Halloween and All Hallows' Eve

The end of October and the beginning of November are moments of excitement, especially for those living in the European countries, Latin America, and the United States. It's time for trick-or-treating, Halloween, and also to commemorate All Saints' Day or All Hallows' Eve on the following day.
Although these two celebrations are so closely dated to one another that many have associate them to each other, they hold different meanings, have different backgrounds, and stem from different traditions.
Halloween, which falls on October 31st, originates from Samhain, a Gaelic pagan rite celebrated every end of summer. "Samhain" in Old Irish means "summer's end."
The Ancient Irish folks believed that on the end of summer, the barrier separating the world and the afterlife grew thinner, due to the arrival of "the darker half" of the year, allowing the spirits of the deceased to travel back to the land of the living. Thus, Samhain also included the "Festival of the Dead" back in medieval days.
People wore masks and costumes to placate evil spirits, and made lanterns of carved turnips or pumpkins to ward off the souls of the dead. The tradition was handed down for generations up to this day. And, since the date was so close to the "Festival of All Saints" or "All Hallows' Eve" on the following day, people saturated their names, calling Samhain with a new name: Halloween (All Hallows' Evening).
On the contrary, All Hallows' Eve or All Saints' Day has a completely different origin from Samhain. It is a tradition of the Roman Catholic Church which falls on the first of November, celebrated to commemorate the departed saints and holy martyrs. It is now held not only to remember the saints, but also to remember all those who have passed away in the congregation of believers in the Lord.
In the Roman Catholic Church, All Saints' Day is a holy day of obligation, which means on November 1st, they gather for a mass to celebrate this special occasion. In many countries, people visit the graveyard after the mass to light candles on the tombs of deceased relatives. In most English-speaking countries, the festival of All Saints is also celebrated by singing the hymn "For All the Saints."

The Number Thirteen

People have always regarded the number thirteen as an unlucky number. They fear the date Friday the thirteenth. They avoid buying a house with the number thirteen (in fact, in most streets, there is no house of that number). Considering the number as bad luck and undesirable omen, people tend to avoid it as often as they can.

Old-wives tales told us that long, long time ago, in the ancient days, witches and sorcerers would gather on any Black Sabbath, which fell on Friday the thirteenth, numbering twelve of them. And, the devil would come in their midst and made the number thirteen.
So they said.

Is the belief truly so?

Let's forget about folklores, superstitions, and tales for the time being.
What written evidences have we got about the number thirteen?

We know that the sons of Israel numbered twelve in all. But Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, were "adopted" by his father, Jacob (Israel) and were added to the rest. So the tribe of Joseph were split into two, thus making the whole number of the tribes of Israel thirteen!
However, since the tribe of Levi devoted themselves to serving in the Lord God's Tabernacle (sanctuary), their inheritance was not counted along with their brethren, thus making the number of twelve, though in fact there are thirteen tribes in existence.

There were twelve judges ruling Israel during the time they hadn't had a king to rule in the land.
True?
False!
As a matter of fact, there were thirteen of them! Deborah was not counted as a judge because she was a woman, and according to tradition, women were not permitted to rule over men. Thus she handed her leadership to Barak.
Thus, people regarded there were twelve judges of Israel, though in reality there were thirteen of them.

There were twelve apostles of Christ in the New Testament.
After Judas fell, Matthias was elected to fill in the twelfth seat.
But then, God called Paul and consecrated him to be the apostle to the Gentiles, making the number of the apostles thirteen!
Yet, though approved as an apostle, Paul refused to take his right to be equal with the other twelve since he was determined to preach the Gospel to the uncircumsiced. Thus, there were thirteen apostles in all: twelve were sent to the children of Israel, while one ministered to the Gentiles.

In the last book of prophecy in the Bible, the Revelation, John saw the glorious New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven of God. As we read on, we find twelve precious stones in the Holy City of God. And -- how shocking! -- one precious non-mineral jewel: the pearl, making the number of jewels thirteen!

So, is it true that the number thirteen represents bad luck?
We all agree that the number twelve is the number of fellowship, of reunion, and of complete unity.
And I say the number thirteen is the number of abundance!


[Picture taken from the anime Saint Seiya, representing the twelve gold saints. As a matter of fact, there are thirteen of them, since the Gemini Gold Saints are twins: Saga and Kanon. In the final combat, their souls unite into one body.]

Priceless!

Nearly two decades ago, I was a naïve teenager gazing up at the brilliant night-sky with a heart in anguish. A good friend of mine was suffering from chronic ulcer at that time and I was in great anxiety regarding his health.
As I fixed my eyes on those billions of twinkling dots up in the heavens, a realization entered my mind and pierced my soul. I knew that, if my friend died, I wouldn’t be able to find one so unique to replace him, even in the whole universe.

