Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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 Pentecost: Holy Spirit who Renews All Creation

1 Cor 12: 1 – 11
 
Devotion
We see the first reference to the Holy Spirit in Genesis ch. 1, v 2, as God began the creation process. The Spirit that was present at the very beginning continues to be with us today for our guidance and renewal. 
Apostle Paul covered a variety of topics in his 1st letter to the Corinthian Church. In today’s Bible portion, Paul talks about the gifts of the Spirit. He suggests no one can accept Jesus as Lord except by the Holy Spirit. He says that there are different kinds of gifts, but all of them are given by the same Spirit and these gifts must be used for  the common good. Paul was concerned with the strife and division in the Church that was caused by pride and the abuse of spiritual gifts. 
Holy Spirit is a gift to those who live in Christ. When the Spirit is in one’s life, He grants certain gifts as He determines, whether it is wisdom, knowledge, faith, prophecy or healing. Since each member of the Church is given a gift, we should strive to identify the gift that we have received. Just like different parts of the body work in unison to function as one body, in a church, people with different gifts should work together to function as the body of Christ and achieve God’s purpose. Is one gift better than another gift? When one has a gift of speaking, another may have a gift of listening. Both gifts are necessary for the proper functioning of a Church. In any context, the awareness that our ability is a gift from God leads us to humility which helps us to honor others and their abilities. So, in our everyday lives within the Church or outside of the Church, let us give all the glory to God. Let us follow Philippians 2: 3, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”
 
Prayer
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 
Thought for the Day
“God will never direct us to be prideful, arrogant and unforgiving, immoral or slothful or full of fear. We step into these things because we are insensitive to the leadership of the Holy Spirit within us.” - Charles Stanley

Varghese Thomas
The Mar Thoma Church ,Long Island, NEW York

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