Linga- Nazareth
As is the custom every year, the spiritual committee at the Nazareth Hospital held a study day for the hospital’s services users and volunteers on Wednesday May 8th 2013. The topic of the study was “the Spiritual Inheritance of the Believer.” Pastor Azar Ajaj, Pastor Rajai Samawi and the director of EMMS, Mr. Joseph Maine gave the teaching. A few guests and some youth from Canada and other countries who came to volunteer at the hospital also attended the study day.
At the beginning of the day, pastor Soheil Batheesh welcomed the attendance, followed by a time of worship and praise led by Rose Marshi and Louisa Nwesry in both English and Arabic as Pastor Rajai Samawi joined in by playing the piano, and Roni Khreish by playing the guitar. Shouts of victory and joy were lifted up, rejoicing in the salvation Christ offered us through His redemption.
Simon Nwesry shared devotion from Psalm 119 followed by pastor Azar Ajaj, president of Theological Evangelical Seminary in Nazareth taught from the Word of God in the first session. He said that inheritance is enjoying the blessing that God gives to all believers. He emphasised on the importance of making use of the inheritance. Every person will give an account for their stewardship and the talents that they received from God. He said the true inheritors are those who possess the inheritance. Inheritors are people who believe that God sent His son to save the world from sin according to John 3: 16.
Pastor Rajai Samawi shared about the difficulty of obtaining the inheritance from a practical point of view. He said it was important for believers to receive the inheritance whilst they were still alive as it will have a positive influence on the people around them. The working love in the heart of the inheritor will make a great difference in the life of others. He quoted from Hebrews 11:4 about Abel who offered a sacrifice better than Cain’s “..And by it he being dead yet speaketh.” he commented saying that God wants to smell the sweet aroma of the believer God being its source. It is the aroma of joy that carries on after the person has gone. It is an aroma that has the same effect that salt and yeast have. Even though the work might be little and the number of the people involved just a few, still the minority can have an impact on the majority. He also mentioned the founder of the Nazareth Hospital, Dr. Vartan from a century and a half ago as well as Doctors Tester and Bernath who offered their services to many people and left behind them a true inheritance that had a high cost. He also mentioned some of the effective biblical leaders like Hannah, mother of Samuel, and Eunice, mother of Timothy who left their effective spiritual stamp on the lives of their children. He mentioned three kinds of inheritance:
- The inheritance of truth and righteousness exemplified in the person of Christ.
- The inheritance of wisdom (the book of proverbs)
- The inheritance of depth where a person see others through the eyes of Christ.
Mr. Joseph Maine, director of EMMS shared about the cost of following Jesus (Luke 14: 25-35) . He said that there are towers in the Christian faith that are not quite finished yet. He also said that man cannot pay for his own salvation because it has been freely give to him as it is guaranteed from Christ. He also shared that there are five costs for following Jesus. They are:
- The priority of choosing Christ.
- Experiencing and tasting freedom in choosing Christ and letting go off personal efforts.
- Not leaving unfinished towers and working on completing all the work.
- Humbling oneself before the Lord and surrendering oneself to Him.
- Possessing pure saltiness which requires lots of work.
Finally he asked an important question: How do we pass on our inheritance to others? He quoted from (Mark 11: 12-1) about the story of the fig tree that Jesus cursed even though if it wasn’t it's time to bear fruits. This parable can be applied on every believer who does not show any fruits and who procrastinates. The believer has to take action not just say things. He said: “in order to make the inheritance alive, we have to live it”.
The study day included breaks, refreshments and lunch.
At the end a prayer was lifted up to the Lord who made it possible to have this study day.
