Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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 Be Witnesses to the Risen Lord

1 Thess 2:1-12
 
You are witnesses and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed"

We are called to be witnesses of the risen Lord. In the great commission Jesus entrusted each one of us before He ascended to heaven to go to all nook and corner of the world to spread the gospel, share His love and add whoever who believes into the church. Thus we have a great responsibility as a Christian to reflect His love, His Grace, His compassion and truth to a world that is groping in darkness. Paul, in today’s text for meditation  reflects the theme very emphatically and shows us what is to be a witness of the risen Lord.
Our witness shall be a demonstration of boldness, courage, unyielding valor even in the face of fierce opposition and suffering. The way of Christ is not a bed of roses. There are storms and turbulences, stones and thorns on the way., The road is narrow and there will be obstacles. Paul and his friends faced opposition and persecution. Paul boasts and rejoices in his sufferings and says that nothing of this world can separate him from his love for Christ including death. We too in our journey will encounter hardships and challenges in witnessing Christ. I recall a group of Sunday school children who were executed by ISIS as they refused to deny Christ in Egypt few years ago. We are encouraged to press on fully aware of the fact that our labor is not in vain.
Our witnessing shall be marked by integrity, gentleness and self-control. When we say integrity there has to be a lot of selflessness, sincerity and demonstration of authenticity. Our personal glory, ambitions and praises must not come in the way of glorifying God. Our motto shall be to lift His name and His name only.
Lastly let us heed Paul’s words and commit ourselves to be a faithful witness to the risen Lord. May our lives testify to His transforming power. Let our words and actions speak of His love. Let our lives be the Bible others read and try to copy. Let our words and dealings bring hope and comfort to the desperate world. If we can accomplish this, even though the world may ignore us the God of all grace will witness to our good deeds for the sake of the Gospel. Amen

Prayer
Lord enable us to be your witness in this world. We need your strength and the help of the Holy Spirit every moment of our life. Amen

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Witnessing means giving ourselves in sacrifice every day

Dr Thomas K. Jose
The Staten Island Mar Thoma Church

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