So I'll never forget the day I'm moving from South Africa to the United States. I am there, and I have my first Halloween, and I'm driving through the streets of my wife, and she's showing me how people are decorating their homes for Halloween and, like, some of the stuff that's going on. And I was so shocked by the things I saw. And honestly, I haven't had that many Halloweens here. I've been here for, like, five years now. And so that's about five Halloweens that I've seen come and go with people decorating. And every time it goes up, I'm like, a lot of these people are believers. Like, a lot of these people are full on, like, Christians going to church every Sunday. And then I look at some of the decorations and stuff and the kinds of things that are being celebrated. You know, I was just honestly driving through with my wife, like, whoa. Like, why? What is this all about? Like, is this normal? This is what you guys in America do. You see, I've recognized something about a lot of things in life, and it is that when you grow up immersed in something, being taught that that thing is normal, you don't ever really think twice about it, especially if it's something that you were introduced to as a young child. And we know Halloween, it's all about the kids, right? But today, I want you to think twice about what many will be partaking in soon, how it may or may not spiritually affect our children, and what God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is calling the next generation, too. Welcome to the Halloween hoax. Halloween is a plan. It's a strategy. Halloween offers something to the world. That's why it's so popular. That's why so many people get so super excited about it. It offers a spiritual experience whereby spiritual things are celebrated. I mean, you just drive through and you see what people are dressing up as and what they're dressing their houses up with. Death, ghosts, demons, witches, and witchcraft and all things like this. It's a worldly institution set up as an alternative to biblical celebrations, biblical culture, and biblical feasts. Halloween is a counterfeit spiritual experience. And those most drawn into it are those who are hungry for something. There is definitely something inside of them that's seeking out more, something supernatural, something spiritual. First, let's talk about the counterfeit celebration. What makes Halloween so attractive? See, if you think about Halloween, it's an interesting day because typically, it'd be really weird to celebrate the things that are being celebrated on Halloween at any other Time. But we as humanity are a people that run off of social conventions. In fact, our social conventions even determine our morality. If we don't get our morality from the Bible. That's why when you even look back at Nazi Germany, just before World War II broke out, we see that. I mean, they normalized antisemitism. It became cool to hate Jewish people and other minority people. That's why people, by and large, started participating within it. And so the same way, see Halloween for what it is. It's a social convention. It's the one day a year where certain things are socially permissible and even encouraged. Body parts and grave sites all over your lawn. In fact, you have permission to celebrate, and not only celebrate, but to explore these things deeply with your children as they walk around watching, looking at the houses, seeing all that they're seeing, and even dressing up like some of it. Whether death or ghosts and demons, witchcraft, blood and gore, darkness or wickedness. You say, petey? No, no, no. It's not openly that. Well, just look at this Target ad that I just saw play the other day that celebrates wickedness. I love it. Please, Mom. Finally, there's no place like Target to shop everything wicked. As they say, shop everything wicked at Target. But what does the Bible say? Proverbs 4:14 tells us, do not enter the path of the wicked. Do not walk in the way of the evil. Avoid it and do not go on it. Turn away from it and pass on. See, God doesn't just warn us of doing wickedness, which is a big deal, but he even tells us, don't go on the same path that they are on. Don't partake in the things that they are partaking on. Don't walk in the way of the evil. But that's exactly what Halloween is. We are walking in the way, the path of trick or treat wickedness. And you say, petey, you're overreacting. That's just people are just doing, like, cutesy, cute, wicked things. It's the kind of cute good wicked, it's not the bad wicked. Isaiah 5:20 tells us, Woe to those who call evil good and good evil. Who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. See, for the Christian and follower of Christ, it's not just about, do we do sin or not do sin, do we murder, do we steal, do we commit adultery? Those are huge things that we must abstain from. But 1 Thessalonians 5:22 also says, abstain from all appearances of evil. It's Literally telling you, don't dress up like evil. Don't make anyone think that you're partaking and celebrating evil. Don't imitate evil. 3 John 1:11 says, Beloved, do not imitate evil, but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God. Whoever does evil has not seen God. Romans 12:9 even tells us to abhor what is evil. Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil. Hold fast to what is good. You need to have an abhorrence that is a distaste, a disgust for evil and the appearances of evil, the imitations of evil. Instead, the Bible calls us to something else. In Philippians 4. 