Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Holy Baptism: Born from Above

Genesis 8:1-14

Dr. V. T. Samuel

Sehion MTC, Dallas.
Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and saw that the face of the ground was drying.

Noah’s ark and the flood reminds us of God’s plan for redeeming the people when human race was turning away from God (Gen 6:13).  Instead of wiping out the entire living beings, God selected Noah’s family and two each from all living creatures in the process of recreating the world of the living.  This new beginning was to re-establish the sovereignty of God because of the unfaithfulness and infidelities of the people on the earth (6:1-6). To the new generations of living beings of post-Flood, God gives the same instructions:  "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth..." (Gen 1:28 and 9:1).  This re-creation process of God continues in every generation of humans, animals and environment silently and sometimes through catastrophic events.  
 
When sin abounded in the universe, God spoke through the prophets and at the fullness of time, through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3).  Jesus ushered in a new era for turning away from sin to an era of love, forgiveness and fruitfulness and extended an invitation to become partners in the redemption of the universe. John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus, announced the same message (John1:23). He testified to the crowd gathered around him saying that He who is coming after him is the Christ who was sent by God (John 1:29-34).  Thus, repentance and baptism became the preliminary requirements of becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ.
We all believe in the sacrament of Baptism as the first step in becoming a member of the Kingdom of God. Those of us who received baptism at an early age, have testified at the age of 13 or later when we proclaimed to the world that we are going to witness to the saving power of Jesus Christ.  Jesus’s last commandment  in Mathew 28:19-20 reminds us that we need to extend the invitation of Jesus to others to repent and be baptized and become a member of the Kingdom of God.
 
We are called to continue our faith in Christ who came from above and to become the witnesses wherever God has placed us.  It means obedience to Jesus Christ, our Savior in every aspect of our life here and now.   

PRAYER

Dear God, as members of the Kingdom of God, help us to witness our faith to others not only in our faith community (Church) but also to the communities at large within our reach and beyond the borders.  In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
If Christians would behave and live like Christ, the kingdom of God would become a reality on this earth.   

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