Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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 Sharing the Good News

Genesis 18: 1-15

V: 10” Then the Lord said,” I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son”.

In this Old Testament passage, Lord is sharing the good news with Abraham. St. Paul in Romans 9:9 emphasizes this divine promise of the Lord - For this is what the promise stated: "At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son."  Abraham had two sons one out of his servant Hagar, but that is of flesh and the son of Sarah, Isaac, is by divine promise (Galatians 4:23). In Matthew 1:1–17, we see that Jesus Christ son of God was born as a descendant of Isaac. Thus we see Isaac and Jesus Christ are by the intervention of Lord the God. Devine blessings are always with the chosen, nothing is impossible for the Lord (Genesis 18: 13)   
Parallel to Genesis 18: 10, in the new testament the Risen Lord Jesus give a message, the great commission, to his disciples “ (Mark 16:15) And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel/Good News to every creature”.
When I was a teenager I did witness Rev. Fr Jacob kassessa (known as Kottara Achen) a well-known priest of Mar Thoma Church, standing in the four corners and preaching Jesus Christ to the general public. Rev. Jacob Kassessa is in the Guinness Book for the longest-serving priest (75+ yrs). He went to his heavenly home at the age of 103. Perhaps you may know his son Dr. Cherian the world-famous cardiologist at Vellore medical college. Achen was not spreading gospel/good news only by speeches and worshiping, but also by his exemplary life. 
Spreading the good news is mainly by life actions, by life itself. It is said ‘talk is cheap, what we need is action, be living examples.
If life is not in accordance with what I talk, my talk/writing is worthless. Jesus says ‘Whatever you did for these poor and oppressed, you did for me’, meaning if you ignore the poor you are ignoring the Lord the creator.  
 

Prayer
Heavenly Father, enrich our life with the Holy Spirit so that our life will be good examples for others to follow and praise you the creator. In the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.


Thought for the Day
Your witness is only as strong as your character.


Dr. Kochumman Geevarghese
St. Thomas Mar Thoma Church New York

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