An architect and builders are both required to erect any major building in the world. An architect conceives the design, prepares the plan, draws all to specification, and in short, supplies the mind. The builder is merely the bricklayer or the carpenter. The builder is the machine; the architect, on the other hand, is a power that puts it together and sets it going. Now, who was the architect of the Tower of Babel? As far as we know, there was no architect, only builders. That's why there was so much confusion. In fact, the word "Babel" means "confusion" in the Hebrew language. In fact, the Babylonian Empire (comes from the root word - Babel) was a confused Empire.
If you ever travel to England, be prepared to meet Paddington Bear. Somewhat like Winnie the Pooh, the Paddington bear is an interesting and humorous character. It is believed that this fictional bear first arrived from Peru, tagged only with these words, "Please look after this bear." Subsequently, everywhere these little teddy-bear-like-Paddingtons are sold they carry the same inscription - an appeal, to whomever the little stuffed toy comes, to "look after him."
There is something homey and touching about these words. All of us recognize the need for someone to "look after" us. It isn't simply a matter of a childhood need, for even honest adults are aware that one never outgrows the need for supervision. So, it can be a very gratifying thing to discover that watchful and authoritative supervision is a distinct function of Christ's ministry - Christ is the Head of the body, the Church.
The Head of the Church
God knew the Church needed a head. For this reason, Christ was given as the Head of the body, the Church. The primary function of the head is to supervise. And being the head, He is our mind or to use a colloquial expression, "the brains of the operation." Christ, in fact, supervised creation itself:
Paul said: "And He is the head of the body, the Church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence" (Col. 1:16 - 18, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. Paul said the same thing, but with greater emphasis, in Ephesians: "And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the Church, which is His Body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all" (Eph. 1:22, 23).
And also: "For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church, and He is the Savior of the body" (Eph. 5:23).
Paul pointed out that just as the husband is lovingly responsible for his wife's best interest, so Christ, our Head, is fully commited to each of us who constitute His bride - the Church.
2. The phrase, "The first born from the dead" means, at the head of those who rise from their graves. This does not mean literally that He was the first rose from the dead for He Himself raised Lazarus and others, and the bodies of saints arose at His crucifixion; but it means that He had the preeminence among them all. He was the most illustrious of those who will be raised from the dead, and is the head over them all.
Misconception of headship
Unfortunately there is a tendency by some to think of headship as being authoritarian or heavy-handed. It is as though they believe, being "the head" give them the right to be indifferently bossy or cruelly insensitive to those under their supervision. Because of this misconception, some of us who know Jesus as our Savior actually fear to acknowledge Him as our Head.
This misunderstanding manifests itself in the ways some of us face various details of life. Too often we fear bringing certain details before Him in humble acknowledgment of His right to supervise and direct our behavior. Because we have been exploited at one time or another by someone who was in a supervisory capacity over us (even an unkind parent), we somehow feel that Christ may abuse His awesome authority over us.
If you find youself in this position, it might help you to find victory over such fear if you draw an analogy from your own physical body's relationship to your physical "head." Your head - the core of your powers of reason and reflex - is a prime example of the care and concern for the body which any sane, sober head employs. The fact that your head has the power control over your body does not make your head indifferent or insensitive to your body's needs, feelings, or fulfillment. To the contrary, your head: (1) thinks of ways to better your body's circumstances (brings improvement); (2) perceives those things that might injure your body and avoids them (provide protection); and (3) designs ways and programs that will serve your body's needs (give assistance). Consider those activities of your head - improvement, protection, and assistance - and then ask youself, "Is Jesus less thoughtful about His body than I am of mine?" Surely you know the answer.
Practice the presence of God
Because our Lord is ever-present, we must recognize that He, the Head of the body, is always with us no matter where we go. And even though this ever-present "Supervisor" most often stands beside us in silence, He is nonetheless present, available on a moment's notice to those who would simply acknowledge His nearness. Sadly, too few of us have developed the habit cultivated by Brother Lawrence, the sixteenth-century monk, who learned to "practice the presence of God." We fail to realize our spiritual "Head" is with us wherever we go just as our physical head is attached to our physical body.
Christians have the assurance that they are constantly surrounded by the presence of God, and that the Almighty's presence abides with them through thick and thin.
He said: "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Heb. 13:5, NKJV).
The psalmist said: "The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and for evermore" (Ps. 121:8, TLB).
Honestly compels us to admit, however, that although Scripture assures us that we are constantly guarded and surrounded by the presence of God, we do not always feel it. There could be many reasons for this, of course, but let it be understood right away that if we do not regularly experience God's presence in our lives, the fault is always in us, never in Him. We ask ourselves therefore; what can we do to practice the presnece of God in our lives? In other words, how can we increase, enhance and understand better the sense of God's presence? How can we sharpen our spiritual awareness?
Before we look at some of the ways in which this can be done, we must make the point that no one can practice the presence of God until first they know God. I am not talking about just knowing about God but to knowing God by maintaining an intimate relationship with Him. I am not talking about unbelievers who do not know God. By their own initiative unbelievers will not seek after God - they run away from God. They are fugitives.
