Daily Devotions: October 31, 2017

Daily Devotions: October 31, 2017

Revelation 7:13-17

“They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” vss. 16-17

Today is the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s posting of his 95 Theses on the door of the castle church in Wittenberg, Germany. It was the Eve of All Saint’s Day, or Halloween, a time to remember the saints triumphant and celebrate their lives. Luther’s theses addressed the abuses that had grown up around the indulgence system that was a part of the Sacrament of Penance. He believed that too much attention was being given to purgatory, that place or time of cleansing, that prepared sinners to stand before the throne of the Lamb. In his estimation, instead of wasting money on buying indulgences for the dead, believers should be celebrating the new life those loved ones had already received from God in Christ Jesus. Certainly that’s the focus we see in John’s vision of the white-robed saints. Guided by the Good Shepherd, those redeemed saints neither hunger nor thirst; every tear has been wiped from their eyes. There’s no more pain or sorrow any more. What comfort this picture is for us as we think of our departed loved ones! For some of them life had become a burden, but now they drink from the springs of the water of life. Perfect peace is theirs! Thanks be to God!

Thought for the Day: What does Halloween mean to most folks?

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