Christians, What Will We Do About Halloween?

'Tis that time of year again.

In a matter of days we in the US will celebrate a day that most children look forward to and thoroughly enjoy, unless they have certain developmental or sensory issues. It is a day which festivities give dentists a huge opportunity to make massive profits off happy trick-or-treaters. It is a day that most adults tolerate "for the sake of the children to make them happy." It is not an official holiday but treated as one anyway. Yes, I'm talking about Halloween.

It has become a divisive topic in our Christian community. Should we Christians celebrate it or not?

That is a huge question. As Christ-followers, no action of ours is morally neutral. Even if we believe that what we are doing is not "black or white," to others watching us, it may be. From posts I see from brothers and sisters in Christ on Facebook, I observe that their commitment has convinced them that Halloween is displeasing to Christ and must not be celebrated in any way, even through participation in wholesome, imitation Halloween events like "trunk or treat." Many years ago, I read a book by an author whose family, upon becoming totally committed to Christ through the "Baptism of the Holy Spirit," (which included speaking in tongues and signs and wonders)refused to celebrate Halloween. Despite their explanations as to why they went against the grain of their culture, I thought that their commitment bordered on fanaticism. Now I realize that this family were willing to pat the price of following Christ even when it meant bucking cultural pressures to do so.

Christians, what ought we to do about this cultural pressure to "do the Halloween thing" because "everyone else is doing it?"

1). Remember that our first allegiance is to Christ and to His word, given in the Scriptures. True, God says nothing about Halloween in any part of His Word. But he says plenty, in both the Old and New Testament, about compromising with the world system, its values and its ways. In the West, the values of our culture consist of materialism, hedonism, and consumerism. Like any holiday, Halloween feeds these values as we have to spend money on Halloween festivities (though not nearly as much as Christmas) and then "have our Halloween fun" at designated places and especially on October 31. Do we want to go along with the world or be different and stand up for Christ?

2). We are to love others sacrificially, even when doing so will make us look a little nutty. Some people suffer or have suffered, satanic ritual abuse or have survived hellish experiences in satanic cults. Consider them this Halloween. They no doubt find this time of year to be a painful trigger for horrible memories. Some children have sensory issues that make Halloween festivities a difficult experience. They may opt not to wear costumes or even participate in this season. We ought to respect that and respect all families of children with special needs, who may even dread holidays, including Halloween. We are taking potential funds away from furthering Christ's cause on Earth or from those in need, by spending it on holiday festivities instead. At least, we can cut back for the sake of others. We are called to love!

3). We are ordered not to give Satan even a "foothold" in our lives. The occult and pagan roots of this holiday tell the Enemy of our souls, "We are setting aside a season and a day to dabble in your stuff!" Now isn't it? Think about it. Halloween may seem like "just harmless fun" but how may Stan view it? More important, how does God see it?

4). The Bible calls us to avoid even the appearance of evil. We are asked not to knowingly do anything that would "give offense" to anyone and that includes celebrating Halloween or other holidays when they can observe us. And more and more of our brothers and sisters in Jesus are against celebrating Halloween. And we are not to offend other religions either. If I'm not mistaken, Jehovah's Witnesses, who are against observing holidays or birthdays, no doubt do not celebrate Halloween either. In addition, we are not to do anything that would cause us to sin. Following Jesus will cost us. He promised it would!

5). This is not a call to reject Halloween altogether though I do not encourage anyone to engage in its festivities. I understand that we want our children to have fun on that day. The childlike among us may enjoy the holiday ourselves. We can still find ways to have our fun on that day or any time of the year, without spending money on festivities that could be saved or given to those in need of the Gospel message and/or the basics of life.

What will you do about Halloween?

Blasphemy, by Asia Bibi

This book is both a memoir and a plea for the world to hear Bib's plea for freedom. Asia Bibi, a mother of five in Pakistan, has been in prison for over five years. She was sentenced to death for blasphemy because of Pakistan's Sharia Law. Bibi was alleged to have been arguing with a few Muslim women and took a stand for the Person of Christ. Without direct evidence that she Bibi had criticized Muhammed, she was thrown in jail and sent to prison. Several years ago, Bibi, unable to read or write, dictated this book to ghostwriter Anne-Isabelle Tollet, an international reporter. The profits of this book all go directly to the family of Asia Bibi.

This ghostwritten book, authored by a condemned Christian mom in a country known for egregious crimes against our fellow brothers and sisters in Jesus, is easy to read in a literary sense. Emotionally, it is not and it was not meant to be. Bibi identifies herself as both a Christian and a Catholic. I'm aware that many of us in the Christian community view Catholicism as a cult containing false teachings, and I agree that a number of its teachings are unscriptural. But when you are in a situation of life and death, as Bibi has been in for over five years, I doubt that doctrine is central priority. Bibi is candid about her see-saw emotions and is brutally honest with herself, God and us. Unlike so many books written about martyrs and persecuted Christians, Bibi makes no effort to be stoic. This book, absent of Western influence, contains no spiritual cliches. But then, it is written in the midst of persecution rather than after the fact.

