Musings and Nuggets

Later today, in many communities there will be crowds of children (and some adults) that will "hit the streets" as part of their celebration or observance of Halloween.  First, a little background. According to  Christianity.org.uk ,  "the one thing that we can be certain of is its name, Hallowe'en is a contraction of All Hallows Eve, and this refers to a christian festival known in old language as All Hallows,  that is All Saints day". According to Britannica.com , "Halloween, [is] a holiday observed on October 31 and noted for its pagan and religious roots and secular traditions.  In much of Europe and most of North America , observance of Halloween is largely nonreligious, celebrated with parties, spooky costumes, Jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins, and the giving of candy." Therein lies "the rub".  There is disagreement among Christians about whether or not Halloween is demonic and therefore should not celebrated or observed, and those (who enjoy...

  “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.                                         Matthew 5:13 ( NLT) Tensions and emotions are quite high in our land right now, as well as, other places in the world.  Some because of the aftermath of events such as hurricanes, tornados, droughts, floods, earthquakes, wars, and even rumors of wars.  As we approach the 2024 Presidential Election in America, the temperature of the country is emotionally charged with anger, threats, racial tensions, distrust, fear, and panic. How are those of us who are "called by His name" supposed to respond?  Can the Lord trust us to be salt, light and peacemakers (Matthew 5:9) or are will we be the ones to "agitate and stir the pot" thus turning up the temperature?...

QUESTION:   If we believe that we are truly in the "last days", what would we be willing to suffer in defense of  our  faith?  What is the line in the sand that we are  not  willing to cross?  We are seeing and experiencing "wars and rumors of wars", earthquakes,  famine and other signs, but Matthew 24:6 tells us the "the end is not yet".  Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword.    Hebrews 11:37a  (NLT) Included in what has been called the Faith Hall of Fame, is a list of those who fought, were persecuted,  and even killed because they refused to abandon their loyalty to God .    I was intrigued because I didn't recall reading in the scripture where someone was "sawed in half" as a result of their faith, so I did some research. I t turns out that it is recorded in the Talmud, not the Bible, and that that martyr was the prophet, Isaiah.  Peter   was hung ups...