All Saints Day. It’s a day to remember the dead. Many of us pay it no mind.
Some people die for their Christian faith.
Revelation 6:9 (NIV)
I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.
It behooves us to remember them and ask,
Lord, in their circumstances, would I follow their example?
Hallowed Eve: we scare each other.
We call it fun.
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.
Holy God: we tremble at his power. We call it wisdom.
Halloween, Hallowed Eve.
Hallowed means “holy.” What’s holy this week?
Per Merriam-Webster, holy means worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness.
God is holy. Today, tomorrow, this week and forever.
Revelation 4:8
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,”
who was, and is, and is to come.
Hope Unlimited for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Brazil:
“Children come to Hope from the streets and slums of Brazil where they were abused, abandoned, and exploited in the worst circumstances imaginable . . . Once welcomed to Hope, each child becomes an irreplaceable member of our family. It is here, in serving the most vulnerable of the most vulnerable, that Hope transforms lives.”
Lord, they aren’t “street kids” to you. You know their names, you know their hurts, you know their hearts. Bring them hope, bring them to Hope. Amen.
The path to love:
2 Peter 1:5-7 (NIV)
Add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.
Persevere. There are no shortcuts.
2 Timothy 2:15 (NLT)
Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.
Study God’s Word. Work hard at it, no shortcuts.
Someone tells you about a shortcut.
Do you take it?
It is tempting to take the shortest path. Less wear and tear. Less traffic. Sooner done. More time for what you want.
When it comes to your faith journey, the shortcut may just be less time walking with Christ. Is that what you want?