Every Christian should read this fast-paced book. I think parents should pre-read this book before handing it to teenagers to read. I assure you that this book will motivate you to take action on behalf of this Christian mom. Yes, I know that we have our domestic ministries that deserve our time and resources. We do not need to neglect those in order to take time to educate ourselves about our brothers and sisters in Jesus, worldwide, who are facing persecution. If you are able, please purchase this book, as all profits from the book are pledged to go directly to Bibi's family, who live in fear for their lives and in hiding. If you can, please buy this book from Amazon here.

Please Sign This Petition.

We Can Share Jesus' Love with Girls & Women in Asia!

Here in the West and especially in the US, many are advocating for women's rights. We are calling for pay equity, equal pay for equal work. To protect more girls and women, many want the word "rape" to be expanded as a legal definition for sexual misconduct. Many of us want tougher laws to protect women against violence. The most controversial right that women want is the "right to choose" not only in contraception but also to terminate their pregnancies. Most of these rights we want are good and right. We have come a long way in women's rights but more needs to be done.

We who follow Jesus, for the most part, agree with most of the rights women and their allies are calling for. Women should be paid as much as men for equal work, be protected against any form of sexual abuse, be able to get justice in civil or criminal court, and be safe from all violence. As Christians, we cannot in a good conscience take God seriously and join the culture in calling for the preservation of the "right to choose" to "terminate a pregnancy" when we realize what and who we are calling to be aborted. But the post is not about abortion.

Yes, some things remain unfinished in the women's rights arena even in the US. Also, as this calls for support for girls and women who are sold into sex slavery, human trafficking in the US does need more awareness and support. However, girls and women (by far the most frequent human trafficking victims) fare far worse in many countries outside the West. While we (who are women in the West) are lacking in some rights we want and encounter sexism, women outside the West often have no rights. Many of them, when they are raped, are disowned by their families. They may even be sent to prison! Talk about "blaming the victim"! When they experience abuse in their marriages, many women outside the West cannot get any protection or justice from the courts. Testify in court? They often are not allowed to do that. Two-thirds of the world's illiterate people are girls and women. Human trafficking, terrible as it is for victims in the West, is far worse for girls and women throughout the world. As horrific and tragic as all this is, many of these girls and women have never heard about Jesus' love in a way they can understand. This is true in many countries all over Asia, for example.

Gospel for Asia exists to empower native Asian missionaries to bring the Gospel message to unreached people groups. They sponsor many projects that meet the material and practical needs of Asia's unreached peoples. They pledge that 100 present of money that is designated to go to mission projects or native missionaries in Asia, will all go directly that that project or that missionary. For those of you who prefer to pay by check or money order, Gospel for Asia has a physical address. My first campaign at Gospel for Asia's website is meant to get awareness and funds for hurting girls and women who desperately need not only to be rescued from sex slavery, but also need to hear (often for the first time) about Jesus Who dies for them, loves them and yearns to know them.

Please check out my campaign here. If you cannot give financial support, please share this post widely!

Thank you,

Lisa DeSherlia

People with Disabilities: An Unreached People Group?

Today, in our Christian community and especially in the mission-minded community, we hear about "people groups." We also speak of "unreached people groups." If you are familiar with that term, you know that this refers to groups of people who share things in common (ethnicity, religion, tribe, location, lifestyle and more). Furthermore these are people who are estimated to have few Christ-followers compared to their numbers. Usually when we think of "people groups," we think of those who share in common race, ethnicity, or tribal identity. But are we missing something?

What about a people group among us whom we may never have thought of?

People with disabilities. I mean visible disabilities like blindness, using wheelchairs, missing limbs, severe cognitive impairments or more. I mean invisible disabilities like autism, Asperger's Syndrome, epilepsy, mild intellectual disabilities and more. I wonder if your observations and research have been turned up conclusions like mine?

I have belonged to and visited multiple congregations throughout my life. I have browsed Christian bookstores. I have read many Christian books. I have also read, and base much of my prayer life on, books on missions. I have consistently noticed one common denominator. While there is an rightful, expanding awareness of the need to reach out to the ever-increasing immigrants among us with Jesus' love I see little awareness to likewise reach out to the millions in the disability community. I'm talking about the many people who have visible disabilities (blindness, orthopedic disabilities, severe mental disabilities, loss of limbs) and invisible disabilities (deafness, mild intellectual disabilities, learning differences, autism, epilepsy, and more). I think I can understand the reason for this neglect.

