Matthew 28:26-30 – “As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”  ²⁷ And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, ²⁸ for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. ²⁹ Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”  ³⁰ Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, I was drawn to the Lord’s Supper –(The Communion Ceremony).   Sadly, it is nothing more than a ritual in most churches, quickly administered and nothing more than a segment of the program.  That is Tragic!  That is not what Jesus or the apostle Paul had in mind as they addressed it.  That is what the devil loves.

I believe that the Communion Ceremony is a connection to the Divine.  It involves a release of God’s Power and Presence.  It should never be done with haste! I have been thinking about The Reasons We Celebrate Communion:

• It is a Memorial of the Love of God – “Do This in Remembrance of Me.”
• It declares our Faith and Confidence in the Finished Work of Jesus, “We show the Lord’s Death…”
• It Acknowledges Our New Covenant Promise – “The Body and the Blood of Jesus.”
• It expresses the Unity of the Body of Christ – (1 Cor. 10:17 – “For we, though many, are one bread and one body…”
• It Demonstrates Our Confidence That Jesus is Our Spiritual Nourishment and Strength.
• It Testifies of Our Anticipation of the Return of Jesus – “’til He Come.”
• It Is An Opportunity for Self-Examination Without Condemnation (1 Cor. 11:28)
• It is a Divine Encounter with Healing, Deliverance, Salvation, Guidance, and Provision.

In Matthew 26:30, we discover that after the Supper and the Communion Ceremony, Jesus and the Disciples sang a Hymn or the Hallel.” [Psalms 113-118] Not all, but extracts from those Psalms.

Psalm 113 – “From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, the Lord’s name is to be praised.”

Psalm 114 – Focuses on their Deliverance from Egypt.

Psalm 115 – Contrasts Idols to God, He lives, they do not.

Psalm 116 – Reminds Us that God is.

Psalm 117 – Focuses on Praise.

Psalm 118 – Focuses on God’s Eternality.

At the Last Supper, Jesus infused a new meaning or expansion into the Passover Seder Meal.  The Salvation that was Promised by the Covenant was not simply deliverance from physical bondage but freedom of the Spirit.

The next time we participate in the Communion Ceremony, let’s reflect on the Big Picture, Embrace the Promises, and Expect His Presence!   If we do, it will take more than a few minutes to REMEMBER!  Don’t shortchange yourself and miss the Supernatural Provision He intended!

Have a great day, and remember God loves you and has provided all things for you!

Psalm 9:9 – “The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.”

As I prayed, read, and mused on the Word of God today, the Word ‘Refuge’ followed me from passage to passage.  Psalm 9:9 refers to a’refuge’ in difficulty.   What is a refuge?

The Hebrew is ‘misgab’ from ‘sagab.’   Misgab = refuge, shelter, high tower.   Sagab = a high, lofty, inaccessible place.   God, as our refuge, describes a place or condition inaccessible to the enemy or difficulty.   A place of ultimate protection and peace.

That’s good, but how do we get there?    Psalm 15 gives the answer.   We walk (live uprightly), be totally truthful (have truth filling our hearts – out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks).   We do not use deception, which would mean we don’t get deceived.  The deceived deceive others unintentionally because they are deceived.  Be honest, kind, and thoughtful.  Be horrified by sin and worship God.  Be generous.

Psalm 5:3 provides guidance on how to begin each day (First order of business: prayer).  Praise, gratitude, honor, and surrender are all elements involved in attaining God’s REFUGE.  The presence of God opens portals to heaven.

Revelation 4 appears almost simultaneous: John saw the portal, was in the spirit, and entered.  John saw what heaven’s reality is, although not yet on the earth.  God is not limited by dimensions or time.  He is past, present, and future all the time.   This timeless, limitless Creator is our REFUGE.   He sees what was, is, and will be, and He is there.  Things surprise us, but He has already been there; He is there!   This God is our place of inaccessible protection.  He is our Pavilion tent in the midst of battle.  He IS whatever we need whenever we need it.

We have a REFUGE who is alive, and no enemy can reach us there!   Therefore, do not fear, worry, or fret.  He Does Not Fail.

1 Corinthians 15:52-55 – “For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ Now when this perishable puts on the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will happen, “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”  ⁵⁵ “Where, O death, is your victory?  Where, O death, is your sting?”

This morning, as I awoke, read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God, I found my thoughts turning to human mortality: no, not morbidity, but the brevity of humans on earth.  In the past few months, several people (younger than me) with whom I attended high school have finished their earthly journey.

The thought that filled my heart was, what is our legacy? What are we leaving behind?  (Not the material but eternal things). How have we impacted others, especially those near us?  Are we fulfilling our assignment, pursuing our life purpose, and manifesting Jesus?

