A TRIBUTE TO MOTHERS WHO HAVE LOST THEIR CHILDREN TO GUN VIOLENCE

WRITTEN BY SHIRLEY RHODES

TRAGEDY IN NEWTOWN, CONNECTICUT PHOTO BY SHEER INVESTIGATION.COM 03

Just a few months ago, a deranged individual with an assault weapon walked into a school located in Newtown, Connecticut and took the lives of 26 young people.  Since then more than 3,900 Mothers’ have lost their children to gun violence and will not be able to hug their children this Mothers’ Day, nor receive a Mothers’ Day wish from their children.  This is truly a tragedy that none of us can comprehend unless we are one of those Mother’s that have lost a child to gun violence.

So many hearts have been broken; so many tears have been shed because the family chain has been broken. Gun violence has taken many young lives and those Mothers have come to know the meaning of shattered and broken.

For those Mothers who have experienced such tragedy and pain, let me encourage you as one Mother to another, please allow this Mothers’ Day to be a time of release and reflection. Take a moment and look around you and you will see your child in the elements of the world God has created.  Look at the flowers as they bloom and beacon you to come closer, see the beauty of the birds as they cross your path, excited and having fun with one another, see the brightness of the sun as the raise beams down upon your body, feel the gentle breeze of the wind as it sweeps across your face and you here in it a soft and sweet voice that says to you, “Hi Mommy, I love you, then you pause, look all around you, and say, I love you also baby!” Now embrace it as a memory of the child that once occupied your space.  Know that they are always there ready to wipe away the tear drop from your eyes and give you encouragement and strength to carry on and fight the good fight that will help others survive the tragedy that took their young, tender and precious lives.

Remember the words of Job: We are all adrift in the same boat: too few days, too many troubles. We spring up like wildflowers in the desert and then we wilt transit in the shadow of a cloud (Job 14: 1-2, MGS).

Allow the memories of your loved one to linger as long as you like but rest assured your child was blessed to you for a season and within that season take the memories and cherish them.

Allow yourself time to mourn and then embrace life as it is given each day because it is a gift that cannot be replaced.  God bless each Mother who have lost a child to violence and may your journey be one traveled in the assurance that at any given moment you will greet your loved one in a unique way, that’s how God have designed it. May you be blessed abundantly this Mother’s Day, 2013?

MOTHER’S DAY ROSE (PHOTO BY SHIRLEY RHODES)

We send our love an appreciation to all Mothers’ for a happy and joyful celebration.  Let there be Peace on Earth and Goodwill towards all People.

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Good Morning to all our families, friends, readers and disciples from every corner of the globe. This is the first day of the rest of our lives, and it is truly THE BEGINNING OF ADVENT. A time when we celebrate the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Now let us rejoice in HOPE that we all have been given this glorious opportunity to join together and experience the excitement of this CHRISTMAS.  In our understanding, we know that JESUS is the reason for the season.  Therefore, we present to you this day in VIDEO, “THE BEGINNING OF ADVENT!”  We encourage you to spend some quality time and watch each video clip and allow them to empower you with knowledge, joy, hope and peace for what is to come and fill your CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS with all the BLESSINGS that you have asked for this year.  Our first video clip answers the question, “WHAT IS ADVENT?”

In this next video clip, it represent “THE BEGINNING OF ADVENT!”  It is our morning celebration featured video of lighting the candles around our Scripture Reading.  Now click on it and enjoy your Sunday Morning Blessing.

Advent is a season of prophecy, repentance, hope, joy, peace, the celebration of the fulfillment of prophecy in the birth of Jesus Christ, and future prophecy when He will come again. This next video clip is about that hope.

This is what Advent is all about. Slowing Down and Waiting. To get our Heart ready… To bring Jesus into our life… A bit more fully, than before.  Slow down take your time and enjoy all the blessings that are set before you.  God has prepared the table before you, now all he ask is that you slow down, come on in, sit down and be blessed.  He is waiting!

Pastor Davis presents The Beginning of Advent

We thank all of you for allowing us to enter into your hearts and minds this morning. It is our hope and prayer that you will be filled with love, joy and peace in your hearts as you begin the celebration of this blessed Christmas Season.  Let us pray for each other, YOU PRAY FOR ME, AND I WILL PRAY FOR YOU. Lift each other up and share a word of praise and thanksgiving with someone today.  Be Encouraged as you look towards the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  He has a blessing with your name on it and all you have to do to receive it is ASK!  I remain your brother in Christ, Pastor Davis/Master Teacher!

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BE ENCOURAGED TROUBLE DON’T LAST ALWAYS

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (MSG)

All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too.

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ENDING 2011 ON HIGH NOTE OF PRAISE AND REJOICING

At midnight tonight, we will celebrate the closing of the old and bringing in the new.  I know most of you have thought about what this year has meant to you and have begun to make your  New Year’s resolutions and plans for the coming year.  We all have had to face many trials and tribulations during this past year.  However, when we really pause and think on the goodness of what God has done for us, we ought to shout praises from where ever we may be.  Knowing in our hearts that it was no body but God that brought us through all the difficult moments we experienced during the entire course of this past year.

Those of us who are believers and who have truly learned to trust lean and depend on God should exhibit for those who have not yet reached the level of maturity to understand how important it is to put all our trust in him, should be bringing in this New Year with absolute joy.  We should display a dramatically different responsive to all the events that will be unfolding all around us this New Year’s Eve.

This is a time to renew our faith in the hope that God will bring all things which we believe is good in mankind to its fruitful conclusion.  Bells will be ringing, horns will be blowing, lots of hugging, and kissing and good will wishes will be glowing in everyone’s heart.  Therefore, I say to each of you, “Rejoice and be happy.”  Don’t just pretend to be happy, allow your heart to feel what it has not felt in a very long time.  Unwind, and see the possibilities of a brand new you, exploring the possibilities of the greatness that lives within you.  Be encouraged, that in 2012 your DREAMS are going to come true.  Get up and get out of your comfort zone, put your shouting shoes on.  Look around you, see and experience all the joy and happiness that is going on.  Now get in the groove and experience your mo-jo working.  God is working in you and  through you, trying to bring you into the newness of your new life in 2012.  He wants you to experience the joy and beauty of your new life that he has blessed you to have in 2012.

NOW REJOICE, and be happy tonight, and throughout this NEW YEAR!  I leave you with my peace, it is yours to enjoy.  Thank each one of you for all your many prayers and blessing that you have shown this Pastor in 2011.  May God continue to bless and multiply each blessing for you and your families in 2012?  I remain your brother in CHRIST, PASTOR DAVIS/MASTER TEACHER! 

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CAN YOU KEEP A GRIP ON HOPE?

Lamentations 3:22-33

The Message (MSG)                       

God‘s loyal love couldn’t have run out,
his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.
They’re created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness!
I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over).
He’s all I’ve got left.

God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,
to the woman who diligently seeks.
It’s a good thing to quietly hope,
quietly hope for help from God.
It’s a good thing when you’re young
to stick it out through the hard times.

When life is heavy and hard to take,
go off by yourself. Enter the silence.
Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions:
Wait for hope to appear.
Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face.
The “worst” is never the worst.

Why? Because the Master won’t ever
walk out and fail to return.
If he works severely, he also works tenderly.
His stockpiles of loyal love are immense.
He takes no pleasure in making life hard,
in throwing roadblocks in the way:

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THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH CAN CLEANSE YOUR HEART FROM SIN

The Lord Jesus is ready and able to cleanse your heart from its sin, to conquer these sins by His entrance into it, and to set you free.  Are you ready to become free of the sins that are keeping you in bondage?  There is no better time than now to except the promise of hope that God is offering you.  Now listen up and understand what God is saying to you, “I still have many things to tell you, but you cannot handle them now. However, when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He will not draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said. He will honor me; he will take from me and deliver it to you. Everything the Father has is also mine. That is why I have said, ‘He takes from me and delivers to you.’  (John 16:12-15 MSG)

The Lord gave first the promise, I will cleanse you.  Then he gave the second promise, I will put My Spirit within you.  The Holy Spirit cannot come with power or fill the heart and continue to dwell in it, unless a special and complete cleansing first takes place within it.