I know. I know. It takes time and effort for Pastors, church leaders and church members to educate ourselves about the various disabilities and how they work with those who deal with the people who face them. This is especially true in the case of invisible disabilities. And, even if we educate ourselves, it will cost money and moving out of our comfort zones to make accommodations for certain disabilities. To give blind persons accommodations, audio books and Braille materials must be offered. To give deaf people accommodations, interpreters and members who know sign language will need to be available. To welcome those who use wheelchairs, the church build will need to be ramped. I can go on and on.

In my past experience, both as a church member and in research on available Christ-centered resources and church awareness, I have noticed that the Christian community has long been aware of the challenges of children and, less often, adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Schools have been able and willing to give children with that diagnosis accommodations. In an earlier congregation, however, I heard horror stories of parents with children diagnosed with autism or Asperger's Syndrome. They tried their children out in the church-based school that this congregation affiliated with. The educators were ill-equipped to deal with autism or Asperger's. This was the same situation in another congregation, which offered accommodations so limited that only one part-time reading/speech therapist was available to the church-based school (rated a Blue Ribbon school!). As I browsed Christian bookstores, I found very few resources about disabilities and the Christian community. The few that had been written, were addressed to church leaders to welcome those with the more severe, visible disabilities. With the exception of Joni Eareckson Tada, herself a person with a severe visible disability, very few materials have been written by people with disabilities for the Christian community.

Yes, I know that things are improving. I know of congregations which have special needs ministries and/or small groups for people with disabilities. I know that some churches are trying and need to be given credit for that. I salute them. Yet in proportion to the millions of people with some kind of visible or invisible disability, many do not belong to congregations and fewer are active in them or fill leadership positions including on church boards. I guess most do not see that there is any place in our local churches for them. Many may indeed long to serve God through a local Church but may feel unwelcome so they may stay home on Sunday mornings. I think it is easier to accommodate and welcome those with the more severe, visible disabilities because the need is obvious. But I have heard of many families of autistic children, and autistic adults themselves. They say that they avoid local churches because they do not feel welcome there or by the Christian community in general. Many have taken to finding Christian fellowship online. But virtual fellowship can do only so much for us socially or spiritually.

To accomplish this task of doing much more to welcome people with disabilities is a huge task. Like anything else we are asked to do, it will be a sacrifice of time, effort, creativity and money. But God tells us it will be worth it. He says, "Accept others as you have been accepted, then God will be glorified." (Romans 15:7, NIV).

National Association of the Deaf

Autism Society

Epilepsy Foundation

Invisible Disabilities Association

The Arc: For People with Intellectual and developmental Disabilities

And you can search for much more on Google!

The Good vs. the Best

Going out to eat or using the same money to give to persecuted believers.

Watching a fun, clean show or obeying God's nudge to pray.

Enjoying a chewing gum habit or giving it up to sponsor a child.

Curling up with a good book or using the time calling a lonely friend.

Giving a child a pricy iPhone or giving her your time and listening ear.

Staying put in one's place or following God's call to become a missionary.

Getting a child in extracurricular activities or taking him on a servant project.

Staying in one's comfort zone or obeying God's call to reach out to a needy person.

Eating three healthy meals a day or skipping meals to give more.

Ignoring a person who hurt you or reaching out to forgive and love him.

In life, whether as Christians or non-Christians, we know that it can be challenging at times to know what is the right thing to do. If you grew up in the 1970's, you may, like I had, been introduced to something called "situation ethics." You know, if it feels good, do it. If it does not ostensibly hurt anyone else, it's okay. Today, it seems that we have turned right vs. wrong on its head. To make matters more complicated, if we seek to follow Jesus into Biblical Christianity (as opposed to the cultural variety), we know that we are not only being commanded to reject the wrong and embrace the right. We are often faced with the challenge to choose what God deems as best vs. what we consider as best.
God's best. Our second-best.

The examples I started out with, among many others, do not involve black and white choices. Few people would criticize us for sticking with the logical choices on the left. You know, choices that benefit us in this life. While all of us Christians, like anyone else, fight temptations to do wrong and are commanded to not yield to temptation, God has a higher standard for our lives than to avoid wrongdoing. Far higher standards. Yes, like you, I struggle with this often! When I read about the life of Christ or about the bold faith of persecuted brothers and sisters in Him, worldwide, I'm convicted as well as encouraged. It all lets me know the very high standards God has for our behavior. God calls on us to not only avoid sin and be nice, decent people who love our families and be good, patriotic citizens. He calls us to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow His Son. He calls on us to live lives of total devotion to Him and selfless love for others, all others and no matter how they treat us or who they are. He does not call us to a life of ease, fun, or lack of conflict.

The world says that what is best is what benefits us now.

God says that what is best for us what He does through us for others and He promises future rewards, including His "Well done," plus His pleasure in this life. We often will keep facing tough choices. But He tells us that if we choose His best, it will be worth it!

Please visit The Voice of the Martyrs website to learn about believers all over the world who choose God's best and pay a high price for it. Go here.