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The Body of Christ
Patricia AllafThe Church is called the Body of Christ because just as Christ once used His physical Body to do the work of God in the world, so now He uses His mystical Body, the Church.
On the long high front wall of a church that was just being completed, an artist started painting a picture of Christ as the Good Shepherd. Only the firm brush strokes outlining the head could be seen. A stranger stopped in and asked curiously, "When will the picture be finished?"
A workman replied. ''That picture? It is finished.''
"Finished?" repeated the startled visitor. "Why all it is, is the outline of a head. Most of it is still missing - the eyes, mouth, arms, legs and feet - the whole body is missing!"
"You won't see that on a wall," the workman replied. "The body of Christ is the congregation of people who will be worshipping in this church. The Body of Christ is the Church."
St. Paul writes, "He (Christ) is the head of the body, the Church" (Col. 1:18). As the Head of the Body, Christ issues orders to the various members. He is the brain; the One in Whom all the fullness of God dwells bodily. What a privilege God bestows on us when He ties us so intimately with Christ and with each other as to make us constitute one Body with Him as the Head. When we meditate on this analogy, we come to look at prayer as the members of the Body (the Church) reporting for duty to the Head (Christ). He continues to be present in the world today.
The Holy Spirit
Finally, parents may explain that Pentecost is the day on which the Holy Spirit came to us in His fullness. Who filled the first apostles with God's presence and power may fill us today with the same power that we may experience the reality of God in our lives.
The Holy Spirit must be constantly attained. He should be received daily. To achieve this, it is necessary to wait prayerfully and expectantly for Him as the apostles did before Pentecost. "All these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer..." (Acts 1:14). This kind of prayerful waiting is essential if we are to receive the Holy Spirit.
The whole purpose of the Christian life as nothing more than the receiving of the Holy Spirit: "Prayer, fasting, vigils and all other Christian acts, however good they may be in themselves, certainly do not constitute the aim of our Christian life; they are but the indispensable means of attaining that aim. For the true aim of the Christian life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God. As for fasts, vigils, prayer and almsgiving, and other good works done in the name of Christ, they are only the means of acquiring the Holy Spirit of God... [Ed. Note: emphasis mine]. Prayer is always possible for everyone, rich and poor, noble and simple, strong and weak, healthy and suffering, righteous and sinful. Great is the power of prayer; most of all does it bring the Spirit of God and easiest of all is it to exercise."
For, what is greater than to possess the Holy Spirit? And what is easier than the means by which He comes to us: prayer?
No prayer is complete unless it includes a petition to the Holy Spirit that He come to dwell in us. Thus, through prayer every day becomes Pentecost.
A Piece of Cake
A little boy is telling his grandma how everything is going wrong.....school, family problems, severe health problems, etc. Meanwhile, Grandma is baking a cake. She asks her grandson if he would like a snack,which, of course, he does.
"Here, have some cooking oil."
"Yuck" says the boy.
"How about a couple raw eggs?"
"Gross, Grandma!"
"Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?"
"Grandma, those are all yucky!"
"Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves, but when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake!
God works the same way. Many times we wonder why he would let us go through such bad and difficult times, but God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good!
We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!" God is crazy about you. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning.
Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart. If you like, send this on to the people you care about. I did. Hope your day is a "piece of cake!"
How can a Christian parent keep a proper perspective in the celebration
of certain holidays such as Christmas, Easter, and Halloween?
I think the time has come for Christians to rethink our participation in, and celebration of, certain calendared events such as Halloween, Christmas, and Easter. We live in a changing society where everything we believe is being challenged, scrutinized, and ridiculed by a pagan segment of our society.
With the explosion of witchcraft, Satan worship, and the many manifestations of demonic activity, Christians should shun the celebration of Halloween. It is no longer "child's play," but has become an opportunity for those involved in all types of ungodly, evil, sadistic, and cultic practices to shrewdly and publicly gain acceptance. Have you noticed how many adults are now dressing in costumes and playing the part?
