Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-

 Reformation Sunday: Faith community which has to be reformed by the Word of God

2 Kings 23:1-6
v2 “The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the LORD - to follow the LORD and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul ..“

On October 31,1517 , when a German monk named Martin Luther, nailed his ’95 Theses’ on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, to debate about certain practices of the Catholic Church, little did he know that he ignited a spark that burst into a flame that spread across Europe and around the world, which we now call the Protestant Reformation .

As a young man, Martin Luther felt no peace in his heart with God, despite doing all that his religion prescribed. Once he even got on his knees and hands and crawled up the stairs of the Church of St John Lateran, saying ‘Our Father’, as the Church taught then that by doing so, he could release a soul from purgatory. Deep in his heart he felt there was something missing. The turning point came when he began to read and teach the Bible. Romans 1:16-17 convicted him of the fact that we are not set righteous before God through our good works and religious observances. The righteousness of God however is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe (Romans 3:22).

In 2 Kings 22-23, we read about a young boy Josiah who became the King of Judah when he was just 8 years old. His father Amon and Grandfather Manasseh led disgusting and wicked lives before the LORD and turned the whole of Judah into idolatry. Although King Josiah had no godly models to follow, he was determined to do what was right in the eyes of the LORD. When he was 26 years old, he set his heart towards repairing the Temple of the LORD, which led to the discovery of the Book of the Law. On hearing the words of the Book of the Law, King Josiah tore his robes and humbled himself before the LORD. Moved by the Word of God, King Josiah pledged to follow the LORD wholeheartedly, purged the land of idolatry and immorality, restored the Temple and re-established worship in its proper place, thus saving a generation from God’s judgement.

The Word of God is a double-edged sword which judges the thoughts and the attitudes of our heart. Our lives get changed when we spend time with God’s Word – the Bible. It causes us to make radical changes in our lives and motivates us to influence others to come closer to God. Let’s use this “lockdown” period of our lives to reform ourselves and come closer to God by studying His Word.

PRAYER
Holy Spirit of God enable us daily to spend some time in silence with your Word.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Draw near to God and God will draw near to you.
Anila Eapen, South Florida
Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church

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

-
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

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