In an increasingly globalized culture, many local customs and traditions, whether good or bad, cross borders into other regions. Case in point is Halloween that found its way into an Arabic culture that is intrigued by the supernatural and has a soft spot for superstitions.
Regardless of your view of Halloween, the Bible speaks about evil spirits, sometimes called unclean spirits, and how they would oppress people. One of our program series is called “Stay Alert for 4 Minutes.” It’s a tongue-in-cheek title since each episode lasts just 4 minutes. The minister who wrote the script and presented the program is uniquely qualified to speak on this topic as he used to be involved in the occult before coming to the Lord.
Many people in the middle east dabble into mysterious practices, whether with good intentions or thinking it’s just folklore stories. The program presents clear Bible teaching with real-life experiences. Listeners were interested in the program because, as some put it, people don’t usually talk about these things.
Although historically an American holiday, Thanksgiving is being celebrated in other parts of the world also. The focus is not necessarily on the food but rather on the deeper message of giving thanks to the Lord for all His blessings. “Count Your Blessings” is one of the short devotional programs that encourages listeners to think of God’s blessings in their lives and be grateful.
The challenge is to reach people where they are and to help them through whatever issues they’re dealing with. Depending on the soil condition, sometimes the farmer may need to first cleanse the land, remove the stones, and take out the weeds before sowing the seeds. As we never know who our listeners are and what’s going on in their lives, we pray that the Lord anoint the programs to touch people’s lives, to shine light in the darkness and to bring a gleam of hope to a world without hope.