8, we see that God says, finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just and pure and lovely, commendable, if there's any excellence, if there's anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Are demons worthy of praise? Is death worthy of praise? Is witchcraft worthy of praise? Or are these the very things that Christ has come to destroy? So why, dear Christian, why, dear brother and sister, are you celebrating that which he has come to destroy? Why do you take on the appearance of that which he has come to destroy? And you say, well, Petey, that's not what it means to me. My kid doesn't dress up like a witch. My kid dresses up like a caterpillar. It's cute, it's cool. And I'm sure that your son or daughter, they look super cute when they're dressed up in that caterpillar outfit once a year. And I'm sure that they look forward to it because that's an outlet for them. But bear in mind that your family is called to be a light. It's not just about you and not just about your kid. In fact, it's about the kingdom of God. And God calls us as believers into his kingdom to become a light on a hill in the midst of darkness, not to become partakers with darkness. See, Paul talks about our witness in 1 Corinthians 8:7, where he speaks about those in the world. And he says that, look, these people, they have former associations with idols. They have pasts of paganism. As we know, this world is very dark. Just look at that target ad I talked about and played. And Paul says that, look, despite the fact that they are doing that way, make sure that you are very careful in how you communicate what you do so that they don't get the wrong impression in your desire to be a witness. 1 Corinthians 8, 7. But some though former association with idols, they eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge, this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died, thus sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience. When it is weak, you sin against Christ. See, Paul gives us another reason to consider why eating food sacrificed to idols is evil. People have always thought, well, look, it's because you know you're worshiping that idol, and that's a big deal. That's why you don't eat food sacrificed to an idol. And that's a fair reason. But Paul says it's even more than that. Even if you think that there is no other God, there is no idol, there is no such thing as. As the things that you know you're eating food, sacrifice to, or even if you think that there is no such thing as a demon, or no such thing as a witch, or no such thing as the things that you may be dressing up as, or what other people are coming together on Halloween to celebrate, even if those things aren't real to you, it doesn't matter. Paul says that if you give someone the wrong impression that you are partaking and that you are putting your okay on this as a believer and representative of Christ. The fact is that many other people have former associations with witchcraft, with darkness, with death, and the things of this world, with paganisms. And when they see you celebrating it, they are encouraged. And so by your knowledge, if you think you have knowledge, this weak person is destroyed, who Christ died for, and you sin against them, because even if you think their conscience is weak, you at the same time sin against Christ. Paul goes as far with this example to us to say even that in verse 13, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. And if we apply that principle to Halloween, if it's going to make anyone stumble to think that you celebrate any of the things that everyone goes out to celebrate on Halloween, then as Paul said, I will never eat meat. That's me. I'm going to be like, I'm never going to celebrate it. Because if there's one person who thinks that I am, by going out and handing out candy and dressing up my kids and doing all these things, I am going to make them stumble. So if Paul would even give up meat, like that's a big deal for many of us giving up meat, he says, I'll give up meat. But yet you cannot give up your Halloween. And now, even more than that, we're talking about children who are so moldable, who are being taught spiritual things in their youth. And I want to submit to you that this is the next big issue, and that is that participating in this very spiritual night affects our children. You say my kid dresses up like a caterpillar. It's just cute. Yes. When they're a child, it may seem like just another cute thing that they're doing. But we know what's happening to our young people when they grow up to be teenagers. Halloween is still cool because you taught them when they were children. It is cool. It's cool. It's okay. Do it. But we all know that as we grow up, Halloween changes and becomes more and more normalized into evil. Suddenly, they're not dressing up like a caterpillar anymore. Now they're dressing up like a witch. Now they're dressing up like a demon or a goblin or something strange. And we wonder, then, why is it that 61% of Christians today, as I speak, who are adults, hold to a form of New Age as part of their Christian life? You say that's crazy. Yes. New Age principles and doctrines are being held by Christians. So when we immerse our children in their childlike imaginations with these very spiritual topics, celebrating death, ghosts, witchcraft, darkness, wickedness, we are spiritually training our children in the way that they should go when they grow up. And so if they go according to how you have immersed them, why would we be shocked if they fall away from God and the Gospel and all things that are of the kingdom of light when they, for one day a year, were immersed in the kingdom