Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Productive Living: The best is yet to come 

Bible Reading:   Philippians Ch 1 v 19-21

Key verse 21

For me to live is Christ and to die is gain

DEVOTION

Paul wrote this epistle while he was a prisoner in Rome. At Philippi Paul suffered but he had been instrumental in planting this church. Paul had fatherly care for this congregation and these brethren were kind to Paul. Christ lives in Paul (Gal.2:20, Eph.3:17) and is the source and sustainer of Paul’s spiritual life (Col.3:4). Paul is in vital union with Christ and lives in devotion to Christ. And to die is gain-implies the state after death, not the act of dying. Death does not interrupt our conscious fellowship with Christ. “And absent from body and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). One of the martyrs said to his persecutors as they led him to death “You take a life from me that I cannot keep and bestow a life upon me that I cannot lose”. The idea of gain is a precious thought on dying. After death Christians will collect the profits of their life’s investments for Christ, and God pays rich dividends. It will gain both in what we lose (sinful body, temptations, sorrow, suffering, enemies etc.) and we gain glorified body, personal presence with Christ, joy, reunion with departed saints etc. Death is a great loss to carnal worldly people but for a Christian it is a gain. 

PRAYER

 Lord help us to live a pure and holy life so we will be ready for our death or the Lord’s second coming. 

 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

 When Christ lives in us and we live in Christ we will not fear death. Jesus has conquered death.  


Mrs Annie Verghese, St. Mathews Mar Thoma Church, Milton, Canada 

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