A WORD FOR TODAY, October 25, 2024
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, October 25, 2024
“Therefore don’t be afraid of them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in the ear, proclaim on the housetops. 28 Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Aren’t two sparrows sold for an assarion coin? Not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:26-31, WEB
On October 25, c. 285 AD, two brothers were beheaded for their faith. They were named Crispin and Crispinian. They were Roman Christians who went as missionaries to Gaul. During the day the preached the Gospel, at night they worked leather into shoes earning enough to support themselves financially and to share with the poor. They ministered to the pagans who enjoyed their charitable lives. Many were converted to Christianity. Some of the pagans complained to the Roman authorities that hated Christians. Rictius Varus tried to dissuade them by offering them alternately great riches or death, but each time they managed to escape. He was so disturbed by their immovable spirit that he killed himself. Emperor Maximian ordered their beheading.
During their time of persecution under Rictius Varus, Crispin and Crispinian are recorded as saying, “Thy threats do not terrify us, for Christ is our life, and death is our gain. Thy rank and possessions are nought to us, for we have long before this sacrificed the like for the sake of Christ and rejoice in what we have done. If thou shouldst acknowledge and love Christ thou wouldst give not only all the treasures of this life, but even the glory of thy crown itself in order through the exercise of compassion to win eternal life.”
Crispin and Crispinian stood firm in their faith in Christ. They did not allow the terror or the temptation of this world to distract them from their work. Their actions were extraordinary, yet their words are ones we should all take to heart. Death has no sting for Christians who have the hope of eternal life, and the treasures of this world have no meaning for those of us who know what the Kingdom has to offer.
October 25 is the feast day of these incredible men of God. Our world is filled with terror and temptation. Do not be afraid and do not fall under the burdens that this world holds. The Lord God Almighty loves you so much that He knows the minutest details of your life. He is with you, to guard and guide you toward the fulfillment of His promises. When you face persecution - whether the world offers you the grandest riches or the most frightening death - remember the words of your Lord Jesus Christ, “You are worth more than many sparrows.”
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