There is nothing Christian about it. It has no place in the life of the Christian home with its emphasis on the "other spirit world."
Now when it comes to Christmas and Easter, it is easy to get out of balance in our views and deny our children some pleasures, which are not in any way destructive. For the Christian, our celebration of Christmas is the glorious celebration of the birthday of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Early in their life, our children should be instructed in the true meaning of this season. Christ is what Christmas is all about for the believer. No, the church did not begin the celebration of Christmas the year after Christ's birth. There is no doubt that the idea of Santa Claus was not instituted from a biblical conviction. What we have made of the Christmas season could not be pleasing to Christ.
Our objection to the materialism that has engulfed what for many of us is a holy season will probably not bear much influence in our present greedy society. We must individually choose to make it a time of worship and thanksgiving.
But what about Santa Claus? In my many years as a Christian, I have never met anyone who refused to accept Christ because they once believed in Santa Claus. Children discover the truth about Santa early. It is your responsibility as a parent to teach your children the real meaning of Christmas. If you are going to "play Santa Claus," do it wisely. Don't allow Santa to take the place of the Savior in your celebration of our Lord's birth.
And then there is Easter. I agree that eggs, bunny rabbits, new clothes, and more debt have nothing whatsoever to do with our celebration of the resurrection of Christ. I could take up space tracing these holidays back to their original origins, which are not Christian.
Christian parents should clearly explain the true meaning of the Easter season as believers celebrate it. Don't mix Christ with rabbits. This is not to say that there is anything wrong with an Easter egg hunt. Just keep everything in its proper perspective. There is nothing spiritual about "a colored egg." But there is something glorious about "an empty tomb." The key is separating the "spiritual" from the "play."
We can either become very legalistic, or we can be wise in our treatment of these occasions. As you walk in His Spirit, He will guide you to wisely train up your children to be godly young men and women able to discern truth from error.
Patricia Allaf
Returning Home
(Luke 15)You may have heard the story of the Prodigal Son before. However, have you ever noticed the two stories that Jesus tells just before it? Read Luke 15.
Story One: Jesus tells the account of a sheepherder who has 100 sheep, yet loses one of them. Does that sheepherder throw his hands in the air and think, "Oh well, I've got 99 others—that will be fine"? No; he frantically searches until the 100th sheep is found.
Story Two: Next, Jesus tells the Pharisees about a woman who has ten silver coins. She loses one, though, so she turns her house upside down in search of that coin. When she finds it, she rejoices and tells all her friends that the tenth coin has been found.
Story Three: Finally, Jesus tells the story of the Prodigal Son. It is about a father who has two sons. The first one does everything he is supposed to do—all that is asked of him. The second one, though, selfishly asks for his inheritance. It was an uncommon request, because the son was still a young man with no signs of aging or death for years to come.
But the father gave in. His rebellious son then packed his things, never intending to return home. After squandering the money his father gave him, the son was forced to work in pig troughs for a man who was stingy and did not treat his workers well. All of a sudden, after years of disobedience, the son realized his error. Why was he working for a stranger who did not treat him well when he could be working for his father who loved him dearly?
Based on the first two stories that Jesus told in this chapter of Luke, what do you think the father's reaction is when his long-lost son returns home?
Instead of banishing him to do the most grueling labor on the land, the Prodigal Son's father welcomes him with open arms and treats him like a king. He has a huge party to show how happy he is to have his son back again.
The point Jesus is driving home with these three stories is that each person on earth is important to God. No matter how far we run or how many times we mess up, the Lord rejoices when we return to Him.
Patricia Allaf
The Meaning of Immanuel
Throughout the pages of the Holy Bible over 100 names and titles are given to Jesus. And whether He is called "Bright morning star, Wonderful Counselor, the Root of Jesse, the Alpha and the Omega, or the Lamb of God", each of these names and titles is rich with meaning. There is no one in history that has been given more names or titles than Jesus Christ. They all say something significant about who Jesus is.