Some hear that and conclude negatively, believing they have not fulfilled their purpose, and give up.  That’s wrong!  Who knows if one word, one act, one moment in time might eternally impact a life.

How much time do any of us have?  Although we cannot answer that, we are not God.  We can seize the day and make the most of every moment. Pursuing God’s purposes can be costly.  It could cost us everything (naturally or materially), but we gain everything (eternally).

Three errors are costly:

• Pursuing the way of Cain = works.  Trying to earn our way in. Grace is the key, mercy is the door, and love is the power. 
• Pursuing the error of Baalam = money or material things. That encompasses the whole spectrum of the flesh (lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life). 
• Pursuing the rebellion of Korah = power and position. Having preeminence, recognition, and the ability to control.
  Earth.

Revelation 1:6 says that we have been made a spiritual kingdom.  While we have life in our mortal bodies, we have the opportunity to be that kingdom and manifest Him on earth.   What is our legacy?  Is it His legacy or ours?  Can we be empty of self to the point that He is our life?

What if tomorrow never comes for us on Earth? What will we have left behind? Yes, thoughts of human mortality can be morbid, but they do not have to be. The greatest words we could ever hear are – “Well done! Enter in!” No questions, no explanation, no remorse, Enter in!

Life on Earth will not last forever; there will be a final day here, but that is no reason to fear.   Jesus in our hearts gives us peace!

Job 27:18 – “For the wicked has built his house upon a spider’s web, and like a booth he had made his shelter.”   (Lamsa)

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, the infallibility of God and His Word consumed my thoughts. Job said, “God is so awesome, He hangs the world on nothing.” (Job 267).  That is doubly revealing.  It reveals Job’s confidence and awe of God and insight as to space and planets beyond what that era is assumed to have known.  It reveals imparted insight!

In Job 27:18 (Lamsa Translation), we read that the wicked build their houses (lives) on a spider’s web. A spider’s web is fragile and weak, but it is also a trap for unsuspecting prey. (Our house is our life.)

1 John gives us a detailed, systematic treatise on True Christianity. It is characterized by love.   Love for God that flows to others.   Love (genuine) love cannot be faked because the actions will reveal the heart.

1 John 2:6 reveals that our profession and life must match.  1 John 3:6-8 reveals that those who ABIDE in Jesus and Jesus ABIDES in them find the grace (enabling power) to avoid a lifestyle of sin.

Love motivates us to imitate Jesus. Love motivates us to forgive and give. Love motivates us to love!

1 John 5:18 reveals that those who are truly saved take steps to consciously avoid sin. It is the walking out of the directive, “submit to God, resist the devil, and the devil has no choice but to leave.  1 John 5:1-5 is a picture of the simplicity of Christianity.  Read it and apply it. If the heart craves godliness, the Holy Spirit will enable us!

Let the awesome infallibility of God make life a joy!

Job 15:1-3 – “Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:  ² “Does a wise man answer with blustery knowledge, or fill his belly with the east wind?  ³ Does he argue with useless talk, with words that have no value in them?”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, I was drawn to a thought as I went to bed: “Contemplating.” 

 In Job 15:2-3, Eliphaz, one of Job’s comforters (sic), addressed something worthy of contemplating.  The thought was:  What we say, even if it is right, theology can be lost by how we say it and our attitude.  If we present truth with an attitude of arrogance (in-your-face correction), what we say may be true, but those we are trying to inform or correct only hear our self-righteousness, judgmentalism, and lack of love, mercy, and grace.

The right truth can get lost in how we present that truth.  Tragically, sometimes personality becomes the focus, and people put up walls and barriers, which prevent them from hearing the needed revelation.

God is all about truth, but that truth comes through love, mercy, and grace.  If we speak truth in humility with a heart that desires to help and restore, we are ten thousand times more likely to be heard than to wield our hammer of harshness. Love draws!

God wants no one to perish, NO ONE!  According to 2 Peter 3:9, this is why Jesus’ return has been delayed as long as it has.  God is giving people every possible opportunity to repent and return.  Our assignment is to bring them light.  If we become judgmental and revel in being harsh and confrontational, they are repelled; but if we, in humility, gentleness, and love, give them the truth, they might have been saved.

My heart breaks when I hear of men and women of God falling into moral or doctrinal error.  If I attack them with anger, they nor their followers hear me.  My hostility and seeming self-righteousness repel, and the message is lost.  But, if I present the truth in love without making it about personalities, I have a chance to get through to some and rescue them.

How we say something is as important as what we say.  Sometimes, the package becomes the focus rather than the content.   In preaching, I strive to ensure that the message far outshines the messenger. Lord, help us decrease so You can increase in all we do.  Think of the times you have heard a needed truth, but the delivery or the one delivering it was so distracting that you did not hear it.

Lord, help us to ‘contemplate’ Your truth and demonstrate You Character in everything!