A reminder came to me in my daily devotion several days ago.
God said in Isaiah 66:1-2, “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for Me? Where will My resting place be? Has not My hand made all these things, and so they came into being? This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at My word.”
Relate these two verses to I Corinthians 3:16 and I Corinthians 6:19, and we come to a shocking truth: “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?”

In the Old Testament, God declares that even the whole heaven and earth is not spacious enough to hold His divine being. But in the New Testament, He states that He dwells within the life of each faithful believer who fears and worships Him. The Bible teaches us that every living individual who lives for Christ is a “living tabernacle of God” – the very dwelling place of the eternal, infinite God.
Combine the two statements, and we realize the value of each and every human being on earth: each of us is worth a whole universe in the sight of the Creator!
Isn’t this a marvelous phenomenon?!
There is nothing, not even the whole galaxies, to replace the value of a single soul in the eyes of God! So great is the price He sets for us!

But why?
Why does God cherish and prizes us so greatly and preciously?

The answer is in Genesis 1:27, “God created man in His own image.”
We are created as the copy of the Divine Creator. When God created the first man, He also transferred some of His personal traits to Adam: holiness, perfection, power, immortality, eternal life – things that are so immensely great which even a universe cannot fathom or contain.
Yes, sin did corrupt and marred the image of God within man, robbing us of our divine attributes and confining us to mortality, decay, imperfection and countless limitations. Nevertheless, it did not alter our internal blueprint and value in the sight of God. We are, and will always be, more precious and priceless than the whole universe to Him.
Realizing this great truth, shouldn’t we be more grateful to God for how and what He had created us to be? Shouldn’t we treat our neighbors with more respect and honor, knowing how indescribably great the value of each living soul on earth truly is before the Creator?
Let us all live in awe of God’s greatness shown to us – and in us!
Amen.

When Prayers Seem to Remain Unanswered

Prayer plays a crucial role in the life of every believer.
We pray each day. Some of them are quickly answered, some are not, and the rest seem to be queueing on God's waiting list.
Well, whenever our prayer receives a quick reply, we rejoice aplenty. But what do we do when our prayer is not yet answered? Do we grumble? Do we grow impatient? Do we feel disappointed?

What is actually happening UP THERE when God decides not to answer our prayer just yet?

Genesis 2:2-3 "By the seventh day, God had finished the work He had been doing. So on the seventh day, He rested from all His work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done."

He word "rested" in the above passage is written "qadash" in the original Hebrew tongue, meaning: savoring, enjoying, delighting in, consecrating, making holy.
Do we not realize that at the time God seems to be doing nothing, saying nothing, and caring about nothing, is actually the moment of His savoring our lives?

Look at Abraham, Job, Daniel, and Joseph, men of great faith and integrity in the Lord. Did the Lord always answer their prayers? Did He always talk to them at all times, whenever they lifted up their plea to His presence?
No!

There are times in the lives of the above-mentioned Biblical characters when God seemed to be silent. God seemed to have abandoned them, leaving them to face deadly perils and great trials on their own.
And, what do we read about these men?
The Scripture records that they remained faithful to the Lord despite their circumstances. Whatever befell them: loss of loved ones, poverty, disappointment, imprisonment, and even dead sentence, these men remained true to their One and Only God.
And, THAT, my friends, is the moment of God's delight in their lives. THAT is such a moment in which we please the Lord's heart by staying obedient and keeping His statutes through time of pain and suffering.
And we can be assured, that when this phase subsides, the Lord will surely answer our prayer and lift us up to a higher ground.

Are we ready to please the heart of God today, and present our lives and faithfulness as a fragrant aroma rising up to the presence of the Lord?

Letting Go Anxiety

How many times in a day we find such cases in our neighborhood:
- A dysfunctional family quarreling about each member's share of the estate?
- A couple undergoing divorce and disputing over the right to raise their children?
- A man or woman being slandered for no wrong?
- A teenager lacking love at home that falls into reckless living?
- A child abandoned by his/her irresponsible parents?

Each of the above stories is enough to cause us real pain and distress. And, this is what happens in everyday life.
With so much sorrow and aggravation we face each day on the planet, we tend to ask God, "Why?"
Why all these troubles? Why all the cares, pain, and hardship?
Some even say, "Why is God tempting us?"

My Friends, God does not tempt anyone, "but each man is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed" (James 1:14).

I guess it will help to view all the pain and sorrow in this world as part of the transient nature of life. Take a good look, and soon they're gone. As soon as one considers them, they vanish like a vapor of smoke. Mere illusion life on Earth is!
Solomon said it so well in the Scripture:

"For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten. Their love, their hate, and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6).

