The Christian’s Three Families

Attending our Pastor’s funeral the other day I noticed how so many had been touched by his life. How there were many who grieved as if they were family. I had seen this before at my Dad's funeral years ago. As I stood ready to take a seat with other family members, I looked up and saw the grief in the eyes of many people who attended Church with him. Some of these had been by his side when I was not around. They grieved as much as I did, if not more. But custom dictates the family was to be taken care of. The Church treated us like royalty. But, it had always troubled me that those people where close to my Dad more than I was and therefore, their hurt was just as real. So here I stood in their shoes with the same hurt. So I wondered about this. And the Lord showed me how we have three family groups in our lives. Being made up of Body, Soul and Spirit, why couldn't I have three families?

First we have the physical family or blood family if you wish. This includes those we are linked by blood to and those that are married into the family. When two become one in marriage, they are also joined to the family. No doubt the grief of a loved one in this group should never be treated lightly. Even family members that are not close can still feel a very deep loss of someone in this group.

Second is the soul or soulish family. This is made up of friends and acquaintances. Some of these can be very close to the person and sometimes said to be "close as a brother" or "He was like a Father to me". The grief of these can be really hard to handle. If a person in both groups, blood and soul, then they can count themselves double blessed.

The Third group is the Spirit Family. To the Christian we say they are "Church Family.” In this article I will be referring to the Christian Church in general. The grief in this group can be pretty strong. If some find themselves in the physical, blood and Spirit families, then they are triply blessed. The Church family by custom usually takes care of the physical and soulish families during the funeral and dinners. And this is rightly so. For the Church family will see the departed again. And they have a the Comforter for their grief. If those in the physical & soulish family groups do not belong to the Church family, then their grief is hard because they have no hope of ever seeing the loved one again. They need comforting from the Church family. That is what we are for. To be the comforting arms of the Lord to those hurting.

So I comfort those that are in the physical and soulish family members of our Pastor that are also in the Church that we will see him again in Glory. Those that are not, I strongly urge you to become "Born Again" (John 3) so that you may join us and see Him again.

An Allegory of the Body, Soul and Spirit

I have just finished the book, “If I Perish I Perish” by Major W. Ian Thomas. It revealed an allegory of the Body, Soul and Soul in the Book of Ester.
I will show here the allegory but first I would like to share this quote from Mr. Thomas.

“I'm tired of religion - and to be entirely honest I know of nothing quite so boring as Christianity without Christ.
Have you ever tried to start a car without fuel, until there wasn't a spark left in the battery? Then you will know exactly what I mean, for there are few things more frustrating than a car that will not go. Everything is nicely greased and in its rightful place, and all the working parts move dutifully, but try as you may, there isn’t the suspicion of a kick, nor the tiniest evidence of life in the engine. You might as well dump the thing, for all the chance you have of getting it on the move!
Countless people have stopped going to a place of worship simply because they are sick of going through the motions of a dead religion. They are tired of trying to start a car on an empty tank!
What a pity it is that there are not a few more people around to tell them that Jesus Christ is alive. I spoke of nothing more boring than Christianity without Christ, but I know of nothing so utterly exciting as being a Christian-sharing the very life of Jesus Christ on earth right here and now, and being caught up with Him into the relentless, invisible purposes of an almighty God, and with all the limitless resources of deity available for the job.”

“If I Perish I Perish”by Major W. Ian Thomas, c. 1967-1972 ; Zondervan Publishing; used without permission

The whole story of Ester is an exciting tale of God’s work in a people. Also in allegory it shows His work in us as individuals.
The main charcators are:
Queen Vasti
King Ahasuerus
Haman the Agagite
Mordecai the Jew
Ester the Maiden to be Queen

Ian Thomas wrote that the King symbolized the human Soul sitting of the throne of power. Haman is the carnal nature of man. Mordecai is the Holy Spirit and Ester as the human “Born again Spirit”. I will say that Queen Vasti is the fallen human spirit we are all born with although Mr. Thomas does not mention her in the allegory setup.

At the start of the story Queen Vasti (human spirit of disobedience) fails to do as the King (human soul says to do) The King puts away Vasti and gains a new queen, Ester (Born again Spirit). The king is Ok until he puts his trust in Haman (the enemy of God the flesh) and gives him power. Meanwhile Mordecai is kept out of the picture. He is Esters cousin who adopts her at an early age. Showing the work of the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Adoption (Romans 8:14,15). But Mordecai has no power over the King while Haman is in charge and who wishes to destroy Mordecai. To make this short, through Mordecai’s relationship with Ester, He reveals the evil of Haman (the flesh) and Haman is Hung and Mordecai is put in power. Now I simplified this, but you must read the book. And Thomas recommends that you read his book, “The Saving Life of Christ”, first.

I recommend this and other books by Major Thomas

For info on Major Thomas and were to get his books go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_W._Ian_Thomas

Being The New Testament Church, Part 3 Being Added

“… and that same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”
Acts 2:41b

After those that heard Peter and believed in the massage he spoke, the messege of Christ crucified and risen, there were about 3,000 souls added to their number. It is interesting to see that the 3 thousand were called souls and not persons or bodies.
In manufacturing when we need an unskilled person to perform small tasks in order to keep regular employees doing their production work, we call on a “temp” agency to provide these persons. These persons are referred to as “warm bodies”. Now not all temp laborers are in this category. Most go on to prove them-selves and gain employment with the company that has contracted them. I have worked as a temp and after being proven reliable, gained a full time job. But those who do not push for a steady job and are just content them-selves to a pay-per-day get by day-by-day attitude moving from job-to-job are the “warm bodies” of the industry. They work to get what they can and move on.
The industry is looking for those who apply themselves and work for the betterment of them-selves and the company. Seeing that they are both hand-n-hand.
They want those who commit their whole soul or mind, emotions and intellect to the enterprise.
The adding to the Church is that same way. The Lord wishes to add those who will commit their whole soul to the Church. He wants those who will give mind, emotions and intellect to the growth of the Church. Committed to the growth of themselves and others. Seeing that they are all the same in His eyes. One cannot grow with out the other.
Disturbingly the Church as a whole is full of “warm bodies” that only come to fill their own needs. And when the group stops providing the fulfillment, they move on to the next group doing as little as possible for the most they can get. They go for the preaching until they think they have heard it all before. They go to put their kids in the nursery until some other kid makes theirs mad or the attendant doesn’t do like they want. They attend so they can put their teens in a youth group so the youth pastor can straighten out the mess they have made with their youth. And when he or she cannot do the impossible, they move on.
We need those the Lord has added to our number, committed to the full success of the New Testament Church. They will be givers that can also take a gift and use it for the glory of the Lord.
This is all a part of being the New Testament Church.