Guard Your Heart :: By Nathele Graham

Published on: October 25, 2025 by RR10

God wants to have fellowship with us. He has always wanted this. Many people are under the impression that God is a tyrant who sets down rules and forbids fun. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. The rules God sets down are for our protection. A good parent sets down rules for their children in order to protect them from trouble…even death. Human parents love their children, and that’s why we teach them not to take candy from strangers.

When people ignore God’s rules, trouble begins. Disease is spread, babies are offered as sacrifices to demon gods, and many other bad things happen when God is ignored. We embrace sin, but blame God when our sin brings illness or suffering.

“The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

God gave us a remedy for the disease of sin. That remedy is repentance and humbly bowing before Jesus and asking Him to forgive you. Only faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ will bring salvation.

God chose the nation of Israel. It is through this nation that the whole world is blessed. God gave them the Law, which, by following it closely, separated Israel from the pagan culture around them. It was a protection for them. Some of the Laws were directly related to the priesthood, some directly toward men, and others directly toward women. Keeping the Law took study and dedication.

God also directed Israel to keep certain days set apart for feasts, which were all prophetic, but also designed for days of celebration. We all know about Passover and the special foods they were to eat. For Christians, we know that this feast was a “picture” of Jesus, the Lamb of God. We celebrate it every year, but not in a way that honors God. We color eggs, pretend the Easter Bunny brought them, and seldom think of the sacrifice Jesus made in order to take our sin away. We even changed the date to coincide with an ugly pagan festival, yet we call it a Christian holiday.

Shouldn’t it be a day when God is praised? Shouldn’t it be celebrated on the day He very clearly described? It’s not an arbitrary day, but a day chosen by God that would be the day when Jesus’ blood was shed to take our sins away.

“In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’S Passover” (Leviticus 23:5).

The first month is Nissan, which is in March and April on our calendar. It’s very disturbing that we can so easily take a pagan holiday, give it a Christian twist, and pretend we are celebrating a very important Christian event. Another one is Christmas. It’s the day we say Jesus was born, but I sincerely doubt it. To think that Caesar Augustus would call for a census requiring every man to return to his own village in the dead of winter is very hard to imagine. They couldn’t get in a car and drive there, but had to walk.

“And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary” (Luke 1:26-27).

The sixth month is Elul, which would be in August or September on our calendar. December is not 9 months after September. The day we celebrate was, once again, put on the day of a pagan festival. Why do we honor pagan festivals over God’s celebrations? We don’t know when Jesus was born, but His birth and His resurrection should be celebrated daily. We must always guard our hearts so we aren’t drawn away from God.

There is a day that most people don’t even disguise as a Christian holiday. That day is Halloween. Children are dressed in costumes, many of which are extremely evil, and sent out to beg for candy. We never really know if the candy has been tampered with. Needles and poison are often found in candy bars that our children take from strangers.

As the children grow, the rituals change. Very heinous movies are binge-watched. These movies are filled with blood, murder, satanic rituals, and much more. We may throw a party, and the entertainment might be a Ouija board or a pack of Tarot cards. It’s all in good fun. Right? The fact is, these things are pure evil and can open the way for demons to control you. Halloween is a very important day to Satanists, Wiccans, and all who dabble in the occult. If you think that you don’t have any of these evil cults in your town, you might be surprised to know that you do.

A few months ago, I had a very eye-opening experience. I found a Wiccan shop hidden in a rundown building in my town. Right here in the Bible Belt of America. Then, I also found that a person can buy a license to perform weddings online. These come with prepackaged themes for the wedding, including Wiccan ceremonies and gay weddings. Marriage is between a man and a woman, and is ordained of God. He should be the theme of weddings. Brothers and sisters, we must guard our hearts against all occult practices.

Jesus taught us to pray “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen” (Matthew 6:13).

But on October 31, we embrace evil but still expect God’s protection. We cannot be fully devoted to God if we continue to celebrate pagan days. In my opinion, no Christian should participate in any Halloween tradition. We should never watch movies that glorify evil. Ghosts, witches, goblins, and Freddy Krueger are all evil. How does any of it glorify God? It doesn’t.

We can clearly see in Scripture how God feels about pagan ways. Israel had left the pagan culture of Egypt, and He wanted them not to be influenced by the people living in the land which He had given to Abraham and his descendants forever, which includes today. These usurpers were/are idol-worshipping pagans. The Israelites needed to guard their hearts against the evil, so God told them:

“When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God” (Deuteronomy 18:9-13).

God wanted the nation of Israel to guard their hearts against evil, and He hasn’t changed His mind. Make no mistake, Satan worship includes shedding innocent blood…a mockery of Jesus’ shed blood to take our sin away.

Children need to be taught to honor God and not follow the ways of the world. If you allow your child to go out trick-or-treating, will they become possessed? Probably not, but it’s important to ground your children in Jesus. That’s true of whatever your children do. Do they go to public school? Ground them in Biblical truth. That’s the only way to equip them to face everything in life. Adults need to continually study Scripture and look to our own hearts and lives to be sure we honor Jesus.

We live in a world that is more accepting of Satanic evil than God’s love. This has always been true. Corinth is an example of a congregation that was surrounded by pagan worship and practices, but they didn’t stand against the evil and were proud of their open-mindedness. Paul had some harsh words to them, but also encouraged them to live among the pagans, but not be a part of the culture.

“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not” (1 Corinthians 10:23).

It might be culturally acceptable to celebrate Halloween, but are you teaching your children to glorify the world or God?

