The Lord’s Supper – Holy Communion – The Eucharist
Grace Communion International explains that there is a three-fold meaning of the Lord’s Supper: 1) A reminder of what Jesus did in the past. 2) A symbol of our present relationship with Him. 3) A promise of what He will do in the future.
Then in an article by John Piper, “How and Why we Eat the Lord’s Supper:” he writes: “The Passover is the most sacred feast of the Jewish religious year. It commemorates the final plague on Egypt when the firstborn of the Egyptians died and the Israelites were spared because the blood of a lamb was sprinkled on their doorposts. The lamb was then roasted and eaten with unleavened bread. God commanded that throughout the generations to come this feast is to be celebrated. (Exodus 12) During the Last Supper – a Passover celebration – Jesus took a loaf of bread and gave thanks to God. As He broke it and gave it to His disciples, He said: “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22: 19-21.) They concluded the feast by singing a hymn (Matthew 26:30) while going out into the night to the Mount of Olives. It was there that Jesus was betrayed, as predicted, by Judas. The following day He was crucified.
It is with all this in mind, that I would like to challenge us, as followers of Christ to take communion . Is it possible that we can take the Lord’s Supper every time we are together as a church community and/or family – at least once a week? Let’s take communion in our Bible classes and and times of worship. Let’s take the Lord’s Supper when we meet for our small group times. Let’s focus on Jesus’ commandment to “Do this in remembrance of me.” We often take the Lord’s supper lightly – something to get over with. But it is a precious gift that Christ gave his church. Let’s eat it together anytime we are together during the week…
– By Mendy McClure
Ephesians 1:3-14
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Becoming More Like Christ: Disciplines of Discipleship
Since the word Christian may be defined as meaning “like Christ,” one way of summarizing the challenge of the Christian life is to say we must “become like Christ.” If a Christian is defined as one who is like Christ, the goal of every serious Christian is to become like Jesus. The disciple becomes like the Teacher. Jesus said that it is enough for the disciple to become like the master (Luke 6:40). What does it mean that we are being transformed into his image? (2 Cor. 3:16-18) What does it mean to be conformed to the image of Christ? (Rom. 8:29) What do we look like when Christ is formed in us? (Gal. 4:19) Many explanations have been given, but one of the simplest responses is that we imitate him.
Carrying a cross requires discipline. Jesus taught his disciples about the necessity of counting the cost and taking up their crosses. By example, Jesus taught us the necessity of discipline in his forty days in the desert, in his commitment of the early morning hours to prayer, and ultimately by fulfilling the will of the Father on the cross. Fasting and prayer focused his life on God. In temptation, he found strength in the word of God. Fasting was not so much the source of temptation (a conclusion we may tend to draw in our contemporary world) as it was the strength for overcoming temptation. Extended nights and early mornings of prayer and solitude powered his marketplace ministry as he sought to serve and not to be served. The fortitude to face the cross was fashioned in Gethsemane prayer.
Many who have confessed Christ want to take up their cross and follow him, but do not know the first thing about the practical disciplines of discipleship. The center of discipleship is Christ-likeness. Disciples become like Jesus. Spiritual disciplines understood and incorporated into the life a Christian will help move the new Christian, and the tired Christian, back to a life centered on Christ. Typical lists of spiritual disciplines can be quite long, but let me encourage you to begin by identifying a limited number of projects, activities, and exercises that you can incorporate into your Christian walk. Incorporate those spiritual disciplines that have life-changing power into the rhythms of your daily life.
As the New Year begins, a short list of spiritual disciplines might include a weekly (at a minimum) time of Bible reading, prayer, solitary meditation, shared discussion with a spouse, family or other Christians, private worship, and a service project. One might develop a spiritual rhythm wherein these six areas are rotated Monday through Saturday, with Sunday devoted to assembly and worship with the faith community.
Let us make one of our 2017 goals that we will become more like Jesus!
What Your Past Says About Your Present
My son was working on an art project one day, and I walked over to look at his progress. “Hey, Buddy, don’t push down so hard with your pencil. Remember what your mom told you? You’ll end up with ghost lines.” He sighed. “I know.” Picking up his eraser, he scratched furiously at the lines. But they were still there. Gabe learned that when you are drawing in pencil, it is important to sketch lightly because if you need to erase something, you won’t have ghost lines. But if you push down when you draw, no matter how hard you try to erase it, there will be a faint line showing what was once there.