The Spirit and sin are engaged in a mortal combat.  The only reason why the Spirit works so feebly in the Church is sin, which is all too little known or dreaded or cast out.  Men do not believe in the power of Christ to cleanse; and, therefore, He cannot do His work of baptizing with the Spirit.

It is from Christ that the Spirit comes and to Christ the Spirit returns again.  It is the heart that gives Christ liberty to exercise dominion in it that will inherit the full blessing.

My Friends, if you have done what has been suggested and believed in Jesus as the Lord that cleanses you, be assured that God will certainly fulfill His Word: “I will cleanse you and put My Spirit within you.”  Cleave to Jesus, who cleanses you.  Let Him be all within you.  God will see to it that you are filled with the Spirit.

Do not be surprised if your heart does not at once feel as you would like it to feel immediately after your act of surrender.  Rest assured that if you present yourself to God as a pure vessel, cleansed by Christ, to be filled with the Spirit, God will take you at your word and say unto you: “Receive ye the Holy Ghost” (John 20:22).  He will manifest it to you more gloriously than ever before.

Keep in mind the purpose for which the Spirit is given.  God said He would put His Spirit within you and cause you to walk in His statutes and keep His judgments and do them.  The fullness of the Spirit must be sought and received with the direct aim that you will now simply and wholly live to do God’s will and work on the earth.  Yes, you will be able to live like the Lord Jesus and to say with Him: “Lo!  I come…to do thy will” (Hebrews 10:7).

If you cherish this disposition, the fullness of the Spirit may be positively expected.  Be full of courage and yield yourself to walk in God’s statutes and to keep His judgments and do them, and you may trust God to keep His Word that He will cause you to keep and do them.  He, the living God, will work in you.  Even before you are aware how the Spirit is in you, He will enable you to experience the full blessing.

Have you been seeking for a long while without finding the fullness of the Spirit?  Here you have at last the sure method of winning it.  Acknowledge the sinfulness of your condition as a Christian and make renunciation of it once and for all by yielding it up to God.  Acknowledge that the Lord Jesus is ready and able to cleanse your heart from its sin, to conquer these sins by His entrance into it, and to set you free.

Take Him now as your Lord, at once and forever.  Be assured that He will do it.  Permit Him to begin and let Him do it in you now.

Now let me close with this final thought for each one of you who have taken the time to read this entire lesson and the many lessons we teach here daily, “Think globally, and work locally.  Looking beyond ourselves in the real and on line world, to reach out to others who might be in need, for we all are truly our Brothers Keeper, may the grace of God abide in you now and forever, in Jesus name, Amen.

CHURCH LEADERS MUST PLAY A PIVOTAL ROLE IN HELPING TO CURTAILING VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITIES

Our churches, pastors, deacons, Sunday school teachers and church leaders can and must play a pivotal role in helping to curtail the violence that our youth are perpetuating upon our society as a whole.  As I write this I know I am going to upset a lot of our church leaders who has sit on the side line while the violence run rapt within our schools, and communities. Now I ask you, before you make a quick judgment about this article and condemn it out of hand, use the power of your own thought process, that God has blessed you with, and become a deep thinker.  Allow your mind to think deep on what is happening within your own church and surrounding communities, and what you can do to bring about a change that will help our youth to become productive citizen of the world community.

To a great degree, our churches are contributing to the violence the youth are perpetuating upon society, and here is the reason why I can make such a statement. The churches have closed their doors, locked them and placed iron bars on the doors and windows to keep the youth out.  They have an invisible sign outside that reads, no young people are welcome.  No gang bangers, no drug are alcoholic addicts, no prostitutes, no homeless person.  If you are truly not one of us, please do not enter these doors.

They say the youth are breaking into the churches, disrupting the flow of activities, stealing and destroying the inside of the church building.  I know this to be true in some areas of the country, because I have seen it first hand for myself.  However, what I am talking about here is the turning away of our children from having a safe place to go.  The local churches should be a sanctuary for our youth.  I know that I am placing a lot of responsibility on our churches and church leadership, but we must remember, this is the price we pay for being a disciple of Jesus.  Jesus never ran from his leadership role and responsibilities and neither should we.  Our churches should be a place that our youth can go any time of the day or evening to play games, study and what a wonderful opportunity you now have to teach them the word of God and the right way of handling their problems and keeping them out of the jaws of Satan.

The church doors should be open all the time not just on Sunday for a Sunday morning worship service and then locked up until the next Sunday. When there is nothing for a lot of you as church leaders to do all day long, but sit at home and watch the trash on television, gossip on the phone about who is sleeping with who; then you should be more than willing to take turns, keeping the church doors open.  Now is a perfect time to train the young people in conducting Bible study, learning to pray and preparing activities for the kids.  If you would do this, you would not have to put iron bars on the doors to keep the youth out.  The doors would be open and the youth could just walk in.  That would have a powerful positive effect on the youth as well as the community as a whole, and what a great opportunity to begin a true leadership training course for your entire leadership team.

We Christians have to stop being afraid of our youth.  We have to take a stand exerting leadership within our church and community.  I can assure you where there is a weak leadership within the church and community; there is a concentration of drugs, gangs and violence.  The people in the community live every day in fear of their own life.  I submit to you, if you are living locked away in your home and church, afraid some kids are going to rob you or kill you, what is your purpose for living?  Take a stand, be strong, exert leadership, open the doors of your church, invite the young gang bangers to come in, teach them how to rap for the Lord, how to be gang bangers for the lost soul.  I guarantee you will begin to experience a difference in your own life as well as the life of the community.

I know what I am stating here is difficult for most churches and the church leadership as a whole.  Now let me tell you why.  I have had the good fortune to have traveled to many different parts of the world as well as travel all overAmerica.  I attended many different churches across America as well as speak to many different church organizations and other groups.  One thing that I have come to realize is that more than 70% of all churches inAmericaare small churches with membership of less than a 100 people and on any given Sunday morning, there will be less than 60 people in each church.

Moreover, out of those that attend, less than 5% will be young children.  Now you ask where all the children from the community are.  Come Monday morning, the bus stops will be filled with children to attend school.  If this is the case, why are they not lined up to attend church on Sunday morning?  The reason for this is it is easier to join a large church congregation than a small church.  Where there is a church congregation of 500 or more in attendance, you will find about 35% of those is young people and the larger the congregation, the larger the youth are in attendance and active within the church.

Small churches in America have become private social clubs for the elite of the community where they are located.  If you are a member of that social elite club, you are welcome within that church.  Oh sure, they will tell you that their doors are open and all are welcome, but to become a member without first embracing yourself to the social elite and then submitting yourselves to their beliefs and you will see how fast you will get the cold shoulder.  Now I remind you that these people proclaim themselves Christian, and who am I to judge them for the bible teaches me to judge not.  In addition, most of them are lead by a preacher of their own choosing.  For the Bible tells us that some of these people and not all small churches are this way, it says, “For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.  For they are ignorant of God’s righteousness of God.” (Roman 10:2-3).

These churches that are proclaiming the word of God without submitting themselves unto the righteousness of God are the very ones I am talking about that are contributing to the  violence within our schools and communities.  They are turning away the children as well as the parents of these children.  The way they turn them away, is by the actions they take in the church and carry out within the community.

