Greek Translation: I John, who also am among you a brother of the same womb (Born Again) and companion in tribulation. In tribulation of being broken, squeezed, crushed with the pressure of a burden upon my spirit in a confined space (Prison). And in the Kingdom of God under all circumstances with endurance towards people. I was in the isle of Patmos, for the Word of God and for the testimony being a witness, certifying and declaring Jesus Christ. Comment: Suffering by the world brings death! Suffering by God has brought men Salvation! John suffered for a testimony of Jesus Christ! Suffering in Christ brings purpose in your life! To live is Christ and to die is gain! We have an interesting story about India. We spent two of our three years there on a remote mountain village named Yercaud in South India. They had an old English church up there that had the graveyard surrounding the church! I explained in a previous post why the British did this. Since I had to walk through the cemetery to get to the front door of the church I noticed some of the grave markers. There were two grave markers of a missionary couple from England that spent their whole life preaching the Gospel in India! But I noticed next to their graves was a little grave marker of a four year old girl. This was their daughter who died of malaria while ministering to the people of India! I wrote there names down and then inquired of the elders of the village if anyone knew about them? An old man in the village told me the story his grandfather told him many years ago. This couple had a powerful ministry bringing hundreds of Hindus and Muslims to Christ! They had been appointed to a three year mission work to India. However after their daughter died there they spent the rest of their lives ministering in India! They decided their daughter’s death would not be in vain! Her sacrifice was not to be wasted! Jesus said, “This do in remembrance of me!” As we take the bread and the cup let us remember he did not let the cup pass from him! A sacrifice was provided to you for your Salvation! Remember him when you are suffering for he has never forgotten you! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Tag: cup
Last Supper 1 Corinthians 11:24-25 (Greek Translation)
Verse 24; “And when Jesus had prayed over the meal and broke and divided the bread He said, “Take eat; this is my human body which is broken for you, this do in remembrance, in recollection, in repetition, to know again and recall of me.” Verse 25; “After the same manner Jesus took the cup after the evening meal and said, “This cup is new which is not impaired by time or use and is a divisor will in my atoning blood and as often as you drink it come to know me again.” Comment: Why do we take Communion? The Lord has instituted it according to His Word! Human nature tends to forget! When we honor someone it is usually in memory of the past. However the Hebrews or the Jews have a very different perception of the word remembrance! The Jews look at the word remembrance as his presence is still with us! At the Seder meal the Jews have an empty chair seated for Elijah! Jesus is with us today! I will never leave you nor forsake you! Remember Jesus has set the Communion Table before you as an invited quest! Your sin required the Table be set! You did not pay anything for the Table or the meal. You were invited even though you were unworthy! Jesus is personally sharing a meal with you! He is present with you! Why would you turn down a meal you did not pay for and did not deserve and made no sacrifice for? This meal purchased your freedom from sin, death and Hell yet you will not partake? His broken body and shed blood remind us that the Cross was very costly to God and His Son for the redemption of your spirit, soul and body! Pastor Oscar Cope, Mount Vernon Baptist Church, Fairburn, Georgia.
Wonderful Councilor! Isaiah 9:6
God chose to make His dwelling place with men! A councilor is one who fixes problems! My dad was my best councilor growing up as an adolescent! He rescued me many times! Kids should learn important lessons in life from their parents! With all those close calls I had growing up God never took His eyes off me! Today many youth are exposed to a flawed view of God! There are four basic views how people view God. 1. God is a troubleshooter! We do not bother Him unless we get in a crisis! 2. God is a distant power! God is not really interested in us. This pro-active disengagement leads to many problems in marriages and home life. 3. God is a grandparent. God wants what I want! God is an ATM machine to give me my every desire! 4. God is Lord and center of my life! God is the source of all wisdom and I submit to His rule over my life! Is God a wonderful councilor to you? Are you busy and distracted by the cares of this life? I will ask God council over every area of my life! We live in cultural chaos! There are competing voices for your life! Slow down! Take time to be Holy! Pay attention to Christ! A sheep only responds to the voice of his shepherd! He will ignore all other voices! Take time to listen to the Master’s voice! People that hear from God wait on Him! John 14:26 The councilor, the Holy Spirit will teach you all things! He will remind you of everything He has taught you in His Word! Jesus was the original home schooler! Teaching requires patience, diligence, and staying with it everyday! Teaching is not a lucrative occupation! Jesus disciples were slow and rebellious! Teaching requires kindness and being intentional! The Holy Spirit teaches us and reminds us of all things! We as a church recite the Nicene Creed because it teaches us and reminds us of very important things! What do good parents do for us from the cradle to the grave? They teach us and remind us! As we take communion this morning Jesus taught us and reminded us to do this in remembrance of Him! God is personal and interested in you! That is why He came to earth! God came from Heaven wrapped in flesh! Fully God and fully man! He told us He would be born of a virgin, die on a Cross, be raised from the dead and ascend back to Heaven! He taught His disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit! The original Passover meals took hours to prepare! It was not fast food! God has taken great preparations for us! All we do is just receive the gift! Christ was broken for you yet His brokenness heals the world! At Passover in Jewish tradition the Messiah’s cup was always displayed meaning one day He would drink with us! At the Passover Jesus took the ceremonial cup and drank from it saying I am the long awaited Messiah! Jesus invites you to His table this morning! Jesus asked the Father if He could take this cup away from Him! Let thy will be done! God’s will was very costly to deliver us from our sin! Drink with Him this morning. He is a wonderful councilor and much more! No one can crash this party because everyone is invited! Source; Excerpt from Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado. His complete messages can be seen on his Podcasts. Go to NewLifeChurch.org