FELLOWSHIP IN CHRIST

  WHEN CHRISTMAS   WAS A GIFT   “...the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” Romans 6:23 I think it would be safe to assume that up until a few decades ago the great majority of all households in Australia celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas.  Who doesn’t remember, when as children, our sheer pleasure of opening parcels with a variety of oohs and aahs as we ripped away the wrapping?   We all know this ‘ritual of Christmas’ was played out by believers and unbelievers alike and in many cases its message was soon lost on families as the busyness of   life re-engulfed most of our population. Today in this country, and I venture to say, in a growing number of Western Countries, Christmas has, at best, become something of a joke, or even a dirty word in million of homes across these lands. Third World cultures and First World cultures are facing off in ways never seen before and the atheists of this world have seized on this ‘clash’ to,

THE KINSMEN OF CHRIST   “Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons ."    Galatians 4: 1-5 Christ in the New Testament is presented as many things. To Him are ascribed as many as two hundred and seventy clear and distinct names or titles. His ‘names’ generally describe His character or nature, whilst His titles generally describe Him in His roles or His actions within those roles. It is not uncommon for Christians to add to this impressive list with their own slant as to how we see our Lord. There is surely nothing too wrong in this. Charles Wesley for example saw Christ as the “Lover of his soul” and penned that most beautiful Hymn which is still sung in a few congregations, even today. Another name which is ascribed to Christ

ACCURSED ANGELS “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:8 The thought of interaction with angelic beings has occupied the minds of mankind from the dawn of Creation and continues until this day. In the first century AD the apostle Paul, in an almost throw-away fashion, simply stated that angels and humans can, and do, communicate with each other. He further confirmed that this was possible with... “ Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Hebrews 13: 1-2 A study of angels in the Holy Scriptures reveals that “angel” and “angels” are mentioned some 280 times. Secular writings about angels over the centuries would possibly total in the millions.   Fiction and non-fiction accounts of angels showing themselves to mankind have kept the printing presses rolling at an amazing rate. Our article is not concerned with

ON THE SIDE OF THE ANGELS “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Hebrews 13: 1-2 Our last issue dealt with some of the dangers associated with convincing oneself that some amongst us are ‘the more-blessed’, with frequent visitations of the angels. That our blessed Lord can, and will, despatch His ministering spirits at certain times, to input into the life of the saints of His inheritance is beyond argument. However, allowing us to see them and to have knowing and frequent discourse with them is quite another thing. The Old Testament is crammed with astonishing tales of angelic encounters and I want you to know this, dear reader, I personally believe every one of those encounters to be true! The New Testament, on the other hand has plenty to say about the ‘warring angels of the Revelation’, but few mentions of angels in Old Testament-like encounters. “Why, we may ask, does God withhold the angels from us?” The