Saturday, May 29, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
We Are The Body Of Christ
Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:4, 5
But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 1 Corinthians 12:20, 21
The Body:
The human body has many parts visible: arms, hands, torso, legs, feet; and invisible: heart, lungs, circulatory system, digestive system, elimination system. All of these parts have very special jobs to do.
The body of Christ also has many parts – parts that are the spiritual equivalent of our human body parts. Each member of the Church performs at least one ‘body’ function, some of us more than one.
Head:
The head is where all the knowledge is stored. It does the planning and makes decisions for the body. It also houses the eyes and ears and mouth – as input devices; they take in sight, sounds, and nourishment. The mouth is also an output device – it speaks what is stored inside the head.
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and He is the Savior of the body. Ephesians 5:23
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. Colossians 1:18
Christ is Wisdom and Truth. He is the Blueprint, the plan for an abundant life. He is the Way. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6
His Word is the nourishment for our spirits:
Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. Acts 14:17
The Mouth speaks the Plan, spreads the Truth to those inside and outside the body – to bring in new members and to encourage the existing ones. It also speaks the words of nourishment.
The Ears hear the needs of the body and of the others in need.
Eyes see the needs.
The Feet and Legs take the body to where the needs are.
The Hands and Arms bring healing and meet the needs of those in need.
And so on.
Let’s look at a little different analogy: Christ and the Church are much like a computer networking system. Christ is the CPU and His Holy Word is the Hard Drive. Together they hold the whole of Truth, Wisdom and Knowledge.
Pastors / Teachers are the fingers on the keyboard tapping out the message stored on the Hard Drive. They are also the sound system pouring out the Word to the Congregation to encourage and edify them for ministry to those outside the body.
Evangelists are the ethernet cables taking the signal beyond the local community to the world at large.
The Congregation are the peripheral components of the system.
Writers = printers / disc burners. They produce messages sent to them from the Hard Drive through the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit – the electrical current passing from the CPU to all the components of the network.
Singers and musicians = disc drives. They share the music that flows through the network by the power of the Spirit’s current. This in turn inspires others to closer contact to the network’s source, Our CPU – Jesus Christ.
Janitors, and other ‘unseen’ components = the mouse. You see the form and the essence of the actions they perform, but you never actually see them do their very important jobs. But if their functions were not performed it would be very noticeable in a very short time.
Each component is connected to all of the others by either seen or unseen cables or connectors. We are all interdependent upon each other and totally dependent on Christ – our CPU.
So we are all integral parts of the system; but are we doing all that we could or even should to support the other components in the system?
Are we sending the messages from our Central Processing System to those who need to hear them?
Are we taking the message beyond these four walls?
Are we printing the words He has given?
Are we singing the songs of Praise to His name to bring Him honor and glory?
Are we plugging into the currant of His Holy spirit to be revived and recharged?
Are we sending the messages back to our CPU of all the needs that we see and hear, taking our prayers to the Master?
God Says; No! My people are not properly connected to the network. They are broken and hurting. They are trying to patch up the system with bits of bubble gum and bailing wire. Even though they may be “Mac Gyver” in the natural world, in God’s Computer Network they are not the repair technician He has ordered to scan the system for necessary repairs and to complete the needed healings. And the system is broken, becoming more so day-by-day. In fact on the monitor of His system God has made the screen saver out of the error message which reads; ‘Warning, multiple network cables are disconnected. Please see your System Administrator for necessary repairs.’
So how do we find the broken connections? How do we start the healing the wounds within the body so that we can reach out to the needy on the outside? Pray.
Prayer is our lifeline to our CPU. It is also the first step in receiving the healing we need. By making our requests known to the body and praying one for another God starts healing our connections to each other and to Him. Prayer is not only a repair kit it is also a part of His diagnostic system. It opens our hearts and minds to the things of the Spirit so that He can have access to all of our hidden files, even those deeply hidden in our secret, dark, dusty closets.
And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there forever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. II Chronicles 7:12-16, KJV.
I know that these verses are talking about Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem, but Paul says in I Corinthians 6:19, ‘What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?’ I feel this verse is also speaking about each and every one who is a component in God’s Computer Networking System. We are His people. He has chosen to call each of us His Home, the dwelling place of His Holy Spirit. His Eyes are always watching us and His Ears are listening for us to call upon Him with our prayers.
As His people we need to humble ourselves before Him, seek His face repent from our sins and turn from our wicked ways. God will always keep His promises – He always has. He never lies. He confirms these truths for us in Numbers 23:19, ‘God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?’ Knowing these truths, if we do these things from II Chronicles in earnest, from the bottom of our Heart – Believing and Trusting God; then God WILL do all that He has promised. He WILL hear from heaven. He WILL forgive our sin. And He WILL HEAL our land.
Only by repairing the many broken connections within God’s Networking System will we be a whole and vital machine prepared to perform the most complex functions He has designed us for. Then we will be able to energize all of the peripheral components and reach each soul He means to become a part of His Church – His Computer Networking System – The Body of Christ – The Lamb’s Bride.
