If it is Holy Spirit and discernment led and lives are changed, not just fun programming induced, then God be glorified!

Some churches approach it with complete avoidance. They choose to opt out entirely due to the holiday's pagan origins and its cultural focus on fear, death, and gore.

Some churches will opt for alternative celebrations like hosting church harvest festivals, "trunk-or-treat" events, or celebrating events like Reformation Day. Still, other churches involve themselves in rebranding the holiday.

They will add community outreach alongside of their participation in non-evil elements (like innocent costumes and collecting candy) as a way to build relationships with neighbors and share the light of Christ.

At this point, without looking back in our main scripture text, do you remember what caused the women to run to the disciples and be great witnesses in sharing what was told them? They simply remembered Jesus' words.

What about the woman at the well in John chapter four? Think she needed her prop (waterpot) to share with the other Samaritans what Jesus had her? What about Jonah? Did he need men from a boat and a fish to witness in Nineveh?

Did the demoniac in (Mark 5: 1-15) need to bring his chains, shackles, and cutting stones for his wrist to tell the good things that God had done to him? What about the instruction Jesus gave his disciples about visiting other towns? (Luke 9:1-5).

So, what's my viewpoint from a biblical perspective? Christians, in all honesty, do not have to participate in the pagan holiday. However, through prayer and discernment, they should confront the darkness with light (truth).

But at the end of the day, who is being influenced the most? Let me try to make a valid comparison. When Solomon married all those wives, who had the greatest influence? It wasn't the number of wives; it was the idols they worshiped.

Solomon was weakened by idol darkness he allowed in his home. (1 Kings 11:1-10; Peter 2:19-20; Luke 11:21-26). Sometimes we can rub shoulders with things that start out as innocent and playful.

This is why my stance on this particular holiday should be approached with much intercessory prayer and possibly fasting. The goal is to win people to the Kingdom of God, not have fun in things pertaining to the dead.

Sometime ago, a friend of mine asked me to attend a Halloween fun house walk through at this church. I prayed about it after I hung up with him. I remember feeling uneasy, and asked the Lord should I go.

After I sought the Lord, it was good to see what this church was offering concerning the gospel (Good News) around Halloween. After we arrived, they had a big walk through at the entrance with all things pertaining to death.

As we continued to walk further in, there were more ghoulish figures, horror voices, murder scenes, skeletons, etc. Out of the ten or fifteen minutes it took to walk through it, they had near the exit end some cute pictures of religious artifacts.

You see beloved, Halloween was the star of the day, not Jesus. No one left thinking about God, Jesus, the Bible, or the Holy Spirit. No one was outside waiting to share the gospel. It seemed to me Satan was on display.

Again, I know there are Halloween community events many of you are scheduling this week. But whether it's Harvest Festivals or Hallelujah night, or light parties, with glowing bright fairy lights and glow in the dark games.

Mixing them with joyful worship music helps to give that we are trying to take the edge off of what Halloween can mean. Some believers will use the evening as a prime opportunity for hospitality and creative evangelism.

Some churches will use prayer walking events, (which I love), like walking through their local neighborhood silently or quietly praying over each home. They are not dressed up or even carrying candy. Sounds like (Luke 9:1-5).

Praying over homes, asking for God's protection, blessing, and spiritual awakening, is a loving opportunity to let God’s light be seen in the neighborhood. Still, some use artistic skills to carve out pumpkins to illustrate how God rids sin in our lives inside out.

But the origin roots of Halloween are still used by Satan. Let me be clear, there are no reminders of murder, death, graveyards, skeletons, horror sounds, or spilling of blood in heaven. (Revelation 20:10-15; 21:8).

There is the lamb that was slain. His blood was spilled to wash away all our sins. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, has no real connection with Halloween, unlike how Satan is part 9f the darkness of Halloween.

Halloween's roots (Celtic festival of Samhain) and its celebration often glorify fear, death, horror, and the occult. From this perspective, dressing up as evil figures or dabbling in darkness conflicts with the call to be set apart as children of light.

True authentic born-again believers should use the night to build community, show love and kindness, or hand out tracts. All things should be done to glorify God and not glorify the darkness. (1 Corinthians 10:31).

[Our actions must be motivated by God’s love so that all we do will be for his glory. Keep this as a guiding principle by asking, Does this action glorify God? How can I honor God through this action?]


🗣📢 Last words: As we prepare to close for today, my encouragement for all authentic believers in Christ Jesus is that the leaders and lay people would prayerfully test all things according to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. (1 John 4:1-6).

Remember, there are mature sheep to watch over, and there are baby sheep to watch over. The Church leadership should always look after them with a shepherd’s heart. Give no place to Satan or his wicked devices.

Let's look at today's recap of our main text in (Luke 24).

🎃 The Graveyard Shift-
Many who do not know Jesus find themselves unknowingly embracing a culture of death during the Halloween season. Even pets are a target for evil doers.

The women who ministered to Jesus during his ministry, went to the tomb out of grief and duty, fully expecting to find a dead body. Similarly, our world often drifts toward the themes of Halloween.

The reason most people embrace the fun around fear, darkness, horror, and death, is because they don't know where else to look for an escape or excitement. When people are spiritually blind, darkness covers it. (John 3:19).

Great instructions to know. (Ephesians 5:8-14; Proverbs 14:12). We must remember that it's easy to look around at our culture's fascination with the macabre and point fingers.

