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Topic: Work (07/27/06)
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TITLE: Relax, Have Faith and Let the Power of God Works in You | Previous Challenge Entry
By Timothy Pianzin
07/28/06 -
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When I was about thirty years of age, the prime of my life, I wish to become a born-again Christian. So I worked hard to achieve this end. For many years I busy myself by attending church regularly, joined Bible Study classes and several Christian groups. I was working too hard but none the wiser and certainly felt just like any ordinary human beings. Then one day I heard a sermon about Jesus’ Parable of the Yeast that pierced through my inner being.
Over two thousand years ago, Jesus told the people a parable, “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.” This parable is very short but my reflections transcended to the very depth of my soul. In a flash, a miracle happened. Suddenly it dawned upon me that I am trying too hard to work for my own conversion. I needed something more, the zing of the power of God. The vision I had is revealed in the discussion below.
Like in modern times, yeast in the life and time of Jesus was an ingredient used in the baking of bread to make the dough expand. Yeast contains enzymes that react with water and heat to form air bubbles, which makes the dough rise when baked. It is made from an obscure plant, which is a type of fungus that is almost colorless because it contains very little pigment.
The yeast represents the Word of God. Like the obscure yeast, which contains an unseen agent to make dough rise; so inherent in the Word of God is the invisible Holy Spirit, which promotes spiritual growth. The three measures of flour stand for the people who have been baptized in the name of God the Father, Jesus the son of God and the Holy Spirit. The woman who worked to spread the yeast throughout the dough so it rises to form delightful bread embodies the life sustaining work of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit to spread the Word of God widely so as to bring forth spiritual people that are delightful in the eyes of God. Yet the whole people of the world cannot be saved because only those who have accepted Jesus, the bearer of the Word of God and are willing to co-operate with the Holy Spirit of God to achieve their spiritual conversion can be justified for salvation.
In the Parable of the Yeast the Word of God that Jesus spread, carries the power of the Holy Spirit to convert willing people to be the followers of Jesus Christ who are known in modern times as Christians. In turn the Christians are empowered by the Holy Spirit to apply the Word of God and evangelize those who have not yet been converted.
Resembling the yeast, the unseen Holy Spirit is active among people of faith to continue to spread the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ today. The Word of God that was once proclaimed by Jesus continues to be a force for spiritual renewal through the voice and action of Holy Spirit-filled Christians today. Christians just have to co-operate with the Holy Spirit of God and they will be automatically be made spiritual wholesome and made ready for entry into the Kingdom of Heaven.
By the vision, I now understand that all work and no zip of the Holy Spirit make Christians virtually spiritually dead. All we have to do to find our conversion and salvation is relax, co-operate with the Holy Spirit of God and let the power of God work in us. Thar is why Jesus says “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-29).
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