“LIFE
IS A MARATHON “ (archived)
By: Rev. Philip K. Cooper, October 2006
Are you excited? I am excited! It’s
okay to be excited. The question is: What are we excited about?
Sadly, millions of people are excited about Halloween.
Enormous amounts of money are being spent on that ancient pagan
celebration, “All Hallows Evening”, of the devil himself.
Children are being seduced into thinking that going out that night
dressed in devilish costumes is a healthy and good event. Not
so, for the parent should rather be teaching them the things of
God rather than the things of the devil. But it’s easier
to do what the “crowd” is doing.
I am not excited about Halloween. I am fearful for those
children. I am as concerned for the safety of their mind and soul
as for the safety their physical being, though I am also concerned
for that. Every year we hear of tragedies caused on Halloween
night, of vandalism, of accidents, of sickness and even death
by poisoning of so-called treats, even of murders.
Yes, when I was young I went out also. Neither I nor
my parents knew Jesus as Lord, nor did we know the devil. As I
look back, I wish we did know the Truth then. For I believe in
my heart that if we had known, we would have honored God as we
are called to do in His word, the Bible.
We must ask ourselves “Where is the church on
this issue?” I have known churches that have haunted “houses”
right in their buildings on Halloween night. Rather than teach
Jesus they give in to the world and lead the children astray.
God will judge them when they stand before Him.
The New Testament references the word “deceive”
in 36 verses. And the punishment for deceiving is very severe.
Are we deceiving our children into thinking that anything is okay
in these last days?
Yes, I am excited. So what is it that I am excited about?
I am excited to know Jesus, to
know His Holy Spirit that lives in me. I am excited to be able
to write on the issues of our times,
and to bring God’s word to the reader. I am excited to know
that He has removed so many of the
things of the world from my life. Not perfected yet, but working
unto that perfection that I am
promised “when I see Jesus face to face.” (Revelation
22:4)