The people in the community are watching and waiting.  They are hungry for the gospel, but no one within the church is taken the gospel to them.  The preacher is afraid of losing his job that he only dares to tell the people what they want to hear instead of thus said the Lord.  The temptation is so great within a lot of these small churches to do wrong, that the preachers are leading the congregation astray by not proclaiming God’s word.  Listen to what God commands his preachers to do, he says, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; Reprove, rebuke, exhort with long suffering and doctrine.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fiction (II Timothy 4:2-4).” In Jesus name we pray that a change will come. Amen

OUR CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE

HAS SATAN BECOME THE AUTHORITY FIGURE IN RAISING YOUR CHILDREN

 The enemy has taken the fight to our youth…

Parents, are you willing to risk being run over by the children of your community?  What has God placed in your hands that might be attractive to them?  If we are to restore the path for our children, we must be willing to do what it takes to arrest their attention.  We must stop being passive and become pro-active in helping to bring about a change in their lives.  It might mean that we have to sacrifice our nice carpets and beautiful homes to bring them in.  If you are going to invite the children of the community into your home, your carpet will get dirty, and your patience will be, tried and tested.  How committed are we to lifting these kids out of their maze of misery?  In a sense, the children are our own pathways to the future.  If we ignore the children of our communities, we do so at the cost of our very own future.

Now listen up parents, Youth violence has gotten totally out of control, with no one knowing what to do or how to control what is happening with our youth that are destroying our communities.  Everyone is pointing the finger at the other.  If we could only stop for a moment, and take a good look at what is happening within our homes, schools, churches, work places and government offices, we will see the real enemy that has taken control and that is the old devil himself.  Yes, Satan has gotten control of every avenue of our children’s lives, and we all are standing around and blaming each other for all kinds of things rather than seeing the real enemy of God and that is Satan.  Satan knows that by spreading his violence among our youth, he can begin to penetrate Gods kingdom by causing them to become addictive to drugs, alcohol, joining gangs, killing each other, killing their parents, then committing suicide themselves.  You see Satan truly has his game plan together, while we are sitting around blaming each other for the many evil deeds that our youth are committing.  Some of us are locking ourselves within our homes afraid of our youth, afraid we might be next.  It is a sad day in America when we as adults have become so fearful of our youth, when our future lies in the very ones we are fearful of.  I do realize that some of our youth have gone astray and it should give us a very good reason to pause and take a good look at what is happening within our society as a whole.  Look at just how we as parents and grandparents are raising our own children, allowing them to tell us what to do are not to do.  These are the same youth, that are taking control of our communities and threaten all of us that we have become so fearful of.

Stop blaming and start acting…

There is enough blame to go around when some say that it is liberalism that has caused the violence.  Others say that it is the removal of prayer from our schools.  Some say it is the steady stream of violence we see in the movies, on the nightly newscast, on all sorts of TV programs, and especially the video games.

There are still others who blame the government for overtaxing us, and forcing parents to have to abandon their children for the workplace.  When it comes to youth using guns to settle their differences, there are those who would blame the gun manufacturers and the gun dealers.  But no where do we see anyone taking responsibility for what has happened.  Not the parents, schools, churches, business, government, or the youth themselves.  No, everyone wants to place the blame on someone else.  It is time that we as parents and grandparents begin to accept the major portion of responsibility, and take control of our children’s lives and get the government out of our homes and bedrooms.  We as parents are responsible for raising our youth and it does take the whole community to be involved and always willing to lend a helping hand.

It is time for Parents to take a stand and fight a good fight…

 When I was a young boy growing up in a very small community in South Carolina, everyone knew everyone and no one was ever afraid to correct any child of the community, if they saw us doing something wrong.  Every parent and grandparent was responsible for every child of the community.  Today, if you correct a child when you see them doing wrong, you will have the parents knocking at your door for chastising their child.  You might even have the police come calling on you, if you are lucky that the child has not shot and killed you.  There is something badly wrong with this picture, but it is the reality of the world we live in today.

 Another part of this problem of correcting children is some of the abuse that some parents have perpetuated upon their children that has caused the government to get more involved in our daily lives.  We as parents are responsible for our children and we must shoulder that responsibility with love, understanding and patience.  Children can be a problem.  There is much peer pressure on them.  They want to fit in with their friends, therefore as a parent, we must try to understand their changing life style, and their growth hormones as they experience adulthood.  We must treat them with respect, try to understand that they too do have problems and they may not always share those problems with us.  Nevertheless, we must always be willing to put our arms around them and daily tell them that we love them, even though we may not be having the kind of conversation we would like to have with them.  However, I tell you that there is power in love.  When our youth can feel within themselves that they are loved, it brings a much different kind of respect from them.  However, we must never compromise our principles and allow our children to be disobedient and disrespectful to us are the people that are in authority.  We must stand our ground and always be willing to discipline them with love.  We must always remain strong and keep our focus on raising our children to become responsible and loving adults, ready and capable of taking on the mantel of future leaders within their communities and of the world.  We must never except defeat as a way of giving up on our children.

We must believe that we as a chosen disciple of the one living God has been given the power to change the course of our destiny by changing the way we view our children and the people that are committing the evil crimes within our communities.  We should never forget that evil survives because we choose to let it rule over us.  We must resist it on every hand, using the power that God gives us, and believe me, we do have the power to stand up and take the fight to the enemy.  God has given us that power if we choose to use it.  All we have to do is call on him.  He said that he would never leave us or forsake us.  He will always be right there with us even until the end of time.

Standing up to the enemy may not be the way you would view your mission in this world, but if you don’t, who will?  Sometimes we have to just say no to the enemy, and do what is unpopular at the time even if our life depends on it.  If we stand up for Christ we are most certain to lose our life, but what are we living for any way.  This world is not our home; we are just passing through on our way to our eternal home.  We must be prepared to face the enemy with all our strength and might.  Then and only then will the enemy have a sense of who we are.  The enemy will always feel that he is the biggest and baldest bully in town as long as we allow him to back us down.  There comes a time in our lives when we must say no backing away or running away from a situation that I can no longer tolerate.  This enemy is threaten my family, my community, my way of life, and if I don’t do something about it right now, I will no longer have a family or community to live in, because he is taken it all away.  It is up to me to bring an end to this right here and now.

JESUS TEACHES US THE CORE PRINCIPALS OF GODLY LEADERSHIP

Today, we are providing you with the second part of Jesus Core Principals of Godly Leadership.  Now meditate on both parts and allow God to fill you with an abundances of knowledge and wisdom that will help you fulfill your role as a godly leader within your family.

3. A third principle of godly leadership requires us to be actively serving those who are to be led, instead of demanding to be served or lording it over them.

Jesus not only taught about servant leadership but he provided us with our ultimate example. As Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28 cf. also John 10:11-13). Unlike the leadership of the world where kings rule by lording it over others and great men exercise authority over their subordinates, Christian leadership is built upon the leader being as the one who serves (Matthew 20:25-28; Luke 22:25-27; John 13:12-17).

Contrary to this view of leadership, many parents view their leadership role as being the right to simply bark orders and make demands, which must be obeyed, because, “I am the parent.” Along these lines, men will sometimes try to justify their claims for such behavior by appealing to Ephesians 5. By looking at both the context and Christ‘s headship of the church, it becomes clear that if a self-centered man is appealing to this biblical text to provide him authority to pursue his selfish desires for others to serve him, then he has grossly misunderstood this text. Just as it would be ludicrous for a wife to demand that her husband love her while she has no intention of submitting to him, so also it is equally wrong for a husband to demand submission if he has no intention of placing her well being above his own.