of darkness? You see, here's the thing, brothers. We didn't think this way about these things. I understand. Because the world, they think very fleshly about spiritual things. They say things like, I'll believe it when I see it. It's not that big of a deal. Just look, Petey, it's just playing around. It's just fun. It's just pretending. But, see, the Bible says different. The Bible says that there are things that you cannot see that are real. Ephesians 6:12 says, for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but rulers, authorities and cosmic powers over this present darkness against spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places. The Bible tells us that there is. There is such a thing as a demon. There is such a thing as Satan. And spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places working to influence and win the souls of our children. See, the irony is that while the world says that they don't believe in demons and all that, they certainly celebrate evil. They certainly put on the costumes and decorate their homes with it. Could it be that there's a deception and that they are actually being more influenced by evil than what they would know themselves? The root of a lot of this is really in the name trick or treating. See, Halloween desires to sell us a counterfeit spiritual desire. The kingdom of God speaks and says to us it's about spirit and truth worship, not a trick or treat. See, we've settled for tricks instead of the authentic power of God. And this is why we seek fulfillment on Halloween. You know, we see Halloween as our spiritual fix for our year of famine in the Holy Spirit, because we find ourselves in churches where the Holy Spirit is being quenched. And perhaps this is exactly why Paul came. And when he spoke to us in 1 Thessalonians 5:19, he says, quench not the Spirit, despise not prophesyings, prove all things, hold fast to what is good. And then he says, abstain from all appearance of evil. It's almost like Paul is trying to tell us that there's a connection between when we don't abstain from appearances of evil and the quenching of the Holy Spirit. See, I want to submit that when the Holy Spirit is quenched in our lives and there's a hunger that's created for the Holy Spirit in every human being because we were made to have relationship and intimacy and to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. And so when that's not there, we seek that spiritual satisfaction in other supernatural things, including experiencing Halloween. Today, many churches quench the Holy Spirit of spiritual things. Through the doctrine of cessationism. We have taught that the Holy Spirit may not prophesy through his children, may not give them dreams, may not give them visions, that these are things that are strange. And yet in Acts 2:17, that's the exact thing that God says he has given his children in the last days. In Acts 2:17, we read, in the last days God declares, I will pour out my spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young man see visions, and old men dream dreams. How amazing that God is saying, even the youth, even the sons and the daughters, they're going to have my spirit work in and through them. They're not going to be hungry for spiritual things because they're going to be fulfilled by my Holy Spirit doing authentic, powerful kingdom works of God to proclaim the gospel and to bring Salvation to many through the children. Hallelujah. How can we want any other spiritual experience? Isn't that enough for us? But see, when that's not in the life of us or our children, Halloween becomes our children's outlet for spiritual things. Our children desire it, for they were made for spiritual gifts. And where else will they find it except on the streets on a dark night like Halloween because we didn't teach them what the Bible says God has for them. I mean, just ask yourself how many cessationist churches who do not believe in the power of the spirit anymore will be doing various forms of trick or treat tomorrow night? See, they'll tell me, pd, we can't stop. What about the children? Yes, I'll say, what about the children? Will you entertain them with evil once again? Yes. What about the children? How long will we rob our children of their authentic spiritual gifts? From 1 Corinthians 12, God wants to heal the sick through them, to use them as his mouthpiece with fiery preaching of the Gospel in their mouths. He wants to give them dreams and visions, a gift of discernment, for they need it, a gift of miracles so they can be assigned to their friends. See, when we walk in authentic spiritual gifts, there just is no more desire. Instead, there is an abhorrence for that, which is the counterfeit. It's like asking someone if they want junk food right after they've had a healthy and fulfilling meal. It's like, no, thanks, I don't want McDonald's. I just had like this wonderful bowl of healthy food. See, we've been giving our kids spiritual junk food counterfeits. And then we wonder why they don't stick with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And lastly, number three, Halloween is a counterfeit feast date. See, God has called us to not trick or treat, but spirit and truth. But many of us are feasting on the wrong treats. Halloween has come at the cost of the biblical feasts, feasts that God has given us in the Bible by which he wants to feast with us. Instead, we're feasting on treats on a night like Halloween when we have the biblical feast of Passover. Unleavened bread, first fruits, Pentecost, trumpets, the day of atonement, the feast of Tabernacles. These beautiful feasts