SUNDAY October 31, 2021
God of the Living
...the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King.
Jeremiah 10:10
During this fall season, many families, especially Latin cultures, chose to celebrate the tradition of the Day of the Dead. On October 31st, it is believed the gates of heaven are opened at midnight so the spirits of children can rejoin their families for the duration of 24 hours. On November 2nd the spirits of adults do the same.
This tradition is especially recognized in Mexico. It stems from a pagan belief that souls come back from the dead for a time of reunion––drinks, food and festivity. The Day of the Dead can be traced as far back as 3,000 years to rituals honoring the dead in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica.
In what is now called Central Mexico, the Aztecs and other cultures saw death as an important ever-present part of life. When a person died, they believed they went to the land of the dead. Once there, they had the challenge of a nine level journey to their final resting place.
The Catholic Church embraced these pagan practices having them coincide with All Saints Day––celebrated on November 1st, and All Souls Day––All the Faithful Departed on November 2nd. Yet God is not the God of the dead. He is the living God as Jeremiah the Prophet proclaimed. Jesus corrected false assumptions about death by saying,
“But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but the living” (Matthew 22:31-32).
The saints of old who trusted in God still live! Once a person dies they either enter into eternal life or eternal death. This is a permanent destination. A person can choose to accept or reject God’s salvation through His Son Jesus Christ while on earth (John 3:16). Know the truth about life after death and do not to trust in man’s false beliefs.
“Because God is the living God, He can hear, because He is a loving God, He will hear, because He is our covenant God, He has bound Himself to hear.”
~C. H. Spurgeon~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