Although some people may not like the biblical message, to try to change this message is to distort the text through an artificial lens. Ephesians 5:22-24 teaches that as the church submits to Christ because he is the head of the church in the same manner wives should also submit to her husband’s because he is the head. Unbelievably, this teaching actually creates a wonderful situation unless the husband creates a problem by ignoring his role as head.

Sometimes husbands have made the lives of their wives and children a living nightmare. Then they have the audacity to attempt to use Ephesians 5 to support their sin! The reality is that such men have failed to understand their responsibility of what it means to be head before God. What did it mean for Christ to be head of the church? Did Christ make selfish demands? Did Christ seek to be served? Did Christ pursue his own interests abandoning the well-being of the church? In all cases, obviously not. Who has served more, Christ as head or the church as one in submission? Who has loved more? Such questions underline the point of the text, which is that the headship of the husband is to love his wife just as Christ has loved the church and died for her. A biblical understanding of headship destroys the fleshly notion that God intended self-centered men to dominate their wives for their own purposes.

Just as Jesus being the head of the church loved and served the church, so also the husband as head of the wife must imitate this same concept of servant leadership as he loves and serves his wife (Ephesians 5:23-33). This context describes Christ’s example of selfless love which led him to serve the church by dying for it. The clear message of the text is that husbands are to love their wives and seek their well being in the same way which Christ has loved the church. There are two equally grave potential problems here. The wife who refuses to submit and the self-centered husband who selfishly barks his own desires. Neither is godly. The husband who fails to love his wife as Christ does the church has no right to demand that she submit to him in the same way which the church does to Christ.

I would suggest that any woman whose character has led her to desire to submit to the headship of Christ for her life should also have no problem in submitting to the headship of a truly Christian husband, who though his love for her is seeking her well being just as Christ has sought the church’s. After all, if she is submitting to Christ, she hears through the inspired text the message that she is to submit to her husband. She also hears that God has placed upon him the grave responsibility to seek her well being (love her).

Why is the husband the head? He does not have this responsibility because he is smarter, more educated, more spiritual, or more deserving than his wife. In fact, she might very well be smarter, more spiritually mature, a better example of Christ, etc. He has this role simply because God has chosen to hold him responsible.

Although through fear or force, parents may succeed in forcing obedient behavior, such parents have failed to understand that truly successful godly leadership occurs when others willingly follow. True leadership is not imposed through force. It is not a title, which is bestowed. True leadership exists when people want to follow another person because they perceive something within the life message of that person to be worth imitating.

So how does a parent gain the ability to lead? Leadership is earned by first being the right type of person. The parent who will gain the ability to successfully lead his household will be the person who first demonstrates by his behavior that he has died to self in order to serve God and the well-being of his family. Where both parents are present, God ultimately will hold the husband responsible for directing the family, this principle of godly leadership through service is within the reach of every Christian who chooses to exercise it.

4. A fourth principle of godly leadership requires someone to accept the responsibility, which God has given to that person.

Within the family, God has given parents the responsibility of leadership. If both parents are present this responsibility ultimately falls upon the husband. God did not say, “if it is convenient” or “it would be better if you were the head.” Rather God demands that as head, the husband be responsible for the direction and well being of the family. And just as within the church where the leaders must give an account to God for those whom they are leading (Hebrews 13:17), so too the husband and father is responsible to God for his family. God has also given parents, especially fathers, the responsibility of raising their children in the Lord by teaching them (Ephesians 6:4; Deuteronomy 4:9-10; 6:5-9; 11:18-21).

The fact that the father is ultimately responsible before God does not mean that he must make these decisions alone without first listening to what others might have to say. In fact, it is extremely important for them to pay attention to advice (Pr. 11:14; 13:10; 15:22) so that the final decision will be full of wisdom and good judgment. God has given the wife to the husband as a helper (Gen. 2:18) and therefore she should be consulted before making decisions. Nevertheless, once the decision is made after all has been heard, it is the husband and father who bears the responsibility for that decision.

Sometimes fathers fail to accept the responsibility God has given them toward their wives and children. Many fathers pursue their own selfish interests thus abandoning the role God has given them.

Whenever parents fails to fulfill their role of godly leadership, the responsibility for leading their children will wrongly pass to a child’s peer group, a school or even the television. When an absent parent’s egoistic barked orders are met with resistance and rebellion, out of frustration and impatience a worldly parent might then even further discourage his or her children by cursing them. Instead, every parent needs to accept the leadership roles God has given us. This will require us to possess a heart devoted to God, to show our children how to live and to model serving others through love.

The principle of accepting our God given responsibility is within the grasp of each person. It is a decision. It does require work as well as death to self.

God has provided a number of biblical principles for effective leadership. Any parent who abandons these principles will find their leadership ability in God’s service severely damaged. As parents seeking to serve God, let us focus on being those whom God wants us to be. Let us provide the godly leadership that our families need, and which God has described for us. May our families be shining beacons of godly love, hope, values and all sorts of godly behavior in a world torn apart by the fruits of idolatry? Moreover, when we have finished the course, may we hear “well done good and faithful servant, you have been faithful in a few things. Enter into your Master’s glory.”

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CLOSE UP PHOTO OF A MUSTARD SEED

LEADERSHIP FAITH AND FORGIVENESS GOES HAND IN HAND

Leaders are trained equipped and prepared to lead at all times. Jesus was a real leader, and he demonstrated his ability to lead in everything that he did. Jesus never hesitated to tell his followers that he wanted all or nothing. If indeed, Jesus said that their love for him needed to be so great that all other human relationships would be pale by comparison. While only Jesus qualifies for that kind of devotion, we can learn from Jesus that skilled leaders do not blank when urging others to count the costs. They know that no follower who has a halfhearted commitment will ever become a leader. Jesus demonstrated his ability to lead despite the strong opposition against him, that we too can do the same if we follow in Jesus footsteps.

Jesus also made it clear that a conflict should be handled personally, privately and with a forgiving spirit.  The disciples thought that such an act of forgiveness would require an added measure of faith, but Jesus taught them that they needed only to use the faith they already processed. Even a little faith in God would unleash enough power to uproot a tree. God has the power to uproot anger and bitterness.  He says, “Pay attention and always be on your guard [looking out for one another]. So if your brother sins (misses the mark), solemnly tell him so and reprove him, and if he repents (feels sorry for having sinned), forgive him.  And even if he sin against you seven times in a day, and turns to you seven times and says, I repent [I am sorry], you must forgive him (give up resentment and consider the offense as recalled and annulled).” (Luke 17:3-4 AMP)

Careful leadership is important for Jesus followers, but so is constant forgiveness. When there is sin among God’s people, they are responsible to rebuke one another. To “rebuke” does not mean to point out every sin, for Jesus also warns against being judgmental. To “rebuke” (always in love) means to bring sin to a person’s attention with the purpose of restoring that person to God and to fellow humans. In context here, and this refers to sin that could put that person or others away from God, and thus result in the horrible judgment Jesus spoke of in Luke 17:2. When a person feels that he are she must rebuke another Christian for a sin, it is wise for that person to check his or her attitudes and motivations first. Unless rebuke is tied to forgiveness, it will not help the sinning person.  Jesus explained, in fact, that if the other person repents, the rebuker must forgive. And that forgiveness extends constantly.

The disciples told Jesus, “We need more faith.” Jesus did not directly answer the question because the amount of faith is not as important as its genuineness. What is faith? It is dependence on God and a willingness to do his will.  “And the Lord answered, If you had faith (trust and confidence in God) even [so small] like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, be pulled up by the roots, and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you.”  (Luke 17:6 AMP).

A mustard seed is small, but it is alive and growing. Like a tiny seed, a small amount of genuine faith in God will take root and grow. The apostle did not need more faith; a tiny seed of faith would be enough, if it were alive and growing.