Those of us who have repented of our sins and look to Jesus for salvation should never compromise our Lord. We need to guard our hearts from being pulled away from Him. Instead of allowing the world to tell us what to do and how to act, we need to let Jesus be our guide.

“Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick, and powerful and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:11-12).

Study Scripture and draw closer to Jesus each day.

The battle is a spiritual one, and unless we stay near to God, we will be without hope. Guard your heart and honor God always.

God bless you all

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

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“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).

You Don’t Need Gimmicks :: By Nathele Graham

Published on: October 18, 2025 by RR10

Why is it that, today, many preachers seem to think they need a gimmick in order to draw people into their church?

Every so often, I hear someone say that the younger generation is bored by the traditional teachings, so we need to have more modern music or a preacher who jumps around like a wild man on a pogo stick. Somehow, I just don’t think that’s necessary. Most of the old hymns have a deep message in the words that many modern songs miss.

The word of God isn’t boring. Jesus didn’t have a gimmick, yet the people flocked to Him. The Apostles didn’t use gimmicks, but their faithful teaching of the Gospel allowed God’s truth to reach the far corners of the world. The congregation in Corinth was “woke” and tried to fit in with the culture of the time; Paul was quite straightforward in criticizing them. He didn’t congratulate them on their innovative way of worship or their all-inclusive way of preaching. Paul preached the Gospel without compromise.

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:1-2).

There is no other way for anybody to be saved except through understanding the Gospel of Christ. What could be more exciting than the fact that our sins, no matter how big, can be forgiven? When we repent of the sin that separates us from God and ask Him to forgive us, we are no longer on the highway to Hell, but on the highway to Heaven. The problem is that so many preachers today don’t preach the pure word of God. One preacher I know will quote from his “favorite atheist” or from Bob Dylan and other rock stars, but Scripture is a secondary issue.

Paul didn’t use fancy words or water down the Gospel. He often paid a price for his honesty, but he didn’t let beatings or imprisonment silence him.

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

When was the last time you heard that from the pulpit? Even those who have been raised attending church need to hear that message.

It’s obvious that the teaching in Corinth had deviated from the pure truth of God’s word; they were very prideful because they accepted sin into their congregation.

Sinners should always be welcome into worship services, but not influence the teachings. We are all sinners and need to be forgiven. Christians need to show love towards those who need to come to salvation, but until they have repented and turn from their sins, they cannot be leaders in the church. Today, there are preachers who misrepresent God’s word, and are more worried about offering plates overflowing than God’s truth being taught.

When people first began to accept the Gospel, it was more important to care for each other and be sure God’s word wasn’t compromised than to entertain and tickle ears. They mostly met in homes, so there was no big building or large pastor’s salary to support. They shared what they had, so nobody was left wanting. Christians need to care for each other. We are to share the Gospel with the unsaved, but we are to care for the needs of fellow believers.

“And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things in common… Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need” (Acts 4:32, 34 & 35).

The people cared for each other and made sure those in need were helped. The focus was on caring for fellow Christians. In today’s congregations, it seems we care more for non-Christians but fail to share the Gospel with them, and Scripture isn’t preached from the pulpits. Barnabas was a man who seemed to go the extra mile for his brothers and sisters in Christ.

“And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet” (Acts 4:36-37).

Barnabas must have been a special man. He was a man who understood how to serve the Lord. It was Barnabas who brought Paul to the Apostles in order for them to accept him, and then Barnabas went on missionary journeys with Paul. These trips were to spread the Gospel. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying you have to sell all you have and give it to fellow Christians, but if you can drive a widow to the doctor, or cook a meal for a man who has just lost his wife, or if you can help an elderly brother or sister with home repairs, or mow their lawn, that’s caring for fellow Christians.

There were no gimmicks in the early church. The Gospel was shared, and people responded. It seems as if in these last days, the word of God is hidden. Are we ashamed of our Lord? Paul wasn’t.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).

Only Jesus can save a person from eternal damnation. That’s the best news ever, and a very exciting message. If we share the Gospel with the lost, invite them into our congregations, disciple them and care for them, you might be surprised how many people will come to salvation. If the lost come to see a sideshow rather than a worship service, will they ever hear about their sins keeping them from salvation? Will they ever come to true faith in Christ?

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:13-14).

People need to hear the pure word of God with no gimmicks and not watered down. God hasn’t changed, and His word is the same truth it has always been. We cannot change His truth in order to appeal to people. If we do, then God’s word is taught as a lie, and God cannot lie. It’s people who need to change, not God. Gimmicks won’t bring salvation.

Do you have a garden? There’s a season when tomatoes grow, and a season when they don’t. So, when planting a garden, it’s important to plant seeds in the correct growing season. Planting the seeds of God’s word is never out of season. It may be more difficult for the seeds to grow in hardened hearts, but the seeds need to be planted. The Apostle Paul saw the importance of teaching the pure word of God, and he gave guidelines for pastors.

“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:1-2).

This is very clear. Stand solidly upon Scripture. People like to say, “Don’t judge me,” but to reprove and rebuke is to use Scripture to help a fellow Christian to walk closer to the Lord. Unbelievers have no basis for moral behavior, but Christians have Scripture, and it isn’t judging to use it to guide us.

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

Remember, Paul was writing to a pastor and talking about Christians. If your pastor doesn’t preach from Scripture, then you need to dig into it yourself. Use it to shine its light on your life to see what needs to change in you to allow you to walk closer to God. If there are attitudes that need to change, then pray and ask God to help you to honor Him with your life.

You don’t need gimmicks when you have God’s truth.