Psalms 55: 16-18, 22; As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me . . . Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
James 5:13-15 says; Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Call upon God, seek His face, repent from your sins and be reconnected to your real power source. He will repair the network and heal our land just like He promised Solomon in II Chronicles 7:14. And The Body Will Work Well Once Again
But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 1 Corinthians 12:20, 21
The Body:
The human body has many parts visible: arms, hands, torso, legs, feet; and invisible: heart, lungs, circulatory system, digestive system, elimination system. All of these parts have very special jobs to do.
The body of Christ also has many parts – parts that are the spiritual equivalent of our human body parts. Each member of the Church performs at least one ‘body’ function, some of us more than one.
Head:
The head is where all the knowledge is stored. It does the planning and makes decisions for the body. It also houses the eyes and ears and mouth – as input devices; they take in sight, sounds, and nourishment. The mouth is also an output device – it speaks what is stored inside the head.
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and He is the Savior of the body. Ephesians 5:23
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. Colossians 1:18
Christ is Wisdom and Truth. He is the Blueprint, the plan for an abundant life. He is the Way. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6
His Word is the nourishment for our spirits:
Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. Acts 14:17
The Mouth speaks the Plan, spreads the Truth to those inside and outside the body – to bring in new members and to encourage the existing ones. It also speaks the words of nourishment.
The Ears hear the needs of the body and of the others in need.
Eyes see the needs.
The Feet and Legs take the body to where the needs are.
The Hands and Arms bring healing and meet the needs of those in need.
And so on.
Let’s look at a little different analogy: Christ and the Church are much like a computer networking system. Christ is the CPU and His Holy Word is the Hard Drive. Together they hold the whole of Truth, Wisdom and Knowledge.
Pastors / Teachers are the fingers on the keyboard tapping out the message stored on the Hard Drive. They are also the sound system pouring out the Word to the Congregation to encourage and edify them for ministry to those outside the body.
Evangelists are the ethernet cables taking the signal beyond the local community to the world at large.
The Congregation are the peripheral components of the system.
Writers = printers / disc burners. They produce messages sent to them from the Hard Drive through the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit – the electrical current passing from the CPU to all the components of the network.
Singers and musicians = disc drives. They share the music that flows through the network by the power of the Spirit’s current. This in turn inspires others to closer contact to the network’s source, Our CPU – Jesus Christ.
Janitors, and other ‘unseen’ components = the mouse. You see the form and the essence of the actions they perform, but you never actually see them do their very important jobs. But if their functions were not performed it would be very noticeable in a very short time.
Each component is connected to all of the others by either seen or unseen cables or connectors. We are all interdependent upon each other and totally dependent on Christ – our CPU.
So we are all integral parts of the system; but are we doing all that we could or even should to support the other components in the system?
Are we sending the messages from our Central Processing System to those who need to hear them?
Are we taking the message beyond these four walls?
Are we printing the words He has given?
Are we singing the songs of Praise to His name to bring Him honor and glory?
Are we plugging into the currant of His Holy spirit to be revived and recharged?
Are we sending the messages back to our CPU of all the needs that we see and hear, taking our prayers to the Master?
God Says; No! My people are not properly connected to the network. They are broken and hurting. They are trying to patch up the system with bits of bubble gum and bailing wire. Even though they may be “Mac Gyver” in the natural world, in God’s Computer Network they are not the repair technician He has ordered to scan the system for necessary repairs and to complete the needed healings. And the system is broken, becoming more so day-by-day. In fact on the monitor of His system God has made the screen saver out of the error message which reads; ‘Warning, multiple network cables are disconnected. Please see your System Administrator for necessary repairs.’
So how do we find the broken connections? How do we start the healing the wounds within the body so that we can reach out to the needy on the outside? Pray.
Prayer is our lifeline to our CPU. It is also the first step in receiving the healing we need. By making our requests known to the body and praying one for another God starts healing our connections to each other and to Him. Prayer is not only a repair kit it is also a part of His diagnostic system. It opens our hearts and minds to the things of the Spirit so that He can have access to all of our hidden files, even those deeply hidden in our secret, dark, dusty closets.
And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there forever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. II Chronicles 7:12-16, KJV.
I know that these verses are talking about Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem, but Paul says in I Corinthians 6:19, ‘What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?’ I feel this verse is also speaking about each and every one who is a component in God’s Computer Networking System. We are His people. He has chosen to call each of us His Home, the dwelling place of His Holy Spirit. His Eyes are always watching us and His Ears are listening for us to call upon Him with our prayers.
As His people we need to humble ourselves before Him, seek His face repent from our sins and turn from our wicked ways. God will always keep His promises – He always has. He never lies. He confirms these truths for us in Numbers 23:19, ‘God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?’ Knowing these truths, if we do these things from II Chronicles in earnest, from the bottom of our Heart – Believing and Trusting God; then God WILL do all that He has promised. He WILL hear from heaven. He WILL forgive our sin. And He WILL HEAL our land.
Only by repairing the many broken connections within God’s Networking System will we be a whole and vital machine prepared to perform the most complex functions He has designed us for. Then we will be able to energize all of the peripheral components and reach each soul He means to become a part of His Church – His Computer Networking System – The Body of Christ – The Lamb’s Bride.
Psalms 55: 16-18, 22; As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me . . . Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
James 5:13-15 says; Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Call upon God, seek His face, repent from your sins and be reconnected to your real power source. He will repair the network and heal our land just like He promised Solomon in II Chronicles 7:14. And The Body Will Work Well Once Again
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