Jesus pointed to a nearby mulberry tree and said that even small faith could uproot it and send it into a sea. Mulberry trees grow quite large as high as 35 feet. Matthew’s gospel records a similar teaching when Jesus said that a mountain could be told to throw itself into the sea. It is the power of God, not faith, that uproots trees and mountains, but faith must be present for God to work. Even a small seed of faith is sufficient. There is great power in even a little faith when God is there.

Now here is how faith is described in Hebrews, “NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, ^[a]the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].” (Hebrew 11:1AMP)

Those who do not have faith cannot see pass the physical world around them. They are limited by their said temporal circumstances and are blind to what God is doing. Nevertheless, those who open their spiritual eyes can see the spiritual realities, which transcend this world. There hope is in God’s strength and in his faithfulness. In that hope, they find the strength to endure. When it comes to faith, the world scoffs. Faith, at best, seems like a great waste; at worst, it seems almost suicidal. Do we really want to give up the pleasure to have this world for something elusive and ethereal?

Faith is never easy. However, the more convinced we are of the reality of an all-good, all-powerful God, the more I have trust will grow, and the less we will be overwhelmed, by doubts and temptations.

Image by Ed Yourdon via Flickr

God gave me everything I hoped for
I asked God for strength that I might achieve. 

I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.

I asked God for health that I might do greater things.
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.

I asked for riches that I might be happy.
I was given poverty that I might be wise.

I asked for power that I might have the praise for men.
I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life.
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I asked for
but everything that I hoped for. . .
Almost, despite myself,
My unspoken prayers were answered.
I am among all men most richly blessed.

What about you
Are you among those men or women
Who ask God for much, but received less
Still in your heart
You feel blessed…

Growing up into Christ (YOU ARE TRULY DIVINE)

The change of heart by which we become children of God is in the Bible spoken of as birth. Again, it is compared to the germination of the good seed sown by the husbandman. In like manner those who are just converted to Christ are,” as newborn babies,” to grow up” to the stature of the men and women in Christ Jesus.  1 Peter 2:2; Ephesians 4:15. Or like the good seed sown in the field, they ought to grow up and bring forth fruit. Isaiah says that they shall” be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3. Therefore, from natural life, illustrations are drawn, to help us better understand the mysterious truths of spiritual life.

Not all the wisdom and skill of command can produce life in the smallest object in nature. It is only through the life which God himself has imparted, that either plant or animal can live. Therefore, it is only through the life from God that spiritual life is begotten in the hearts of man. Unless a man is “born from above,” he cannot become a partaker of the life, which Christ came to give. John 3:3.

As with life, so it is with growth. It is God, who brings the bud to bloom and the flower to fruit. It is by his power that the seed develops,” first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.” Mark 4:28. Moreover, the prophet Hosea says to Israel, that “he shall grow as the Lily.”  “They shall revise as the corn, and grow as the vine.” Hosea 14:5, 7.  And Jesus bids us” consider the lilies how they grow.” Luke 12:27. The plants and flowers grow not by their own care, anxiety, or effort, but by receiving that which God has furnished to minister to their life. The child cannot by any anxiety or power of its own, add to its own stature. No more can you, by anxiety or effort of yourself, secure spiritual growth. The plant, the child, grows by receiving from its surroundings that which ministers to its life – air, sunshine, and food. What these gifts of nature are to animal and plant, such is Christ to those who trust in him. He is there” everlasting light,”  “a sun and shield.”  Isaiah 60:19; Psalms 84:11, he shall be as ” the dew unto Israel.” “He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass.” Hosea 14:5; it Psalms 72:6. He is the living water,” the bread of God… Which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.” John 6:33.

Now in the Maecenas give of his son, God has in store call the whole world with an atmosphere of grace as real as the air which circulates around the globe. All who choose to breathe this life given atmosphere will live and grow up to the stature of men and women in Christ Jesus.

As the flower turns to the sun, that the bright beams of may aid in perfecting its beauty and symmetry, so should we turn to the Sun of righteousness, that heavens light may shine upon us, that our character may be developed into the likeness of Christ.

Jesus teaches the same thing when he says, “abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abides in the vine; no more can ye, except he abide in me… Without me you can do nothing.” John 15:4, 5. You are just as dependent upon Christ, in order to live a holy life, as is the branch upon the parent stock for growth and fruitfulness. Apart From Him, you have no life. You have no power to resist temptation or to grow in grace and holiness. Abiding in him, you may flourish. Drawing your life from him, you will not wither nor be fruitless. You will be like a tree, planted by the rivers of water.

Many have an idea that they must do some part of the work alone. They have trusted in Christ’s for the forgiveness of sin, but now they seek by their own efforts to live aright. However, every such effort must fail. Jesus says,” Without me ye can do nothing.” Our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness, all depend upon our union with Christ. It is by communion with him, daily, hourly, by abiding in him, that we are to grow in grace. He is not only the author, but the finisher of our faith. It is Christ’s first, last, and always. He is to be with us, not only at the beginning and the end of our course, but at every step of the way.” I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” Psalms 16:8.

Do you ask,” how is I to abide in Christ?” In the same way as you received him at first.” As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk you in him.”  ” The just shall live by faith.” Colossians 2:6; Hebrews 10:38. You gave yourself to God, to be his holy, to serve and obey him, and you took Christ as your Savior. You could not yourself atone for your sins are changing your heart; but having given yourself to God, you believe that He for Christ sake did all this for you.

By faith, you became Christ’s, and by faith, you are to grow up in him, by giving and taking. You are to give all, your heart, you will, your service, give yourself to him to obey all his requirements; and you must take all, Christ, the fullness of all blessings, to abide in your heart, to be your strength, your righteousness, your everlasting helper, to give you power to obey.

In today’s market place when so many people have lost their jobs and inability to earn a proper living for their families and losing their homes and all their worldly goods it is time for Pastors and church leaders to carefully study the types of messages they delivery to their congregation. The bible gives us a road map for us to follow, how we present that road map to our followers at a time such as this is the most important thing that we can do in the name of Jesus.

I do realize that I am going to get a lot of negative feedback from my fellow brethren in the ministry, but I also feel that it is important to get this message out.  Now I ask you to read and study the entire message before you make up your mind, and let us begin a dialog that can be beneficial to all believers.

Throughout most of the Church History the spiritual current, especially of the Catholic and Orthodox churches has been that the most spiritual possible lifestyle is to be poor.

The preaching and teaching of these Pastors have done more harm to the poor than they have given them the keys to living a prospers life style because they use Scriptures like “Blessed are the poor…” and “Sell everything you have and come follow me,”  the mindset has been that in order to truly follow Christ you must impoverish yourself.

Now, of course, at any given time, only a few are willing to do this at one time, and so they are considered the most spiritual.   This promotes a general sense of guilt among the middle class and of pride among the self-impoverished.   Moreover, it creates a universal rejection of Earthly wealth for Christians, leaving it to be pursued by either those of other faiths (such as the medieval Jews) or by Christians who do not really believe the Gospel.

It is my opinion this promotes a general place of powerlessness for the church, and of “scraping by” for the average person.   Ironically, which teaching its people to be poor, the church itself held greater riches than most kings, building incredible edifices to promote itself.   The outcome of promoting poverty then, was to have a rich clergy and a poor laity.

In the wake of the great healing revival of the 1940’s and 50’s two things happened.  First, the healing crusaders like Oral Roberts and Jack Coe and others had built huge and very costly ministry empires which required a remarkable amount of money was needed.    Secondly, the anointing waned on many of these men, depriving them of the power which would both draw people to their services and money to feed the ministry empire.   Largely because of these two factors, the doctrine of “Faith” which they had developed with regard to getting people healed began to grow into a doctrine of Wealth.

