Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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 Annunciation to Virgin Mary

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13.

V6 “But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love.

The Apostle Paul's second missionary journey included a visit to the prominent Greek city of Thessalonica. Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians is written about AD 51, and in this letter, he expresses his gratitude for the Thessalonian believers' spiritual progress, and their resolute faith and love. 
For them, ‘Faith means putting the trust in God and having confidence that He will fulfill His promises. They did not capitulate their faith under all the intense pressures and trials they faced. 
Here we can see that Paul prays for two vital things to be true in their lives.
1) In verse 6 we see, “their faith and love should expand and grow.” The Christian life is dependent upon Faith and Love. By faith, and by walking in the Spirit, we can love Him, and do His will. Faith is loved and honored by God more than anything else. Our responsibility as Christians is to grow in faith and help others to grow in Faith and Love. 
As we are celebrating the annunciation of the Virgin Mary, we can see the faith and love of Mary changed the course of history. The announcement of the world-changing news by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive a son by the power of the Holy Spirit to be called Jesus troubled her and confused her. But in her deep Faith and love in God, she responded “I am a handmaid of the Lord.” This real, deep, unshakeable, ‘surrendered faith’ of Mary, has been an inspiration to countless Christians for two thousand years.
2) In verse 13, “they should be found blameless and holy.” Paul is exhorting the Thessalonians to be blameless by not trusting in their righteousness and understanding but in the priceless, unfailing love of God. A person becomes blameless and Holy by having a deep relationship with God by obedience and being shaped to have His character. Mary was chosen and found highly favored by God! Mary is a normal human being like one of us. She wasn’t the richest, the brightest, the most beautiful, or the most popular, but God chose her; Why Mary? Because she possessed a high character, blameless, and righteous, profound humility, lively faith, and blind obedience. We might have real doubts and fears, various trials, uncertainties, and too many unanswerable questions. 
 As Paul instructed, let us expand and grow in Faith and Love; let us be blameless in all our dealing with God and others; Let us reconcile and respond with integrity toward others. Let each day is an "annunciation", an invitation to us from the same Great Love to tell “Yes, Lord, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to Thy Word.”

Prayer
Lord, let our faith grow stronger, to love, to serve, and to submit ourselves for Your purpose. Amen.

Thought of the Day
 Live by Faith and love, and not by fear; Let God have our life; He can do more with it than we can. 

Jooley Mathew Zachariah
Houston Trinity Marthoma Church, Houston
 

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