that beat myself up in penance." Well how seriously do you take sin? Because we’ve got to look around. We’ve got to look at the world around us and look at our own lives. Look at ourselves! We have human nature and that human nature is something we must overcome.
Galatians 5:19 Galatians 5:19Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
American King James Version×says, "What human nature does is quite plain. It shows itself in immoral, filthy, and indecent actions; in worship of idols and witchcraft. People become enemies and they fight; they become jealous, angry, and ambitious. They separate into parties and groups; they are envious, get drunk, have orgies, and do other things like these. I warn you now as I have before: those who do these things will not possess the Kingdom of God" (GNT).
Now when you hear that passage about the works of the flesh, about human nature, you might say, "Well I’m not terribly immoral, or filthy or indecent." But what about fighting? What about jealousy? What about anger? Or even ambitiousness in the wrong sense?
You see that kind of human nature has to be overcome in our lives and it can only happen by repentance. In Acts 26:20 Acts 26:20But showed first to them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
American King James Version×, it tells us "all must [turn] from their sins and turn to God - and prove [that] they have changed by the good things [that] they do" (NLT).
You see obedience is proof of repentance - doing what’s right. Obeying God shows that we truly have repented and that it’s sincere. So if you find the devil in your church, if you find the devil in your thinking, if you found that Satan has infected the way that you look at life - you’ve got to repent and turn to God.
Galatians 5:16 Galatians 5:16This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
American King James Version×says, "If you are guided by the Spirit, you won’t obey your selfish desires" (CEV).
How can you be led by God’s Spirit? Well that leads us to another way the devil has gotten into the church.
Even though we can’t see Satan, he has a powerful influence. In Ephesians 2:2 Ephesians 2:2Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience:
American King James Version×, we’re told "You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God" (NLT).
Now what does that mean? Well in a sense, Satan has his own spiritual Wi-Fi. He’s got his own influence that has our minds tuned in to his signal. So if you imagine the air around us, it is saturated. Not only with Wi-Fi, it’s saturated with cell phone signals, with satellite signals, with TV signals, with radio signals.
Satan’s influence is much the same. He has his own spiritual Wi-Fi you might call it, and you know the worst thing about it? Our minds are tuned into it! We are receptive to his signal of bad attitudes, of wrong ways of thinking, of influential selfishness. Those moods he infects our thinking with because he is the prince of the power of the air.
So when we read what it says in Romans 8:7 Romans 8:7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
American King James Version×, we begin to see, it says, "the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable do so" (HCSB).
So under the sway of Satan, you see we reject God. We reject His revelation. We reject His guidance and so we have built a society that doesn’t recognize God. We’ve even built religion that doesn’t recognize the true God. What can we do about it?
Well let’s talk about baptism. Acts 2:38 Acts 2:38Then Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
American King James Version×says, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Now this may be the area where baptisms took place in this church. Now some people sprinkle when they are baptized. They take water and sprinkle it on the person’s head. Now others pour water on the individual being baptized. And still others dip water out and pour it over the person being baptized. But did you know that none of those methods are biblical? None of them are found in your Bible. Has Satan contaminated baptism?
The fact is he has because baptism is being fully immersed in water. That’s what the word in the New Testament is all about. To baptize means to fully immerse, to become totally wet, to plunge into water. That’s the biblical method of baptism so that we’re buried in baptism. Our sins are washed away and then we stand up so that we can be a new creation in Christ.
Well how did you receive the Spirit? Well some people simply take Jesus in their heart. Others, a minister pronounces them to have the Spirit. And still others, by faith they have the Spirit of God. Now are those biblical ideas? Not if you’re reading your Bible! The devil’s got his foot in the door of even receiving God’s Spirit because none of those ideas is what God says in His Word about receiving God’s Holy Spirit.
Notice what it says in Acts 8:17 Acts 8:17Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
American King James Version×: "Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit."
You see these were people who believed. These were people who repented. And what did they do in order to receive God’s Spirit? In verse 18 it says, "through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given…"
There is no other way that’s biblical. No other way the Bible describes how you receive the Holy Spirit of God.
I don’t know if you realized in Hebrews 6 it lists the laying on of hands as a foundational basic doctrine of the Church. And so Jesus Christ Himself challenges you to receive the Spirit.
Luke 11:28 Luke 11:28But he said, Yes rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
American King James Version×, He puts it this way, "how blessed are those who hear and obey God’s word" (GW).
It can be a challenge then to put into practice the Word of God. It’s a challenge. But there’s help for that challenge.