The reality is that this graveyard mindset isn’t just outside the church doors, it can often creep into our own lives if we are not discerning and watchful. We don't just see a world celebrating darkness if we are honest.

If not careful, we can be like the Kings in the Old Testament who failed to remove the shrines off the hills. We too can often find ourselves searching for fulfillment in the exact same dead spaces.

This brings us face-to-face with the exact same diagnostic challenge the angels leveled at the women at the tomb, forcing us to ask the ultimate question about our values.

🎃🎃 The Angels' Question-

Have you ever had someone correct you in the grocery store when you were looking for an item that was in different isle? Our searching needed to be redirected. This was the angels same caring challenge to the women.

The women went looking for the source of life in a tomb. Yes, they knew Jesus was dead. But again, they later remembered his words. Imagine if after Jesus died on the cross, the women had said, "We don't have to go to the tomb."

Their wonderful words might be closely related to what the centurion said to Jesus concerning his sick servant, about coming to his house "Just speak the word." Now that's faith in operation.

"We don't have to go to the tomb, because he said he would rise again." "We'll just wait for him in this house until three days from now." The women would have still been a position to see Jesus first because of their amazing faith.

When we try to find community, thrills, or identity in dark or spiritually dead spaces (including the occultic or fearful theme celebrated on October 31st, we are looking in the wrong place.

The souls of the people trapped in darkness should be our reason for dabbling around on October 31st. The commercial part of Halloween is run by Satan. We should stop looking for spiritual satisfaction or harmless thrills.

They only glorify the decay. True excitement and joy are found in the dynamic, moving presence of the Holy Spirit, Amen? (Jeremiah 2:13-15; Isaiah 55:2-7).

Beloved, once the Holy Spirit exposes the futility of our misdirected searching, we cannot simply stand there staring into an empty tomb. The angels didn't ask the women to camp out in the cemetery until Jesus showed up.

God doesn't call us to just sit around complaining about how dark the world is on October 31st. An empty tomb demands an active response. Knowing that the living one cannot be found among the dead.

This changes our values and direction  entirely. Like a GPS (God’s Positioning System). It moves out of the graveyard shadows and launches us into a completely new way of living.

🎃🎃🎃 Leave The Tombs Behind-

God's children are always (or should be), positioned as children of light. How else will those on Halloween see us? Light can be extremely involved in something without participating in it. Jesus walked perfectly in that example.

Did Jesus sit down with the man who was possessed with demons in the tombs (graveyard), and say to him, "Hey, how about I cut myself on my wrist also, so you don't feel so bad? No, he did not. He freed the man so he could leave the cemetery.

That demon possessed man left the darkness where it belonged and then took the light that ministered to him back to his hometown where people he knew were living in their own cemetery lifestyle.

The angels told the women, "He is not here, he has risen!" They are reminded of his words and immediately leave the graveyard to tell the living. Can you grasp that?

As Christians, our response to a night like Halloween shouldn't just be hiding in fear; it should be actively radiating the light of the resurrection. Turn the night around saints.

Instead of participating in the darkness, use the season to celebrate the ultimate victory over the grave. Be the brightest house on the block, share the gospel, and show the world that we serve a living Savior, not a dead ideology.

Ultimately, the Bible warns against treating dark spiritual realities as playground games, urging believers to guard their hearts and let their lives honor God in all things. (1 Thessalonians 5:4-8; Romans 13:12-14).

Don't spend your life lingering in the spiritual graveyards of this world. If the tomb is empty, then our hearts should be full. This October 31st, take off the masks of fear and worldly conformity.

It's time to step out of the shadows, and live completely in the light of the "Risen King!"


🛐 Here’s a prayer you can pray when at the 31st tomb. "Heavenly Father, thank you for shedding your light on controversial things that are not controversial to you. We stand in awe today, that the tomb is empty.

Father, we know that your Son, Jesus Christ is alive forevermore. Forgive us for the times we have drifted into spiritual graveyards, seeking joy, fulfillment, identity, and entertainment in things that glorify decay.

We reject the fear and darkness that tries to come off as cute, innocent, and harmless. Forgive us for looking for the living among the dead. Lord, open our eyes to see your GPS position direction in our hearts.

Break the fascination this world has with darkness, and shatter any stronghold of fear throughout those attending "Try Jesus" today. Your word declares that you have not given us (born again believers) the spirit of fear.

You have anointed us with power, love, and a sound mind to discern good and evil. As we approach a season where the culture puts death on display, we pray that your church would put life on display.

Help us take off the masks of conformity. Give us the courage to step completely out of the shadows and walk boldly as children of the light. Let our homes, our families, and our lives be the brightest beacons of hope where we live.

We thank you that Jesus did not just survive the grave, he utterly defeated it. Lord, multiply our boldness to share the good news of the resurrection with a world that is desperately searching for life in dead places.

Please fill us fresh with the power of your Holy Spirit this week to walk in victory over the commercialism of the coming holiday. Lord, you are the only treat we need. In your victorious, and living name we pray, Amen."


❤ "If you would like to know Jesus as your Savior, please read the drop-down page entitled "How to know Jesus."


📣 Help spread the word by sharing this web site and messages on your platform.


🙏 Please remember to pray for the people in Israel. They are God's people because of his covenant promises to them. (Genesis 12:1-3; Numbers 6:22-27; 24:8-9). ✝️



☎️ Please call and leave your prayer request or text at- 412-616-3572