Slowly the ability to get out of a wheelchair was replaced with the promise to get material goods.   Instead of “if you have faith, you can be made whole” it was “if you have faith, you can get out of debt.”  Now at the time, I believe the shift was subtle, but a generation later, what had happened became clear — the power of God had been traded for money.     We live under a system of “prosperity” now, where ministers promise that giving (to them) is the way to wealth, and implicitly that if you do so you will become rich like them.   These rich ministers are the ones who had “faith” to get wealth, and by “sowing in” to their ministries you can get the same thing.    The great irony again is that this has not produced a race of billionaire Christians, what it has primarily produced is the same exact thing that the Old Catholic “poverty mentality” did — rich ministers and poor laymen.

Does this mean that God does not want his children to prosper?  By no means, I believe that God desires to give His children great wealth so that they can “make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, and then “they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.” (Luke 16:9)   In other words, we are given the financial resources to advance His Gospel and reach every living creature.   If that is your heart and practice with your wealth, God wants to give you the increase.    What these “prosperity” preachers are doing is just the opposite, however.   They are taking huge sums of money which otherwise would be putting others into ministry to spread the Gospel and helping those in need and spending it on lives of difficult to imagine luxury.  And they feel no pangs of conscience about it because in their system being rich is a sign of being blessed.

Anyone can get rich by telling you that by giving him or her money, you will get rich.   That is what they call a “pyramid scheme” and rightly so.  It is the devil’s method.  Take from the many to enrich the few. Real prosperity then is the businessperson who uses his God-given talents to bring wealth into the Kingdom.   God does not tell such a man he must live on nothing.   He tells him that if his heart is in the right place, he’ll want to give greatly to the cause of the Gospel.   If you have a business or hold a job, God wants to give you the increase, but it’s not going to come by giving more money to a “prosperity” preacher.  It’s going to come by your God given talent, the favor of God on your life, and by giving to reach the ends of the Earth with His message.

We have come to a place where we think that having a private jet is a sign of the anointing.   It may be a sign of the anointing, but a sign that the anointing has been misused.   We need to fear the Lord, because he does not take use of positions in His house for personal gain lightly. This is not unlike the sin of Gehazi.  He saw that he could get a couple of talents of silver and some robes from Elisha’s anointing and look where it took him.  He became a leper.  The sons of Eli thought their spiritual inheritance was best used to gain better portions of meat from the people’s sacrifices.  God killed them.  It’s amazing how in every reformation of the church from Jesus, to Luther, to our time, that one of the great issues is the abuse of money.     I believe the Lord has winked at many in our time because they legitimately believed they were helping the people, but a time is soon coming when He is going to reform the church again.

Get ready for the Lord is going to make it all right.  The leaders of the church have prospered while the rest of its members have remained poor.

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HOW AWESOME IS THAT DAY TO ME

By Josh Etter

Ponder these words as Holy Week begins. You might consider using this poem in your personal or family devotions this week:

How awesome is that day to me-
O day of hallowed history!
Set time in God’s determined plan
To sacrifice the Son of Man.
What famous work that day was done
By Jesus Christ, His Perfect Son!
The Second Adam, sent to save,
Humbly obeying to the grave!

How savage is that day to me-
O day of pure brutality!
When Christ, the Son of God Most High,
Was fiercely whipped and hung to die.
And O the horror of my sin,
Seen there in His appalling skin!
For God struck down- as meant for me-
The sinless One, at Calvary.

How precious is that day to me-
O day of purchased liberty!
In Him, a freeman now I live;
My sins, through death, did God forgive.
No wrath at length looms o’er my head,
But loving kindness there instead.
His righteousness, my guilt replaced,
And Love, this ransomed soul embraced!

O awesome, savage, precious day-
‘Tis God the Savior on display!
What peerless, holy, gracious Mind
Would fashion such a Grand Design?

The Lord’s Supper

Written by Harold Russwurm

Introduction

Much has been written concerning the Lord’s Supper and its observation. It is suggested that you carefully examine all that is contained in this writing and then study the Bible to get a complete study of what inspired writers had to say about the Lord’s Supper. This writing will address such matters as the institution of the supper by our Lord, the practice of early Christians, some of the written teachings to local congregations by the writers of the New Testament, and what is expected of those of us participating in the partaking of the Supper. We should remember that the teachings of the Bible must always take place over what man may write or say. God‘s Word is truth and we must follow it to be pleasing to Him. Quotations contained in this booklet are taken from the New American Standard version of the Holy Bible.

Institution of the Lord’s Supper

Jesus, nearing his death upon the cross for the sins of all men, saw the necessity to provide a way whereby individual Christians could look back to the cross and remember Him. This was not the first time that some type of remembrance was used to help man recall a past event. After God had destroyed the world by water, He told Noah that He would make a covenant with man to never again destroy the world by water. To keep this firmly in the mind of man, God placed a rainbow in the sky and each time that man looked and saw the rainbow he would be reminded that God had made a promise to man. Today, many of us vividly call to our mind the occasion of the flood when we see a rainbow in the sky. You can read fully about this event in Genesis chapter 9 beginning with verse 8.

Just prior to the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt, God had sent a plague to take the life of every first born unless a lamb had been killed and eaten, then a portion of the blood placed upon the two side posts and the upper post of the door in which the lamb had been eaten (Exodus 12:3-14). The lives of the children of those who fully obeyed the Lord’s command were spared, as were the first born of the animals. Moses had been very careful in his instructions to the children of Israel. As a result, all those that faithfully followed his instructions did not see death come to their households. Many did lose their children and animals since theyrefused to obey God. As the people of that day looked upon the blood that had been placed on the post, they recalled that the Lord had passed over the house since they had obeyed Him. This became a remembranceto them as to how God had been with them.

Very specific instructions were given to the priests under the law of Moses in the offering of sacrifices as to how each sacrifice was to be offered and the purpose for which it was being offered. God was not pleased unless the priest fully obeyed His instructions. Read about Nadab and Abihu and what happened to them for offering strange fire upon the alter (Lev 10:1,2).

A reading of the entire book of Leviticus gives a good background on the expectations of the priest under the law of Moses. As the lamb without spot or blemish was the sacrifice under the Old Law, Jesus Christ becomesour sacrifice under the New Covenant which is the law under which we live today. Jesus was totally aware of all that had happened in times past since He was “from the beginning” (John 1: 1) and had known that He would eventually give His life for the sins of man. With His understanding, He instituted the Lord’s Supper as something that would be helpful to man in remembrance of His cross, suffering and death, as well as His resurrection. See Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14- 23 and I Corinthians 11:23-29.

In the three gospel accounts, we find that Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to the disciples and told them to “take and eat; this is My body.” Jesus blessed or prayed over the bread before it was broken. This was symbolic of His body as being whole and unblemished as it was offered as a sacrifice upon the cross. It was a perfect sacrifice and would provide many benefits for His disciples of that day and future generations as well as beneficial to all of those that had been followers in times past.

Today we are to express to our Father, through His Son, our thanks for the giving of His Son upon the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, prior to breaking the bread. This should help us to remember the perfect sacrifice of Christ’s body as it was offered upon the cross. As He underwent great suffering even so we today must be willing to suffer as His disciples. The breaking of the bread will strengthen us to be willing and prepared to undergo the suffering that may come into our lives as we live for Him. Jesus also took the cup and after having given thanks, gave it to His disciples and told them to drink of it, stating that it was to be done in remembrance of Him.

Some today misunderstand the matter of “the cup.” In eating the bread, we do not eat the dish on which it is served and in drinking the cup we do not drink the container. We drink the contents of the cup. It is the contents that Christ is setting forth as the memorial of His blood and not the container. Jesus tells the disciples on this occasion that His blood is given for the forgiveness of sins. He tells them that He will not participate with them in this Supper until He “drinks it new with you in My Father’s Kingdom.”