Jesus said: "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; ..." (John 6:44).
This is very clear - our salvation begins with God!
I have no doubt that many believers sense God's presence around them, but they can never sense God's presence within them until they invite Him to come in. He loves every one of His creation, but He loves them too much to gate-cash the personality. He comes in only as we give our consent.
James said: "Come near to God and he will come near to you" (James 4:8, NIV).
God said: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Rev. 3:20, NKJV).
Now that we are clear about the fact that we cannot practice the presence of God until He resides within us, we are ready to begin looking at some of the things we can do to help us become more conscious and more aware of His indwelling presence.
Cultivating Closeness to God
There is nothing that promotes the awareness of God's presnece in a believer's life more powerfully and effectively than the regular practice of a morning Quiet Time. If your lifestyle or circumstances prevent you from finding either the time or place to be alone with God during the first part of the day don't be discouraged - any time will do. The story was told that Susannah Wesley (the mother of John Wesley) that when, because of looking after her many children, she was deprived of privacy for her Quiet Time, she would lift her apron over her head, and for a few minutes commune in prayer with God.
Start your Quiet Time by reading the Scripture. Let God speak to you through His Word. Then tell Him the things that are on your mind, the joyful things as well as the difficult things. If your mind wanders or gets distracted when you are praying, then pray about the things to which your mind has wandered.
Praying the Affirmative way
Praying the affirmative way is not asking for something to be so, but affirming it to be so. It is proclaiming to oneself that a matter or an issue is exactly the way God has decreed it.
The fact is that there are some things in the Christian life that we do not need to ask for at all, they are part and parcel of our Christian commitment. And the promise of God's continued presence is one of them.
Listen to what the Almighty says concerning this tremendous fact: "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Heb. 13:5, NKJV).
The psalmist said: "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me" (Ps. 27:10, NKJV).
On the basis of these verses, and there are many more, once we surrender our lives to God and are His committed sons and daughters, then we have the guarantee that His presence will be in and around us every moment of the day. So do not ask for it, affirm it. Instead of praying: "O God, be with me through every moment of this day," say: "Thank You, Father, that You are with me right now." You may withdraw form Him, but He will never withdraw from you.
There are some things in life, concerning which we would have to say in all honesty, that we are not sure whether we know the mind of God about them. Thus we pray and petition God for light and illumination before we can proceed. But no Christian need be unsure of God's promise to dwell in the hearts of those who are His children. He has put the issue beyond all possible doubt by assuring us, as the psalmist said: "We live within the shadow of the Almighty ..." (Ps. 91:1, TLB) - that He is ever with us.
Meeting with God in Christian fellowship
Although the presence of Christ is with every Christian individually, whenever we meet together corporately for prayer and worship, the presence of the Lord seems to be more intensely felt with, within ourselves individually. Why should this be so? I believe, in the process of opening up our spirits to one another, we authomitically open up more of our spirit to God. The fact is that, Christians are, corporately, the body of Christ and Christ is the Head of the body. Therefore, when Christians praying together, singing together, something is triggered that opens one's spirit more to God. The closer we get to one another, the closer we will get to God, and the closer we get to God, the closer we will want to get to each other. This concept is something that we ought to be more aware of and pay more attention to, in the contemporary Church.
Transformed by God
If every Christian has the Holy Spirit, then why do we have this continuous debate among ourselves about such phrases as "the baptism of the Holy Spirit;" "being filled with the Holy Spirit;" "walking in the Spirit," and so on?
I thought long and hard about this in the early days of my Christian experience, but it was not until I discovered the three different prepositions which Jesus used in relation to the Holy Spirit that the matter become clear to me. When Jesus talked about the Holy Spirit, He used these three prepositions - with, in and upon. Let us look at each of them in turn:
First preposition - "with"
This is how the Spirit worked in our lives, prior to our conversion. He was with us in order to convict us of sin and to persuade us of the fact that without Christ, our eternal future was one of gloom and despair.
Second preposition - "in"
John 20:19 - 31 depicts that glorious post-resurrection meeting of Christ with His disciples in which, after commissioning them, He proceede to breathe on them, saying: "Receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22). The Holy Spirit came inside the disciples to convert them.
Third preposition - "upon"
Jesus (post-resurrection) prophetically said to the disciples: "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you" (Acts 1:8, emphasis added).
What happened at Pentecost? The Holy Spirit came in fullness at Pentecost, the disciples, who hitherto, thought converted and committed to Christ, were somewhat frightened and dispirited, began to feel His personal presence in a way that transformed them withen. Now they had no doubt that Christ was actually living in their lives and, feeling His personal presence with them, they went out and began to turn the world upside down. You and I should do the same when the Holy Spirit comes upon us.
Conclusion
You must constantly remind yourself of the fact that you are never alone. He, being your Head (you are His body) is closer to you than you realize, watching every move you make on the chessboard of life. But do not take His presence for grated, practice it. He has said He will never leave you nor forsake you, but you must constantly remind yourself of that fact. Like all things in life, practice makes perfect. Go out now, then, and from this time forward, determine to practice the presence of God.
The psalmist said: "You will show me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Ps. 6:11).
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