DO NOT CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN

NO TO HALLOWEEN

Whether or not Christians should celebrate Halloween can be a very controversial topic. Some Christians celebrate Halloween simply by dressing up in a costume and having fun, seeing it as innocent and harmless. Other Christians are equally convinced that Halloween is a satanic holiday established to worship evil spirits and promote darkness and wickedness. So, who is right? Is it possible for Christians to celebrate Halloween without compromising their faith?

Scripture does not speak at all about Halloween, but it does give us some principles on which we can make a decision. In Old Testament Israel, witchcraft was a crime punishable by death (Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 19:31; 20:6, 27). The New Testament teaching about the occult is clear. Acts 8:9-24, the story of Simon, shows that occultism and Christianity don't mix. The account of Elymas the sorcerer in Acts 13:6-11 reveals that sorcery is violently opposed to Christianity. Paul called Elymas a child of the devil, an enemy of righteousness and a perverter of the ways of God. In Acts 16, at Philippi, a fortune-telling girl lost her demon powers when the evil spirit was cast out by Paul. The interesting matter here is that Paul refused to allow even good statements to come from a demon-influenced person. Acts 19 shows new converts who have abruptly broken with their former occultism by confessing, showing their evil deeds, bringing their magic paraphernalia, and burning it before everyone (Acts 19:19).

Is there anything evil about a Christian dressing up as a princess or cowboy and going around the block asking for candy? No, there is not. Are there things about Halloween that are anti-Christian and should be avoided? Absolutely!!!

Ten Reasons Christians Should Not Celebrate Halloween

Many in our secular society believe Halloween is nothing more than a harmless festival that allows kids to collect candy. But is it? Its origins lie deeply rooted in the occult, and Christians should stay away. Here are ten reasons why.

1. October 31st has long been known as "The Festival of the Dead." The Celtic tribes and their priests the Druids celebrated this day as a marker for the change from life to death.

2. Halloween today is performed usually by adherents of witchcraft who use the night for their rituals. Witches celebrate Halloween as the "Feast of Samhain," the first feast of the witchcraft year. Being a festival of the dead, Halloween is a time when witches attempt to communicate with the dead through various forms of divination.

THE SMOOTH OPERATOR - BMW 5-SERIES (2011)

Epitome of modern design and driving pleasure in the world of premium mid-size designs. Think a car?

Think the BMW 5-Series (2011)

TOURISM POTENTIAL OF CROSS RIVER STATE OF NIGERIA

This is a clip about the tourism potential of Cross River State of Nigeria. The state is home to Cross River Drills and Gorillas, Chimpanzees, Baboons and lots of other wildlife animals. It is historically rich, economically buoyant and tourism-wise, it is blessed with the best such as Obudu Mountain Resort, Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, Cross River National Park and many more.

This clip has also made historical review to the legendary scottish missionary; Mary Slessor including the home where she stayed and also the Irish Sister of Charity, Rev Mother Mary Charles Magdalene Walker amongst others.

Cross River State stands on a very unique spot of what is known today as South South Nigeria also known as the Niger-Delta. From the soaring plateaus of the mountain tops of Obudu to the Rain forests of Afi, from the Waterfalls of Agbokim and Kwa to the spiralling ox-bow Calabar River which provides sights and images of the Tinapa Business Resort, Calabar Marina, Calabar Residency Museum and the Calabar Slave Park along its course, there is always a thrilling adventure awaiting the eco-tourist visiting Cross River State.

Other tourist attractions are the Ikom Monoliths (a series of volcanic-stone monoliths constructed some time between 2500 BC and 1 AD), the Mary Slessor Tomb, Calabar Drill Monkey Sanctuary, Cross River National Park, Afi Mountain walkway canopy, Kwa falls, Agbokim waterfalls, Tinapa Business Resort and the annual Calabar Carnival that takes place during the Christmas period.

Cross River State can be accessed by air through the Margaret Ekpo International Airport at Calabar. There are daily flights to Calabar from Lagos and Abuja serviced by airlines such as Arik Airlines and Aero Contractors.

Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, is now the leading tourism city of Nigeria. Visitors from different parts of Nigeria and overseas, come to the city in large numbers all year around.

*Video Clip Courtsey of: cometonigeriaTV

GOD IS WITH US

Just came across this in my mail and its a worthy piece for you all to see.

Malachi 3:3 says:

'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.'

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: 'He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.'

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.. The woman was silent for a moment.

Then she asked the silversmith, 'How do you know when the silver is fully refined?

'He smiled at her and answered, 'Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it.' If today you are feeling the heat of the fire , remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

NOTABLE QUOTES BY NIGERIANS FOR A BETTER NIGERIA

“My belief is complete, Nigeria will shine and shine again” ~ Lai Labode

“I need a Leader, a leader with a passionate disgust for sycophants” ~ Eta ‘Royalty’ Uso.

• “The destiny of a nation and  its people are irrevocably bond together, none will reach greatness at the expense of the other” ~ Lai Labode

• "We must have a Nigeria where our leaders feed stones to the sycophants to give way for enough room in their ear-canals to hear the wishes and requests of the people they swore under oath to serve." ~ Eta 'Royalty' Uso, 2010.

• “I see an intense battle of ideology and pragmatism building amongst the Nigerian youths. It is obviously a good sign.” ~ Lai Labode

• “Our vote must count not by begging them to count it but by insisting that it must be counted.” ~ Gov. Adams Oshomole

• “A voter’s card is a ticket of hope, a symbol of possibility and a confirmation of liberty. Your voter’s card is much more powerful than your international passport because it cannot be withdrawn by any Government. Never fail to register to vote, you have no electoral say without it.” ~ Lai Labode.

• “Nigeria can no longer remain a potential” ~ Jide Salu

• "Each one of us, and, indeed, all those who aspire to national leadership must bring their own visions, views and styles to the business of reforming Nigeria, and the search for solutions." ~ Ibrahim Babangida

• "Nigeria has no business with poverty. With our human and material resources, we shall strive to eradicate poverty from our country." ~ Olusegun Obasanjo

• "The work of Nigeria is not complete for as long as there is any one Nigerian who goes to bed on empty stomach." ~ Ibrahim Babangida

• "You see, I was told stories, we were all told stories as kids in Nigeria. We had to tell stories that would keep one another interested, and you weren't allowed to tell stories that everybody else knew. You had to dream up new ones." ~ Ben Okri

• "To meet the expectations of the majority of our people, and to open up new vistas of economic opportunity so that the aspirations of Nigerians can stand a fair chance of being fulfilled in a lifetime, there must be a truly committed leadership in a democratic Nigeria." ~ Ibrahim Babangida

Who Are You Following?

With the explosion of social media on the internet, one of the common questions you hear people asking is who they are following on Twitter or Facebook. The more important question to ask might be "Where are they leading you?"

Hundreds of thousands of people may decide to follow a person, but that does not make them a leader. True leaders are much more than someone who entertains or captivates you for the moment. They have the ability to listen, and by listening, they gain invaluable feedback from the team. Feedback helps them correct what they're doing wrong and hone their leadership skills. It stands to reason that leaders are humble – they know their advisors have much to teach. And leaders, as any successful military commander knows, trust their team. The person who thinks he or she is the smartest person on the team isn't a true leader; this person has no faith in the others and has never bothered to develop leadership skills.

"It is the person willing to listen and learn who has the makings of a great leader."