However, there is no name more significant than "Immanuel". This name, which Matthew refers to in his Gospel (Matthew 1:23), was first given to Jesus by the prophet Isaiah 700 years before His birth (Isaiah 7:14). And this very special Christmas name, as Matthew tells us, means "God with us." Jesus Christ is Immanuel, "God with us," and I'd like to share why this is so meaningful at Christmas time.
The babe born to Mary in a manger, the infant that the shepherds ran to see, the newborn child that the Magi traveled hundreds of miles to worship is Immanuel, God with us. But in what sense is Jesus "God with us?"
Wasn't God always with the human race? Wasn't "God with us" before Jesus? Yes. In one sense God, the Creator, has always been "with" His creation. Unlike the false god of the Deists and Theists and of many evolutionists, who believe in a god who started the world and then departed far away, the true God has always been with us. About this He says in Jeremiah 23 "`Am I God who is near,' declares the LORD, `And not far off? The God of the Bible, the true Creator, is everywhere at the same time. He fills all of creation with His presence; every mountain and every piece of land; and yet He is not a part of that creation. He remains Creator distinct from His creation. And so a God who is everywhere is certainly a God who is with us.
But with the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem, Immanuel, "God With Us," takes on a whole new meaning. For in the person of baby Jesus, God is "with us" not merely to bless us. Nor is He with us in the sense that He is going to merely work through Jesus to help us, protect us, and guide us. No-the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay is "God with us" because He is God.
What sent the shepherds back to the fields rejoicing, what made the wise men fall down in wonder in the shadow of that babe, was the gripping realization that they were in the presence of their Creator made man.
Why does the human race need "God with us?" Because we have separated ourselves far away from Him by our sin. Because the plain truth is that without "God with us" we human beings are incomplete at best. For no matter what we in our arrogance like to imagine about ourselves, we humans are creatures. We human beings are creations: beautiful, complicated, and intricate creations fashioned by an all-powerful Creator who has revealed Himself to us as our God. His name is Yahweh. And He has revealed Himself to us as Three Divine Persons in One Divine Essence: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We human beings were created by this loving Creator in the image of God (Gen. 1:27). This means that we were created for the express purpose of knowing and loving Him. We were meant to have the most intimate relationship imaginable with Him. We were to depend on Him for all things; we were to daily walk in His light, His love, His joy, and His power.
Only our Creator can break down the wall of sin that separates His creatures from Him. Only He can give their lives the meaning and completeness they were supposed to have.
And so God the Son, sent by the Father, sprang into action. He knew that according to the Law He had laid down, that man must die because of their sin. He also was well aware that man could not be restored to His Creator until the Law was kept perfectly and sin was done away with. But such was His love for His creation that He did not want them to die. So the eternal Word decided to die for His creation. But to do this He must become human. And thus 2000 years ago, He came, "born of a woman, born under the Law" (Galatians 4:4). The Word became flesh and became Jesus Christ.
So great was His love for His fallen creation, for you and for me that He left His glory to come here. And through His perfect life and death on the cross He broke down the wall of separation that our sin had built and reconciled us to Himself; as it is written "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them." (2 Co. 5:19). Through Jesus Christ, Immanuel, our sins are forgiven and we have fellowship with our Creator again.
Immanuel, in this one name, everything humankind needs and the entire plan of God's salvation is subsumed. How blessed we are that Jesus Christ became Immanuel, God with us.
Patricia Allaf
Parable of the Sower,
(Luke 8: 4-15)Let me explain to you what is the meaning of a parable, why our Lord Jesus sometimes used this form of teaching, and how we should follow it.
A parable is a short, simple story designed to communicate a spiritual truth and a moral lesson.Although parables are often memorable stories, impressing the listener with a clear picture of the truth, Jesus’ disciples were sometimes confused as to the meaning of the parables.
Each of Jesus’ parables has one central point. The central point of the “Sower Parable” is to know that Jesus Himself is truly the Savior.