Anger, anguish, pain, grief, disputes, quarrels, vengeance, hatred (and the list goes on) are not worth clinging on to.
They don't last!
Who would remember who we were, what our problem was, how we managed to solve (or ruin) our lives, and why had we settled our matters, after we have died? A hundred years from now there will be no rememberance of our lives aside from meaningless names carved on forgotten tombstones!
Why take to heart things so fleeting?
Why choose the path of joyless life?

The Teacher presents us the key to live a full, joyful life while living in this transient world: CONTENTMENT.
We know that our problems, anxiety, and unhappiness would diminish by far if each of us knew how to be content and grateful with what we have (that is, what God grants us to have), not with what we don't have!
As Apostle James would say, "If you know how to control your desire, you won't fall into temptation!"

This is Solomon's advice to us:

"Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart (be grateful with your everyday's blessing), for it is now that God favors what you do (love the job you're running). Always be clothed in white (maintain an upright outlook and attitudes), and always anoint your head with oil (be filled with God's guiding Word and Spirit). Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love (cherish and nurture love in your marriage and family), all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun -- all you meaningless days (make the best use of your lifetime). For this (contentment in all things) is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might (do the best while you can)" (Ecclesiastes 9:7-10).

What a wonderful place this planet would be, if each of us knows how to be content and grateful, instead of filling our hearts and minds with desires that lead to much pain and suffering?
Do the world a favor: spare yourself of discontentment!
Enjoy life to the fullest while you still have the chance!

The Material and the Divine

Ever heard the "Prosperity Belief" among Christians these days?
This belief ensures that God blesses a believer abundantly in matters of material wealth as the result of their faith in Him. Whoever is NOT materially wealthy, then, is either doubted to possess true faith in God, or reckoned as one who has done some sinful acts (or retained sinful way of living) that prevent God's material blessings to be poured richly into his/her life.
Alright, we all believe that God does bless all His children. He always provides the needs of those who put their faith and trust in Him -- material needs included. But does money matter above all else?
I don't find such notion in the Scripture.
The Bible says about all who trusts in the Lord and does what He pleases:

"To the man who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness, but to the sinner, He gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God" (Ecclesiastes 2:26, NIV).

Are we sure that the abundant amount of wealth we are gathering indicates that we are blessed by the Lord for being upright and living to please Him?
Not necessarily so!
The above verse states clearly that when a man of faith pleases the Lord, He grants him (1) wisdom, (2) knowledge, and (3) happiness.

What does it mean?

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline" (Proverbs 1:7, NIV).

"Wisdom is supreme. Therefore, get wisdom! Though it costs all you have, get understanding!" (Proverbs 4:7, NIV)

It means that the Lord values spiritual treasures far above earthly ones. Wisdom and knowledge are the most precious matters on the planet, the Scripture says. This does not refer to worldly wisdom, but the divine one: the wisdom that springs from our fear of the Lord and flows into full knowledge of His divine being.
That is the one thing we should pursue!
When we are wise enough to fear God and grasp the knowledge of Him, He will send everlasting happiness and joy into our lives -- things money can never buy!

Why busy gathering treasures that will not last?
When God does bless us with abundant material wealth, as the above verse suggests, use it to gain wisdom and knowledge of God! Spend our worldly wealth to store up heavenly treasures, not only for ourselves, but for others as well!
Then, and only then, will we be rich in the sight of God.
The Lord blesses us all!

Do Everything in Love!

"Do everything in love!" wrote Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 16:14.
As I came across the above chapter in my daily devotion, the verse stabbed me! It was not an ordinary admonition, but a profound life-changing rebuke.
The church in Corinth was the most troublesome among all the churches in the days of the apostles. Oh, yes. They did possess material wealth in abundance, as well as spiritual gifts. But, something was fundamentally wrong with this church: the gifts of the Holy Spirit were misused, the congregation was divided four ways, the church members had no appropriate honor and understanding of the Holy Communion, and they had not mature in their spiritual life as they should, but remained "infants" in spirit.
It took Apostle Paul two long letters to straighten up the matters in the Corinthian church, teaching them (all over again): Godly wisdom, the true foundation of the church, the basic principles of marital life, the proper application of spiritual gifts, and so forth.
But the last command he wrote down for them, as the sum of all the teachings and exhortation, was the above verse: "Do everything in love!"
These four words stand like a mirror for the churches in our days:
If we have love, we will care for one another and will not be divided.
If we have love, we will use our spiritual gifts appropriately for edification of the church.
If we have love, we will grow and mature in the faith.
If we have love, we will know God and understand His good will and purpose in our lives.
If we have love, we will come to perfection.

Love is the key to everything!

Why do we complain?
Why do we quarrel?
Why do we find our ministry a burden?

Let's examine our foundation: have we done everything out of love, or not?
Jesus founded His church on love. That was why He gave His life as an atoning sacrifice of redemption in exchange for our condemned souls.
Shouldn't we now do the same, building our ministry on our love to Him who has loved us so?