Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Promise of the Holy Spirit
Acts 1: 1- 8
v8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”.
God’s greatest love to mankind is radiated through the promise of the Holy Spirit given through Jesus Christ.  Jesus, with love and compassion, promised his disciples, just before his ascension, the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Only thing they were asked to do was to wait patiently and prayerfully for the appropriate day to receive that priceless gift.  Jesus had been training them all these years to become deserving recipients of the Holy Spirit, and thereby to become His true witnesses in the world.
In today’s world when the human race is confronted with the fatal problem of corona virus, the need of the believer for acquiring the gift of the Holy Spirit is extremely immense.  For this, one must equip himself or herself with certain qualities.  We are bound to accept Jesus Christ as our lord and savior.  Our body, mind, and soul need to be pure.  The Lord’s prayer begins with this acceptance of purity as a hallmark. It is only through our purity of existence that we can make His name purified.  Thus, we become witnesses of Christ.  There are umpteen examples in The Bible.  Apostle Paul declares without any shadow of doubt that, ‘For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain’.  All the disciples of Christ lived with purity.  That was why they were able to spread the gospel throughout the world.  St. Thomas is another example.  He was instrumental in making us Christians.
A Christ centered life is necessary.  From now on ‘Jesus must live in us, not ourselves’.  The Holy Spirit invites us to be a part and parcel of the life of Christ.  Cross shows the path.  To obtain The Holy Spirit let us incessantly seek and pray with pure hearts ‘the fruit of the Spirit’ thereby owning ‘love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control’(Gal.5: 22).  To get away from the clutches of temptations and other worldly desires is very difficult. It is only with the help of The Holy Spirit that we can overcome them. May the Holy Spirit enable us to be the true warriors of Christ.
PRAYER
God Almighty, we are sinners and weaklings.  We are not fit to be called your children.  But through Christ you redeemed us. We beseech You to help us to live a life of purity, so that we may also get the grace to obtain the Holy Spirit.  Make us your children and help us to be your true witnesses in this suffering world. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
God is great.  He wants us to be His witnesses. He loves us.  He wants us to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  Let us succumb ourselves to the will of God. Through us God’s great plan of redeeming the world can be fulfilled.  We should be clay in the hands of the great Potter.  Allow Him to mold us.

Prof. Elias Abraham- Mar Thoma Church of Baltimore, Maryland
Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church

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