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The last place you would expect to find the devil is in the church. But that’s exactly one place where God says he could be found. How is that possible? Well God predicted it in Corinthians. Notice 2 Corinthians 11:3 2 Corinthians 11:3But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
American King James Version×. It says, "I am afraid that your minds will be led away from your true and pure following of Christ just as Eve was tricked by the snake [and] his evil ways. You are very patient with anyone who comes to you and preaches a different Jesus from the one we preached. You are very willing to accept a spirit or gospel that is different from the Spirit and Good News you received from us" (NCV).
Can you recognize a false teacher? That’s what God was warning us about. Are you willing to accept it and put up with it even if the devil is trying to influence your thinking? God says we have to be careful. In the very next verse, verse 13 it says "for such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness..." (2 Corinthians 11:13-15 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
American King James Version×).
You see the devil never lets up with his deceitfulness. He inspires false teachers. Do you recognize them? He says they’re counterfeits. Their message is counterfeit. It’s a mixture of truth and falsehoods. In Mark 13:5 Mark 13:5And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:
American King James Version×, Christ said, "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive many."
In other words, Jesus said watch out for deception. Take heed. Be careful because you could be deceived. People who do not understand or teach the Bible accurately - would you recognize them?
A true minister of God goes up to that gap, that crack in the wall of his people and he repairs it and he restores it. That’s what a righteous minister does, a true minister of God, a true servant of God. That’s what he does because he protects his people, he serves his people. He warns them about these spiritual issues, these spiritual sins in their life that have to be repaired!
Verse 5. It says, "They don’t warn the people about coming trouble or tell them how dangerous it is to sin against me. Those prophets lie by claiming they speak for me, but I have not even chosen them to be my prophets. And they still think their words will come true" (Ezekiel 13:5-6 Ezekiel 13:5-6 5 You have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD. 6 They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD said: and the LORD has not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word.
American King James Version×, CEV).
So you see a true minister, they tell it like it is and you know sometimes, that’s a difficult thing to do. It’s not a feel-good kind of message. They have to point out the cracks, the gaps in people’s lives and help them to overcome sin; to help them to repair the damage that sin can cause.
Notice verse 10, false ministers it says: "…lead my people the wrong way by saying, 'Peace!' when there is no peace. When the people build a weak wall, the prophets cover it [over] with whitewash to make it look strong" (Ezekiel 13:10 Ezekiel 13:10Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, see, others daubed it with untempered mortar:
American King James Version×, NCV).
So you see the people think they have a strong wall. They’re deceived to think everything is just fine. So instead of protecting them and helping them and caring for them, those false ministers give them lies!
So which kind of minister do you have? You can’t afford to believe a false teacher.
Ephesians talks about it, chapter 6:12: "… we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."
You see this is a big battle! And the truth is: there’s a great false religious system that masquerades itself as Christianity. Eternal life is at risk! That’s how serious this issue truly is. That’s how serious Satan’s deception is!
So what can we do? If you’re going to keep the devil out of our church, if we’re going to keep the devil out of my thinking, if we’re not going to allow him to deceive us, we’ve got to make sure that we don’t focus on a leader’s charisma.
We don’t have to focus on their personality, but we must focus on their message! "To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light" - there is no truth - "in them" (Isaiah 8:20 Isaiah 8:20To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
American King James Version×).
So if you’ve found that the devil in your church, now’s the time you must do something about it! Now is the time to act! We must take action. Pray and ask God to open your mind to His truth.
It can be difficult to sort out truth and error so you’ll want to get your free copy of our study aid, Is There Really a Devil? and your free subscription to The Good News . Call toll free: 1-888-886-8632. That’s 1-888-886-8632. Or, you can read or order both The Good News and Is There Really a Devil? online at BeyondToday.tv . Or send us your request by mail to the address on your screen.
There is really a devil and he has an enormous effect on religion. So don’t allow him to infect your thinking. Don’t allow him to compromise your beliefs. There’s only one standard we can base our life on and that’s the standard of the Word of God.
In Revelation it describes God’s people as it says that they are those "who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 12:17 Revelation 12:17And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
American King James Version×).
So always seek God’s guidance though much prayer as you seek the church who obeys the Scriptures.
I’ll be right back after this:
[Narrator] Two men ran through the streets of the city each trying to be the first to discover if it was so. They turned the last corner and arrived at the tomb. They both stopped. One leaned over and looked into the space and noticed a neatly folded pile of linen cloths. He was astounded and backed away not believing what he saw.
Jesus was not there. He had risen from the dead. All things had changed.
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[Narrator] Go to KOGSeminars.org for details to find one near you. Kingdom of God Bible Seminars - giving the message of hope for tomorrow, beginning today.
[Steve] Until next time, keep praying "Thy Kingdom come" as we look beyond today. I’m Steve Myers. Thanks for watching.
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