This signifies that today as we partake of the bread and drink of the fruit of the vine, we are communing with the Lord. In order for us to receive the benefits, we must be in His Kingdom.

Early Christians Partake of the Supper

“And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to depart the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight” (Acts 20:7). From this reading, we find that Paul, along with other followers of Jesus, met together upon the first day (Sunday) of the week. Some would try and confuse us as to the day we are to meet, but Paul had no doubt about the meeting day and since he was inspired of God and full of the Spirit let’s look to him as to when we are to come together.

It would appear that since the text does not deal with Paul having to teach them about the Lord’s Supper, that they were already aware of when to observe it from previous teaching since they had come together for this purpose. Each week has a first day, and this being the case, we are to partake of this memorial upon the first day of every week. There are no other teachings in the Scriptures that set out any other day or regularity other than upon the first day.

Paul’s Teaching to the Corinthians

In I Corinthians 11, we find that even during the first century the Christians were misusing the Lord’s Supper; confusing it with a common meal. Paul rather severely admonishes them in this regard. In fact, in verse 20, he tells them that “when you meet together, it is not to eat of the Lord’s Supper.” Some were eating and leaving others hungry and others were becoming drunk. This was clearly a misuse of the Lord’s Supper according to the inspired Apostle Paul. Therefore, he issues a strong statement condemning this practice, “What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God, and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you” (I Corinthians 11:22).

After Paul has pointed out their unacceptable practice of using the Lord’s Supper, he then proceeded in the next verses of this chapter to teach them the proper way to observe this memorial supper. First of all, he tells them that he received of the Lord what he has delivered to them. This is so they might not have any question as to where this practice had its origin. This was from the Lord. Here again, Paul relates the institution of the Supper by the Lord. He tells them that after having given thanks, He broke the bread and told them to partake of the bread and eat it in remembrance of Him. Likewise, He took the cup in the same manner, and then told them that as often as they drank of it they were to do this in remembrance of Him. Then in verse 26, He tells them that “as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” To proclaim is to make known publicly. Therefore, we show forth the Lord’s death as we partake of the Lord’s Supper upon the first day of the week. This is not for physical fulfillment but is for spiritual nourishment. How long are we to proclaim the Lord’s death? Paul tells us that it is “until He comes.” Since He has already come one time, this refers to His second coming.

Paul goes on to tell them that it is possible to partake in an unworthy manner and therefore, be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. How would one be found guilty of the body and blood of the Lord? By eating and drinking in an unworthy manner. Examination is to be made by each of us each time we partake of this memorial. We are to guard our thoughts so as to partake of these representative emblems remembering Jesus and His death upon the cross for our sin. Paul in his writing states that many are weak and sickly in this matter, therefore, we today need to give heed so that we will not become such when we partake of the Lord’s Supper.

Christ vs. Satan

After having spent some time in looking at the suffering of Christ and all that He has done for us, we should now ask ourselves what has Satan done for us? First of all, he lied to the first humans, Adam and Eve, in the garden and caused them to be driven from a perfect place to live. He has caused misery, suffering, pain, anguish, heartbreak, and all such bad things to happen to men throughout history. He continues today to try and place stumbling blocks in our pathway to cause us to leave the Way of the Lord. His appeal is based upon lies about happiness, joy, peace and all good things that man is seeking. God, Christ and the Holy Spirit base their appeal to us upon a great love that has been and continues to be manifested toward us daily. In view of the contrast should we not choose to remember Jesus and follow Him?

Some Practical Suggestions

We should guard our minds and the thoughts that enter them in such a way as to allow us to remember Jesus as we partake of the Lord’s Supper. We may have difficulty in controlling what thoughts enter our minds but we can readily control what remains in our meditations.

Either memorize the scriptures pertaining to the observation of the Lord’s Supper and use this as a time to reflect upon them or open your Bible and read from these sections of scripture. Many people have find this to be very beneficial in helping to remember Jesus.

Many very good songs have been written that can be used to help us properly reflect as we observe this feast by thinking about the words and their meanings.

In I Corinthians 10:16, we find that the cup is a sharing in the blood of Christ. From this we find that we do share with Christ as we partake of His Supper. This gives us sufficient motive to be willing to suffer physically or mentally and we signify this each time that we engage in the observation of this supper. How more readily could you and I draw nearer to Jesus than to be given a memorial in which we can remember His suffering and death upon the cross for us. It was out of love for each of us that Jesus was willing to be used as the perfect sacrifice upon the cross, therefore, we today need to remember Him and in so doing we will be drawn to Him. Love is the strongest motive that is possessed by man and to be Christ-like, we are to love. No motive will move us to obedience, service, or worship of God like love. Love is a lasting motivation and will bind us together with those of like faith.

Conclusion

It is our hope and prayer that this short booklet will be of help to some in their weekly observance of partaking of the Lord’s Supper. If this is accomplished then this has been time well spent. Since this study is not presented in great detail, it will be necessary for you to go to the Word of God and meditate upon it to become fully aware of His teachings.

God’s Word will stand the test of time as it will be used to judge man in the last day. The Bible is true and following it will prepare us to meet our Savior.

Paul felt strongly enough to correct those at Corinth when they had begun to observe the Lord’s Supper in an improper manner. We must be careful today that we properly participate in this communion service. The partaking is for each individual Christian. Spiritual strength will be gained by proper observation of the Lord’s Supper. This strength can be used to help us live daily for Jesus. Therefore, we should look forward to communing with the Lord in His Supper on each first day of the week.

Summary

WHEN: Upon the first day of the week (Acts 20:7).

WHERE: Where gathered together (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:20).

HOW: Worthy manner (I Corinthians 11:27).

WHY: To remember Jesus (I Corinthians 11:23ff).

Written by Harold Russwurm

WHY THE PASSOVER EXIST?

The Passover commemorated the night the Israelites were freed from Egypt, read (Exodus 12) for the complete story. However, we know that the last plague has been memorialized in the Bible by the celebration of the Passover.  On the night of the Exodus, the Israelites were required by God to slaughter an unblemished lamb and spread its blood over the doorposts of their houses.  In those houses so marked by the blood, the life of the firstborn was spared.  Henceforth in Israel, the celebration of the Passover meal reminded the people of God’s gracious salvation and deliverance of Israel.  This was the last great plaque on Egypt; in the unmarked homes, the firstborn sons died.  After this horrible disaster, Pharaoh let the Israelites go.

The day of Passover was followed by the seven day Festival of Unleavened Bread.  This too, recalled the Israelites’ quick escape from Egypt when, because they would not have time to let their bread rise, they baked it without leaven (yeast).  All Jewish males over the age of twelve were required to go to Jerusalem for this festival (Deuteronomy 16:5-6).  Jews from all over the Roman Empire would converge on Jerusalem, swelling the population from 50,000 to 250,000 people.

The Jewish leaders plotted secretly to kill Jesus.  They had already decided that Jesus must die  (see John 11:47-53); they just needed the opportunity.  They did not want to attempt to arrest Jesus during the Passover because they feared that the crowd would riot on his behalf.  They feared that such an uprising might bring the wrath of Rome.

We know from our study that the Passover took place on one night and at one meal, but the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which was celebrated with it, continued for a week.  The first day of the feast was technically the day after Passover, but the two were often equated,  Thus, this was either Wednesday night (the day before Passover) or Thursday of Jesus last week (the night of the Passover meal).  The highlight of the festival was the Passover meal, a family feast with the main course of lamb.

