Saturday, January 23, 2021

At last, the appointed time is here.

"After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:  “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1: 14-15).

Sunday 24th January 2021, 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time is designated the Sunday of the Word of God. Why is the 3rd Sunday in January set aside as the Sunday of the Word of God? The Word of God is one of the greatest gifts of God to His children. Most of the problems in life is because most people are ignorant of this truth.

Pope Francis set aside the 3rd Sunday in January to celebrate, study and disseminate the Word of God.

In our key Scripture for this Sunday, Jesus launched His preaching ministry with this Word of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
In the plan of God for our salvation, there are two periods:
#1. Time of prophecy. (Old Testament).
#2. Time of fulfillment. (New Testament).

Jesus says that all the promises predicted by all the prophets are being fulfilled now. How do you know these promises? How do you claim your own promises?

One night in 1986, I was sleepless in a hotel room. I was extremely anxious about a work problem with my company. The problem could end my career. In the restless anxiety, I picked up a Gideon Bible on the night table. It opened to Exodus 14: 13 - 14:
"But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

I read the above Word of God and it produced this remarkable effect on me: peace, joy and calmness. This was followed by hope that God will resolve the problem because He has spoken.  Although I had no experience with the power of the Word of God, I believed the message. The problem was resolved completely. My co-workers and friends asked: "What happened?"
To fix this miracle in my mind, I resolved to read the Word of God every single day of my life from that point. Ten years after the date, the Lord gave me the Daily Bible Verse ministry.

The promises of the Word of God are for all of us. What a tragedy that many ignore this treasure either through ignorance, apathy or laziness.

The light of this world is Jesus Christ. If you do not want to live in darkness, resolve today to read His Word every day and watch what will happen to you. You will grow in peace, wisdom and understanding. You will come to know Jesus better. "Ignorance of Scripture is Ignorance of Christ." (St Jerome).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

No comments:

Post a Comment

23-Psalm1to2