Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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 JESUS – LORD and GOD

 1 Thessalonians 4: 13 – 18
“And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words” (V.17b,18)

Last Sunday we celebrated Easter – the glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ who overcame death even in His physical being. We celebrated the rising of our Lord, who in spite of being fully human, overcame all the temptations of the world to follow God’s will.
 
For us Christians, such an endeavor seems impossible, especially with the multitude of responsibilities and roles we play and the kind of people we interact with. We all desire peace of mind and joy in our hearts, but not sure how do we reach there. Hence many of us keep running around in different churches or fellowship groups searching for God. Many of us have become Mall Christians. We feel that God is somewhere outside and we are yet to find Him. It will take a while for us to realize that God is within us, the realization of which we need to unfold. The day we understand this, we will start experiencing the peace and joy that we were in search of. The restlessness we feel every day will now come to a state of rest. We will stop being carried away and being affected by the circumstances outside us. It is then that we truly become peacemakers on earth, for everyone around us. We will be able to lead others to this joy and peace.

But this realization requires us to be loyal to our path. The path that has been shown to us by our forefathers. This path is not devoid of our fellowship with our family and friends. It is about being with them in the journey and helping each other experience God. It is not about running away from the world. It is about being in their midst yet being unaffected by it. It is this experience to which Paul is inviting the Thessalonians in the reference portion for today.

The Christian journey begins with self-reflection. Then follows the process of filling ourselves with the joy and peace that comes through the realization of God’s presence within us. And finally, it is about sharing this joy and peace with everyone around us and helping them embark on this journey of realization. May Lord help us all to come closer to God and help each other to experience God.

Prayer

Lord, help us to be loyal to the path shown to us and realize your presence within us. Help us to bring others to Thy experience. Help us become peacemakers on earth. Guide us each day so that on the day of your second coming, we shall be with you forever. Amen

Dr. Elizabeth Jacob
W/o Rev. Johnson P. Abraham
The Mar Thoma Church, Staten Island

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