Holiness

            My Father had an abandoned “outhouse” on our property that he used to store tools such as shovels, rakes, hoes, watering cans and anything else that he could use in the garden. The small building, however, looked like what it used to be. It was an outside “toilet.” We never used it as such but still had it packed with a number of gardening implements. Every year at this time, it would get knocked over by the “Halloween” crowd. The next morning, Dad would straighten it back up and it would remain so for another year. He often remarked about the noise it must have made when it got tipped over and perhaps the culprits were frightened by the commotion inside. Every year, we go through the period of “Halloween” and people seek to decorate their property with all kinds of typical decorations honoring spooks, goblins, demons, bats, gravestones, witches and such. Matthew 8:28-29 says, “And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?” 

          On the religious “calendar”, Halloween is sometimes referred to “All hallows eve” which is pointing to the next day, November 1^st as being “All Souls” day. It is like the demons need to have an equal time of recognition and a holiday of their own. Mankind is always interested in the supernatural and the demonic. The account in today's Scripture passage is interesting to note because it shows a couple of important things about the demon, one of which is that they knew full well who the Lord Jesus Christ was. While the religious establishment didn't recognize Him, the demons did as is seen in their declaration, “Jesus, thous Son of God.” The Pharisees didn't have that point down but the demons did. They also knew that they were doomed as they referred to “the time” and their being tormented. Their fate has been sealed. Unfortunately, the mindset of people today is to make fun and imitate that which is hated by God. The believer is to focus his or her attention on God and on God alone. There is no room for playing around with things of the demonic world even though it may seem like just a game. Hebrews 12:14 reminds us, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Our goal should be to pursue the holiness of God rather than to dabble in the occult or to imitate the demonic world. Praise God today that He is the Victor over the death and the grave.