Today’s parable is telling us about a sower, his seeds, four kinds of soil that received the seeds, and four different results.
In ancient times, when a farmer went out to plant some seeds, he walked across the field and scattered handfuls of seeds from a large bag. The farmer scattered the seeds liberally and some seeds fell on footpath. The hard and compacted soil of the path meant that the seeds did not sink into the ground and so they sat on the top where they were stepped on and where the birds came and ate them.
Other handfuls of seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. In the shallow soil the seeds began to grow, however the hot sun dried up the water, causing the young plants to wither and die for lack of moisture.
The third type of soil was a soil with thorns which took the nutrition, the water, the light and the space away from the sprouts. Thus when the thorns grew, the good seeds were choked out and could not grow to maturity.
Some seeds may be lost, but other seeds fell on fertile soil, which is the fourth type of soil. This soil had been plowed by the farmer and the seeds had ample sunlight, depth and moisture to be able to grow. The seeds produced a crop one hundred times as much as had been plantedThe Lord ended the parable with the words, A He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
In other words, when you hear the word of God, be careful what kind of reception you give to it.
When His disciples inquired concerning the meaning of this parable, the Lord Jesus explained that the mysteries of the kingdom of God would not be understood by everyone.
Because the disciples were willing to trust and obey, they would be given the ability to understand the teaching of Christ. But Jesus purposely presented much truth in the form of parables, so that those who had no real love for Him would not understand, so that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.In one sense, the multitude saw and heard everything.
For instance, they knew that Jesus had talked about a sower and his seeds. But they did not understand the deeper meaning of the illustration.
They did not realize that their hearts (the ground) were hard, remorseless and thorny and they did not benefit from the word which they had heard. Only to the disciples did the Lord explain the parable. They had already accepted the teaching they had received, and so they would be given moreJesus explained that the seeds are the word of God.
The wayside or the footpath listeners heard the word but only in a shallow, superficial way.
It remained on the surface of their lives. This made it easy for the devil to snatch it away.The rock-listeners heard the word too, but they did not let the word break them. They remained unrepentant.
No encouragement (moisture) was given to the seeds, so it withered away and died.
There seemed to be life, but there was no root beneath the surface. When trouble came, they run away from the spiritual life.
The thorny ground listeners seemed to get along nicely for a while, but they proved that they were not genuine believers by their failure to go on steadfastly.
The cares, riches and pleasures of life took control, and the word was smothered and suffocated.
The good ground represented true believers whose hearts were noble and good.
They not only received the word but allowed it to mold their lives.
They were teachable and obedient, developing true Christian character and producing fruit for God.
God lets His word reach all kinds of hearts because He values man’s freedom. The question now is what type of listeners are we, when we hear the word of God?
If the problems and incidents of daily life control us and absorb our attention, thoughts and emotions, they will quench the spiritual life, and we will be lost.
St. James says (in James 4:4), “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity of God? Whoever, therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
Anything that occupies our emotions, thoughts, senses and desires, would distract us from the love of God and from the spiritual work. It will steal our time and become our enjoyment which gives us worldly pleasure and accordingly will quench the spirit inside us and we will be lost.
The spiritual person is known to be serious, enthusiastic and committed to all his or her spiritual practices. If he or she starts to be lazy or careless, the holy fire in him or her will be put out.
Commitment is a mutual agreement between God and man. It is a binding contract, which has to be respected by both parties.
God is faithful in His promises to accept 100% the prayers of repentant persons. He said “The one who comes to Me, I will by no means cast out”, (John 6:37)
Our Lord has proved His commitment to us by His own blood.
The whole problem is from the human side. We are in general not committed to God as we ought to be
Some people have no commitment at all towards God. They forget their Creator, Savior and Redeemer.
Others have a part time commitment. They go to church or major feasts on some Sundays at their convenience depending on the weather, mood or circumstances.
The same is said about their commitment to reading the bible or praying.
