Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Prophetic Proclamation of the Gospel
Galatians 1:11-17Neethu Elizabeth Simon

Phoenix MTC, AZ
The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law. – Deuteronomy 29:29

 

I consider people like me, who are born and bought up in a Christian family as the second generation Christians. From childhood we are imbibed the ethos and values of Christianity through our parents and elders. We become part of the church through Holy Baptism and parents take responsibility for our spiritual life until we turn adults. We may be forced to attend Church and Sunday school every Sunday which eventually helps in our spiritual growth. But what happens when we turn adults? As adults, can our parents force us to attend church or be part of different organizations like the Youth League or the Choir? Like the famous proverb says – “You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink”, the responsibility of our individual spiritual growth lies in our own hands and not just in that of our parents or elders. As adults we need to become true Christians accepting Christ as our personal Savior. Our character as a person needs baptism and we must depict the nine fruits of the spirit as mentioned by Paul in Galatians 5:22-23. Character transformation needs faith in God which can be acquired in two ways – experiencing God’s grace in our own life or that of others and secondly through the Bible, the living word of God.

 

    Bible is the script of an epic movie under God’s direction with us being the actors. Prophecy is that ingredient which helps us in tying the thread between the past, present and the future. There is no other book in the world which has fulfilled prophecies. The prophecies about nations, kingdoms, leaders and most importantly about Messiah have all been fulfilled. Fall of Babylon to Medes and Persians (Is 13:17-20),  70 years of captivity of Jews by Babylon (Jeremiah 25:-11-12), prophesy of the birth of Jesus to his crucifixion, prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem by Jesus in Luke 21:6 etc are all examples from the Bible which validate the scripture and Jesus. All these fulfilled prophecies certify the work of God, revealed to God’s people years before they actually occurred. In a world which is becoming more liberal and secular, these are strong evidences for building our faith in God and in his plans for us. Just like the beginning, the end is also predicted through John in Revelation. As we wait for the return of Jesus, we can lead a life which is pleasing to God. Prophecy strengthens our faith and trust in God and inspires us to do good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17) for God’s glory. Prophetic words will nurture our spiritual growth. Thus Biblical prophecy does not just relate to the past and future but also impacts our present life.

PRAYER

Lord, enlighten us with Your plans for us as we meditate on Your prophecies. Do not let us get distracted from what is to come but focus and work on fulfilling Your plans on earth through us. May our work be pleasing and bring glory to Your name. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
It is imperative to transform spiritually first and second generation Christians through faith in prophetic fulfilments.

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