Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
 Family-Space for Faith Formation - Christian Family Dedication Day
I John 2: 7-17
Vs.17 ‘The world and its desires pass away; but whoever does the will of God lives forever’.
I remember in my younger days, we had our family prayer before dinner could be served. It always started with two to three songs and then there would be a ten-minute catching up time where we kids and our parents would share how our day went at school or the work place. It was time when each person’s experiences would be restated from the other’s perspective. This would be followed by Bible reading, prayer and reciting the Lord’s Prayer.

In most homes, our day-to-day stories included experiences of success, failure, joy, disappointment, and so on. Being able to share these as a family and to see it in the light of the Word of God or through a faith perspective greatly strengthened our bond with each other in the family and with God.
The First book of John is all about the Love of God and how our response should be. John does not say that God is very loving, but that God is Love. Reciprocating appropriately by loving the unseen God and loving our fellow human beings around us, is what we are called to do.
Verse 17 specifically challenges us to examine our priorities. It calls into question what we are investing on or counting on. It is also a reminder that if it is only the world and its luxuries that we are after, it will all pass away and ultimately only doing the will of God matters.
Knowing the will of God and doing the will of God are not the same. We need to know, in order to do. But just knowing is not sufficient. Our creator God, did send His only begotten son as an ultimate expression of His Love for us, to help us know the will the God. Jesus did the will of God even up to death on the cross and helped us to know it, through His teachings, life, passion, death, resurrection and ascension.
Verses 9-11 remind us that, if we claim to love God, we can’t be self-centered, because as long as we are self-seeking we are in darkness. Our calling, however is to live in the light, which can be fulfilled only by leading a life of love, by literally caring for the people around us and thereby doing the will of God.
PRAYER
Father of all, our God of Peace, We look to You alone; Come with Your precious gift of love And make our house Your home. - Ken Bible
 THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
“A family that prays together stays together” – Mother Theresa

Mrs. Navitha Jogy Oommen, Detroit MTC

Popular posts from this blog

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
  Constant, patient and welcoming love of God   St. Luke 15: 11-32  V.21: And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ The parable of the ‘Prodigal son’ is one of the most frequently quoted parables that Jesus told His disciples. The parable contains the rich mine of human virtues and emotions. This parable is lived and re-lived in progressing civilizations from time immemorial and continuing. It brings out in vivid detail the pathetic depth of human sinfulness and the glorious heights of God’s forgiveness.      As a story of human nature, fathers are generally merciful to their children in any circumstance. They are very protective and are eager to provide for and secure the lives of their offspring. Jesus is telling this parable to underscore the superlative love of God to His children. The nature of such love is reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 7:11. Humankind who are evil by nature, give good gifts t
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
PRIESTHOOD: THE ANOINTED MINISTRY Exodus 40:12-16 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting... wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest (Exodus 40: 12-13). Priesthood among the people of God was a divine command and initiation. God wanted some people to be separated for the special ministry among his people. God appointed Aaron and his descendants to take up this kind of ministry among the people of God. Priests are always separated and appointed as channels that connect God with his people. All throughout the history of Israel, priests played an important role in connecting people with God and to lead and guide them in the statutes of God. But there are incidents in the Bible where the priests failed in their duties and that led the people to go away from God. So the priests have a special and significant ministry to perform in this world among his people. Two important things
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Revelation for Liberation Acts 27:18-26 Sherine Thomas Long Island MTC, NY 20  When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. “After winter comes the summer.  After night comes the dawn.  And after every storm, there comes clear open skies” so said a Scottish clergyman from the 1600s. It’s been said, that hope can sometimes be the most dangerous weapon.  However, it’s sometimes the hardest weapon to carry when you’re living with the loss of a loved one, something that almost feels like a terrible nightmare that’ll never go away.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry when day in and day out no one seems to hear or see those tears that are shed or silent cries that are made during a heartfelt prayer. It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you see your loved one lying on that hospital bed.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you search and seek out answers to tell a child as to why they’ve been a
Read more