which Paul kept, he said, I must by all means keep this feast coming. In Jerusalem, he talked to the church as well, and he said, hey, get rid of the leaven. Let you be unleavened. That's in reference to the Feast of Unleavened bread. We know that the Feast of Trumpets is in our Bibles with it. Say that Yeshua Jesus will come back with the blowing of a trumpet. That's the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles where he will tabernacle with us. We will be restored back to him. These things aren't fulfilled. They're still in our future. They're still worth celebrating. They're not just these Jewish irrelevant things. They're the things that the disciples kept and that our Messiah kept. I want to walk like Jesus. I don't want to walk like a goblin after the likeness of Satan and a witch. Join me in that. We know in our heart of hearts there is a feast to be kept. Indeed, he has biblical feasts for us. But when we don't know them, we don't have them, we don't keep them. We inevitably will replace them with counterfeit feasts of this world. And now you may say to me, well, Petey, Petey, you just don't understand. That's not the history of Halloween, that's not the origins of Halloween. Halloween is from the Catholic tradition, the Catholic Church. I'll say to you simply this. Just because something is tradition, even a tradition of a church, just because something is old, it doesn't make it true or biblical. God, through the Messiah, Jesus has warned us of unbiblical traditions that are in contrast to the desires of God. Just think about what Jesus said to the pharisees in Mark 7:6. And he said to them, well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, this people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. You will leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men. And he said to them, you have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition. If we abandon the biblical feast that God has given us in order to establish a tradition like Halloween, which has so many dark connotations, have we not done exactly what Jesus warned us about? Abandoning his commandments for our made up traditions and feasts. So what's the conclusion this year? Don't trick or treat. Worship him in spirit and truth. How is that done? See, there's a perfect balance that we can strike between not celebrating Halloween and yet still being a light. See, I think there's groups, there's people who believe, partake in it all, celebrate it all. There's people who believe. Let's just avoid some elements of it. But we all will hand out candy. There's other people who believe. Let's just avoid all of it. Let's just hide in our homes. I think all of that is incorrect. I want to submit to you humbly that. Think of it this way. What would the Messiah do? What would Jesus do? He would not go door to door asking for candy, handing out candy, or dressing up because it would communicate to outsiders that he is partaking and celebrating the festival. Because those are the things you do as a signifier to the world that you are celebrating Halloween. And I want to submit that it is this very participation through compromise by churches that has legitimized Halloween among Christians as something worthy of celebrating at the cost of God's festivals. Yeshua would not go out and esteem the day, but rather he would minister freedom upon it. Just as with days, that is what he did with his disciples. No matter what day it was, no matter what time it was, he always was on the same objective, and that is to proclaim the gospel, to set the captives free. And that's what we would do. We will, just as on any day, use the opportunity to set the captives free by the power of the Spirit in us. So practically, what does that look like? There's many things we can do to be creative about that. You know, you can brainstorm some of those, but I'll give you some ideas. Think about setting up a table and just praying for people. Think about getting a projector and playing a very biblical film on your garage door. Think about going out with friends to pray for people and see God work his authentic supernatural wonders through you, touching others. Think about playing worship music outside. Worship is warfare. Imagine the lyrics, Jesus. You make the darkness tremble whilst people are trying to celebrate darkness outside. Above all, however you do it, remember that the children who are celebrating Halloween and the parents who are celebrating Halloween, they don't know what they're doing. Don't treat them with disgust. Treat them with the mercy that God has treated you with when you partook in the things of this world and when you were a celebrator of evil or even a partaker with those who do evil. God had mercy and compassion on you. He told you and showed you. He opened your eyes to the truth, but nevertheless he did so with compassion. As Yeshua said on the cross, father, forgive them, for they know not what they do next. Join us in our next video of part two of the Halloween hoax, where we're going to be talking more about God's authentic revival that he is bringing about among the youth. We're going to talk about firsthand testimonies of how God is moving powerfully with his spirit and with his truth among the young people that have chosen authentic worship. I pray that the Father blesses and keeps you and gives you inspiration on how you can be a light on a day that celebrates darkness. I want to say a special thank you to our partners who've made this teaching and every other teaching this month possible. We'll see you guys in the next one. Blessings and shalom.