Some people get touched or inflamed by a sermon, they earnestly offer God many vows, but after a while, they forget about them and find themselves swallowed by the world.
Spiritual life needs steadfastness, patience, perseverance, firmness, insistence, determination and completion to the end.
There should be a clear goal before our sight. It deserves all kinds of sacrifice to reach that goal.
The Lord Jesus did not turn away from His goal to save us until He said on the cross “It is finished.”
He also said: “He who endures to the end shall be saved”. (Mark 13:13)
He also promised: “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Rev 2:10)
Therefore, we have to start right and persist to the end, in God’s way and will, until we reach heaven.
The first and greatest commitment is to “Love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.”
(Matt. 22:37, 38)Certainly we can not love anyone whom we do not know. Therefore, we should know Him through His great revelation, which is the bible.
The more we read and study the bible, the more we know God and love Him.
Loving God leads to the next commitment, obeying Him.
God the Father said on the Mount of Transfiguration “This is My beloved Son, hear Him”.
God wants us to commit ourselves to doing His will and His commandments.
We have to be committed to the life of repentance.
There are two kinds of repentance: the repentance of life and the life of repentance.The repentance of life is one that happens once in a life time. It is a U-turn from evil to righteousness.
The life of repentance takes all our life struggling against sin and Satan, growing in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and purifying ourselves day after day, confessing our sins and abiding in Christ through communion.The life of repentance requires hating all kinds of sin whether by thought, word or deed.
It is a commitment to holiness and to abstain from evil and lustful desires.
I will conclude with one of the GOLDEN VERSES in Jesus Sermon on the Mount, which should be memorized by heart: (In Matt. 6:33). “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you”.
Remember the “seek” verb is an imperative verb. Our Lord Jesus Christ does not request but command and we have to obey the order of our heavenly King.
May God be with us all in all temptations, and lead us to triumph in Him, and God bless you.
The Transfiguration
Gospels:
Mark 9:2-13
Matt. 17:1-8
Luke 9:28-36
The transfiguration (manifestation of God) is a feast day.
Definition: Transfigure: change of appearance. The transfigured Christ is His uncovered glory. It assures the disciples that He is the Messiah, who is to suffer and die on the cross, is also the Lord of Glory. This revelation is for the disciples that their faith should be firm.
Several elements of the transfiguration show that Christ is the Messiah and God:
1-
God is light. The shining of Jesus’ face like the sun, and the whiteness of His garment demonstrate that Jesus is God.2-
The Father bears witness from heaven that He is His son from eternity.3-
The transfiguration foreshadows His future glory in His kingdom.4-
The appearance of Moses & Elijah. Moses represents the law and those who have died. Elijah represents the prophets and those who are alive (Law & prophets, living & dead, all witness to Jesus as the Messiah).5-
The Holy Trinity is manifest here; Christ is transfigured, the Father speaks from heaven, and the Holy Spirit (cloud overshadowed them).The return of Elijah, a preparation for the Messiah was fulfilled through John the Baptist. The coming was in the spirit and power of Elijah, rather than Elijah himself.
Following our Lord, God and Savior
Matthew 4:18-22 "Walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers: Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. He said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers for men." They immediately left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them. They immediately left the boat and their father, and followed him."
The see of Galilee represents the whole world, with every body busy in own errands. "He saw two brothers", the Lord's eyes penetrate deeply every where. When He sees and calls somebody, it means a great change in that life. The Lord called Simon and Andrew, for sure He would change their lives to "bring others to Him". Wonderful obedience, "they immediately left their nets and followed Him". "Immediately", a great action that always pleases God. They left "Their nets" which represent their worldly income, and security. They had the faith in Jesus Who would take care of them. Another look on the two other brothers, James and John, they immediately left not only their nets and boat, but also their father, who represents any human ties and safety. All persons here followed Him, offering only their obedience. He provides better things, such as better boats, better nets, everlasting safety and security to fish for men. Let us all obey and follow Him.