Jesus disciples assumed that they would eat the Passover meal together with Jesus.  However, the meal had to be eaten in Jerusalem, so the disciples asked Jesus where they should go in order to make preparations.  Here is how the conversation went,  “¹²On the first day [of the Feast] of Unleavened Bread, when [as was customary] they killed the Passover lamb, [Jesus'] disciples said to Him, Where do You wish us to go [and] prepare the Passover [supper] for You to eat?”  (Mark 14:12 AMP)

Now this is how the “Passover” begins.  Let us celebrate it with great joy and remind all our family and friends to do the same.

We fight to overcome many difficult battles in life and most we lose because we go into
battle unprepared to take on our adversary.  However, our adversary come prepared to win the battle.  He knows that if he is unprepared physically you will beat him with your physical strength. He also knows if he has not condition his mind to win the battle, you will beat him mentally and physically.

And finally he knows that in order for you to win, you must have faith in your God, believing on the name Jesus and that Jesus will see you through to the end because he said in his word that he would never leave or for sake you.  Satin knows all that you know and he is prepared to use your own tools against you if you are not prepared to think on your feet and act quickly to adjust your original battle plans.

Therefore, preparing yourself for the spiritual warfare that is upon you, is the single most important thing you can do today.  In Ephesians 6:12, it says, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”  Now let us consider; If it were only flesh and blood we were fighting against, perhaps the battle would be much easier. However, we are wrestling against unforeseen powers that operate without boundaries or the same rules that we play by.

We know that Satin is an enemy of God.  We know that he is a fallen angel, and he knows the word of God just as well as we do.  We know that Satin is always sitting traps to snare us into them.  We further know that Satin is always prepared to fight and win each battle he enters into.

Therefore knowing these things, what must we do? The very first thing is to make up your
mind that you are going to become a soldier on the battlefield for the Lord.  It is time to stop straddling the fence.  It is time to become obedient and put on the whole amour of God.  It is
time to prepare for the battle by becoming, physical fit, mentally fit, and finally spiritually fit.

Yes, my brethren, you must be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  No longer can you just go alone just to get alone.  The battle has moved into our homes, into our schools, into our churches.  Satin is destroying the family.  The schools have become Satins play ground and the churches his past time.  Satin is all around, enjoying himself and making us all look like clowns.

Now listen to what the Holy word tells us, it says, “Stand therefore, having your lions girt
about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace:  This we must do and do now if we ever expect to win the battle against Satin.  (Ephesians 6:14)” In Jesus name, let us fight a good fight.  Let us prepare ourselves and fight to win.  Remember, as long as you are a part of the process, you are taking a step towards perfection.  When you perfect the steps, you will be successful in the fight.  The battle is not to the strongest are even the swift, but to those who have the patience to endure.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IT MEANS TO BE A SPIRITUAL SLAVE TO SOMETHING?

Romans 7:13-25 (Amplified Bible)

¹³Did that which is good then prove fatal [bringing death] to me? Certainly not! It was sin, working death in me by using this good thing [as a weapon], in order that through the commandment sin might be shown up clearly to be sin, that the extreme malignity and immeasurable sinfulness of sin might plainly appear.

¹⁴We know that the Law is spiritual; but I am a creature of the flesh [carnal, unspiritual], having been sold into slavery under [the control of] sin.

¹⁵For I do not understand my own actions [I am baffled, bewildered]. I do not practice or accomplish what I wish, but I do the very thing that I loathe [^[a]which my moral instinct condemns].

¹⁶Now if I do [habitually] what is contrary to my desire, [that means that] I acknowledge and agree that the Law is good (morally excellent) and that I take sides with it.

¹⁷However, it is no longer I who do the deed, but the sin [principle] which is at home in me and has possession of me.

¹⁸For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot perform it. [I have the intention and urge to do what is right, but no power to carry it out.]

¹⁹For I fail to practice the good deeds I desire to do, but the evil deeds that I do not desire to do are what I am [ever] doing.

²⁰Now if I do what I do not desire to do, it is no longer I doing it [it is not myself that acts], but the sin [principle] which dwells within me [^[b]fixed and operating in my soul].

²¹So I find it to be a law (rule of action of my being) that when I want to do what is right and good, evil is ever present with me and I am subject to its insistent demands.

²²For I endorse and delight in the Law of God in my inmost self [with my new nature].^(A)

²³But I discern in my bodily members [^[c]in the sensitive appetites and wills of the flesh] a different law (rule of action) at war against the law of my mind (my reason) and making me a prisoner to the law of sin that dwells in my bodily organs [^[d]in the sensitive appetites and wills of the flesh].

²⁴O unhappy and pitiable and wretched man that I am! Who will release and deliver me from [the shackles of] this body of death?

²⁵O thank God! [He will!] through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One) our Lord! So then indeed I, of myself with the mind and heart, serve the Law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

OVER COMING YOUR FEARS IN THE MIST OF A CRISIS

When we think about the financial crisis that the world is facing, and then consider our own individual financial situation, no job to meet the family budget, no money to buy gas for the car to go interview for a job, our health is failing and no health insurance to help offset the doctor and medical expenses. Do not have enough money to pay for prescriptions. For those that do have jobs and are bringing in some income, you are faced with the rising cost of higher food prices, continuing rising gas prices, increases in energy cost for heating and cooling your homes.  For some of you, your mortgages are under water, and your income is not rising fast enough to meet the high demand of the rising cost of everything that is demanding more and more of your income.  If that is not enough to disturb our spirits, every time we turn on our televisions sets and no matter what news channel we tune into the only thing we can listen to is about the nuclear melt down of the nuclear power plants in Japan, the wars in the middle east and the budget crises in Washington, D.C. Every day we become more and more fearful of not being able to survive in the land of the free.  A land that is flowering with milk and honey, a land where opportunities are suppose to be plentiful and anything we desire, we should be able to have.  Our minds have become so engulfed with fear, lack and limitation that we are unable to see any more, our blessings that are right in front of our eyes.  We find ourselves complaining about God not caring about us, and how the enemy is trying to destroy us and we have nowhere to turn for help.

As I have read and pondered this scripture, (Psalm 27) [A Psalm of David], I thought of just how much joy and comfort these words had filled my heart, and how I personally have been able to overcome many difficulties, trials and tribulations from understanding what these words were saying to me.  I knew I needed to share them with you, although you might have read them and they have provided some of you with the same understanding and comfort.  However, so many others need to be relieved of their fears and this scripture can be a powerful source of inspiration.

Now may I suggest you take time out from your busy schedule of worrying about the problems of the world that are staring you in the face?  Make yourself comfortable in a quiet and relaxing manner without the noise of the T.V. and your children screaming.  Read and meditate on each word and what it means in your life and your present situation.  The Bible teaches us that we must meditate both day and night.  This is the moment for you to do just that.

[A Psalm] of David.

¹THE LORD is my Light and my Salvation–whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life–of whom shall I be afraid?

²When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

³Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, [even then] in this will I be confident.

⁴One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple.^(A)

⁵For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock.

⁶And now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies round about me; in His tent I will offer sacrifices and shouting of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

⁷Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; have mercy and be gracious to me and answer me!

⁸You have said, Seek My face [inquire for and require My presence as your vital need]. My heart says to You, Your face (Your presence), Lord, will I seek, inquire for, and require [of necessity and on the authority of Your Word].

⁹Hide not Your face from me; turn not Your servant away in anger, You Who have been my help! Cast me not off, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation!

¹⁰Although my father and my mother have forsaken me, yet the Lord will take me up [adopt me as His child].^(B)

¹¹Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain and even path because of my enemies [those who lie in wait for me].

¹²Give me not up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen up against me; they breathe out cruelty and violence.

¹³[What, what would have become of me] had I not believed that I would see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living!

¹⁴Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.