Ephesians 2:19-22 KJV
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Today is all Saints Day, a celebration of those of faith that gone before us, that are now passed. How did I forget Reformation of the Church that was yesterday as well. No it not oversight, some do not celebrate many of the Christian "festivals or holidays" that remind us of the changes of our history of our faith as well as the struggles of the believers that have gone before us. Hanukkak a Jewish Holiday begining with the festival of lights on November 28 this year. and Hanukkak is on 29 by my calendar. Yeah I have to look this stuff up. However there is a reason I making note of these time periods. We can not forget when did the word saint come from, it came from Old Testament reference. It is important because it speaks of the believers before Christ. To deny there were persecuted saints before and after Christ is like trying to say only people called Christians are persecuted. That is further from the truth. Every religion has had those who persecuted them. It is saints from centuries and tens of thousands years ago, who went before us in faith to carry on the faith of Gospel, God's Holy Word that we celebrate All Saints Day. Think the Word of God that transforms life has made it through the centuries of time, being carried by God's people and also awaken in the hearts and souls of man by God's Spirit.

When we get to the New Testament Paul uses the words saint as if believers today are fellowcitizens with the household of God. Now remember he was raised in the Roman world, he teaching about citizenship here in God's kingdom, but also he reflecting how in the Roman world if you not born as a Roman citizen you probably are not a Roman citizen unless some how that status is changed. But with God when you accept Christ as Savior you become a joint heir with Jesus. You become a heir to the throne as a child of God. In Jewish history it took ten generations for a family to become fully part of Jewish people. However as a Christian you immediately become part of God's kingdom through faith.

What then as a child of God did we have to wait to become a saint or fellowheirs through Christ Jesus, not in the least, we only had to be born of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Jesus being our chief cornerstone of faith. Immediately your accepted as a child of God. Remember Cornelius and his family began to shows signs of the Holy Spirit and so Peter seen no reason he could not baptize Cornelius and his family(Acts 10).

Catholic tradition of calling someone a saint happens after death, whether the person lived out his life as a believer to be given sainthood status. This is tradition by the Catholic church. In protestant churches we already saints as children of God and join heirs with Jesus. Traditions verse scripture? Tradition verse history? History verses Scripture? Does it matter, we celebrate the saints lives today that face extreme hardship, struggles, smooth sailing in life that obeyed God and passed the scripture on to others. If they could face certain perils, tribulation and hardship we too can carry our cross and tell the story of our Savior Jesus Christ to those coming after us, in hope of their future.

Moses before he died gather the saints to hear the word of God one last time from his own lips. He testified one more time to the ten of thousands of the saints that received the fiery word of God coming forth from his lips. The saints of God that gone through the wilderness, heard the stories of the wilderness and Egypt and believed were called saints. Their next journey would be going into the Promise Land. We have our own journey to the promise land, our own journey of faith as we walk in humility of faith, with the conviction of the Spirit and His Word coming forth to minister to the world around us. Are we carrying cross to share the Gospel?

Dear Heavenly Father we thank you for your word and for those who gone before us as believers carrying both the Old Testament of faith and the New Testament of faith. We thank God for the time between now and the New Testament that continued in faith carrying your message so all might believe. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Deuteronomy 33:1-3 KJV
1 And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.
2 And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.
3 Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words.

Romans 10:12-18 KJV
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.