Happy Halloween one and all! I just wanted to share with you all something that I heard (for the first time) in church this Sunday - it absolutely floored me and (truth be told) brought the “threat of a tear” to my eye… In our church, on Sunday mornings, with have a “Children’s Service” wherein all of the young children in the church get to come to the front at the beginning of the service and hear something that is applicable to them - usually, it is something that fits in with the message that the pastor brings, but not always.

This week, the children’s message was about Halloween… I, as I always do, went up to the front pew to make sure my two little ones act as they should while they are up in front of the church and believe it or not, I actually *listen* to the message brought to the children. The fellow talking to the kids was sitting on the top step next to a pumpkin, and what follows is a paraphrase of what he told them (and me) about Halloween.

“Many people think that pumpkins and Halloween are all about evil and dark things - and while some of that is true, there is also a way to think about things from a Christian point of view: take, for instance, carving pumpkins. When we carve a pumpkin, the first thing we do is clean it up: we get all the muck, dirt, and grime off the outside, cut off the top and pull all of the “pumpkin-goo” out and throw it away. In the same way, this is what happens to us when we are saved - Christ cleanes us from our sins, reaches down into out heart and pulls out all of the horrible, sinful, hurtful things that we have done (Hebrews 10:22) and seperates us from them as far as the east is from the west (Psalms 103:12).

Next, when we carve a pumpkin, we usually carve some eyes and a large smile on its face. In the same way, Christ puts a smile on our faces once we are born again - he gives us a reason, deep down inside to be joyous! We are now secured an eternal life with him in Heaven - we have quite a lot to grin about - and grin we should! (1 Peter 1:8-9) Further, there is joy as well in Heaven when one comes to Christ! JOY ABOUNDS! (Luke 15:10)

Once we are done carving, we put a light on the inside of our pumpkin and show it to the world. We are very proud of what we have done and want as many people as possible to see our handy-work. By the same token, Christ puts his divine light inside of us once we are saved (John 8:12 ) and he, too, wants the entire world to see His light in us - we should be proud and should never hide that light from anyone. We should always strive to show others Christ’s light in us. (Matthew 5:14-16)

Now that this is done, something else happens - something unexpected and marvelous. This thing that we have made is no longer a pumpkin, but a jack-o-lantern! Someting altogether new and different than what it once was! In the same way, once we are saved, we become a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) - we are to put on the “new man”, as Paul says in Ephesians 4:24, and re-train our thoughts, minds, and hearts daily to follow Christ.”

Have a blessed, safe, and happy Halloween, true believers!