Reformation or Halloween?

What does the Bible, the Koran and Pagan holidays have in common?

In the Bible there are many references of erecting monuments as a memorial after a great victory. One story that stands out to me in Joshua where the children of Israel did just that:

Joshua 4:1-7 Now when all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, ² “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe, ³ and command them, saying, ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet are standing firm, and carry them over with you and lay them down in the lodging place where you will lodge tonight.’” ⁵ and Joshua said to them, “Cross again to the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel. ⁶Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ ⁷ then you shall say to them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.”

Throughout scriptures we are reminded to remember our victories. You see it throughout the Hebraic calendar, where the celebrations were around some great victory. You see the flip side, when the children of Israel forgot what the LORD had done which led to their living lives complaining instead of celebrating. It was so important to the LORD that many didn’t get into the promise land because they didn’t celebrate.

In the Koran, it instructs its followers to do the same. It’s the same scenario, to no surprise, since everything is a copy of the original. This was such a good practice to celebrate our victories and build monuments that others copied this practice. We know “ground zero” in New York was a place of controversy after 911, as to what would become of ground zero. Muslims were fighting to build a monument of their victory and Americans were fighting to honor the victims that lost their lives that day. The idea of an enemy erecting a monument on our soils of what they would call a victory is unthinkable.

Pagan holidays such as Halloween are in essence doing the exact same practice. Although, I don’t know of a battle that was fought in the world on Halloween, this holiday was started to celebrate the dead. It has evolved into celebrating witches and demons. It’s interesting that this holiday is celebrated on the same day as a great victory in the church with the protestant reformation. This is the day Martin Luther nailed his 95 thesis to the door of Wittenberg church and the reformation began. Do you see a pattern? When it’s a victory for us the enemy seeks to steal that memory, when it’s a defeat for us the enemy seeks to celebrate.

So what is the point? The point is if we celebrate our victories and don’t allow the counterfeits to steal our holidays, it will not only be a benefit for generations to come but for us as well. If we don’t celebrate, their will arise a generation that doesn’t know the victories that were won for them. Eventually, erased from the memory of Christians.

I believe this celebration of our victories is one way gates, doors, and portals are opened on the earth. Just like the Moravian, I believe, left us a portal by praying a 100 years. I believe if GOD says it’s important, then it’s important. So are you going to celebrate the Reformation or Halloween?