Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Theological education:   Equipping people of God
2 Timothy  3:1-17
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”(V.16)
Warnings
The lure of the world and our own pursuit of advancement, wealth, prosperity, and our misguided illusion of happiness takes us away from our relationship with God and our fellow human.  If we continue in this path, we will also be like the people as Paul warns to Timothy in verses 1 to 5.  We are all too busy to spend time with God in prayer and studying the Bible as much as we need to.
Bible is our Instruction Manual
Our creator who loves us and wants us to live according to His Will has prepared an instruction manual for His creation to teach, rebuke, correct, and train us in righteousness.  The Holy Bible is the instruction manual inspired by the Spirit of God through godly people for God’s people.  However, the Bible only comes to life and becomes more meaningful when we are led to understand it by the power of the Holy Spirit. 
Bible is for the people of God
I recall reading the Bible for school assignments or at parent’s request before coming to faith.  It was so boring, hard, and confusing for me.  I have read blogs of people saying they became an atheist after reading the Bible.   We must be aware that the devil also knows of the Bible, but he is in enmity with God and wants lead us astray.  That is why the Bible is for God’s people who seek the fellowship and guidance of the Holy Spirit through prayer to help us understand the scriptures.  “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me”.(John.10:27) .  
Work of Holy Spirit
A born again Christian has the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.  It is the Holy Spirit that leads us to the truth and helps us to understand the scripture.  Otherwise it is just intellectual knowledge like that of the Pharisees that remains in our head “… having a form of godliness but denying its power.”(V.5).   The Spirit convicts us of our sins to lead us to repentance.
Prayer and Bible Study our communication line with God
Prayer is an integral part of Bible study because our prayer life is our way of communicating directly with God and the Bible is God’s way of communicating with us.  The Bible helps us to know God more and as we reflect on our own experiences, we grow to love Him more.  The more we love Him, the more we want to know and obey Him.  When we lead a life in obedience to God’s word, we have been trained in righteousness and are pleasing to God.
Prayer:  Lord, thank you for giving us the scripture and the guidance of your Spirit to train us in righteousness.  Forgive our backsliding and we want to come back to you to know you more and to live a life that is pleasing to you.   Amen.
Thought for the Day:  To know God is to Love God.  To Love God is to Obey God.  To obey God is to please God.


Jothy S. Varughese, Christos MTC, Philadelphia

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 wh...
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 tel...
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