“My life is filled with ghost lines.”
My life is filled with ghost lines. Most days, when I glance at the portrait of my life, I don’t notice them. But sometimes I am forced to step in close, like when something triggers a memory. Many of these memories, though redeemed through Christ’s work in my life, still reveal ghost lines scratched onto the canvas of my life. In fact, the closer I look, the more lines I see. Times when I’ve been rejected by friends. Losses I’ve experienced. Sins I’ve committed. People I’ve hurt and people who have hurt me. Dreams that have been dashed. Wrong paths I’ve taken. And I’m not alone. We all have ghost lines on our canvases. Things from our past that we’ve done, things that were done to us, hard things we’ve experienced — all etched into our memories. Time marches on, and the lines fade, but they’re still there. There may have been redemption, forgiveness, rescue, healing, and new life, but the evidence remains of what once was. For those whose lines run deep, pressed deep into the fabric of our stories, it’s a constant battle to fight for joy in the present because we still feel the pain of the past. So how do we live with lines like these? How do we look at the beauty of the portrait God is painting, without being distracted by those glaring ghost lines?
Our lines are part of what it means to live in the “already / not yet” of God’s redemptive story. We’ve already been freed from the power of sin, yet the presence of sin still remains. We are already saved citizens of heaven, yet we still live in a sin-stained world. The war has already been won, but there are still battles left to be fought. We have forgiven others who have wronged us, but painful, unwanted memories still linger. This is why we cry, “How long, O Lord!” and, “Maranatha! Come quickly!” Even perfected martyrs in heaven ask when their blood will be avenged (Revelation 6:10). The earth itself groans in anticipation as it waits for the day when redemption and restoration will be fully and finally complete (Romans 8:22–23).
While I wait and live with my ghost lines, I take great hope as I remember that my Savior has lines of his own. They mark the places on his hands, feet, and side where he bore the punishment for our sins, our failures, our regrets. These marks are carved into his resurrection body, the human body he took into heaven, the body we will one day see face to face. He has chosen for all eternity to live with these scars, ghost lines of his love, mercy, and grace.
Ghost lines tell stories. And one important story they tell is that things in my life have changed. The shadows of lines from my past remind me of how far my Lord has brought me. The fact that they are only shadows shows me that he is in the process of redeeming all things, even the hardest, most painful things. They also remind me that he has been with me all along. They are marks of his glory and grace, tracing for me the ways he has carried me, saved me, rescued me, and forgiven me. Like Paul, I can look back at the stories these lines tell and see how Christ has been my strength in weakness. I can show my canvas to others, point out the lines, and boast in what he has done.
My ghost lines also reveal to me that God is an Artist, intimately involved in the masterpiece of my life, creating something amazing, despite my childlike scrawls and scratches. As I watch it take shape over the years, I can see a transformation taking place. I cling to the promise that “he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). On that day, we will all stand in the galleries of heaven and see all of God’s finished work. What a thrill that will be! The portraits will all be complete. They will be perfect, no longer marred by sin and shame, and we will celebrate forever what the Master Artist has made.
– By Graham Clifford
New Year – New Creation
There is something refreshing about the month of January, specifically the date of Jan. 1. The New Year is like a built-in do-over that we get to enjoy annually. It’s also a fitting analogy for the spiritual life in that one of God’s favorite things to do is make things new. The book of 2 Corinthians was a letter written by the apostle Paul to a group of believers in the thriving metropolis of Corinth. The city of Corinth, however, had gained a reputation for widespread immorality. In fact, if people wanted to speak ill of someone they might say, “You Corinthian!” It’s against this backdrop that Paul sought to encourage believers to live out the gospel message. One verse in particular, perhaps to encourage the Corinthian believers that they no longer needed to live in the corrupt atmosphere of their city, speaks about living a new life.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Cor. 5:17, NIV).
This verse starts with the word “Therefore.” Believe it or not, the word “therefore” is one of the most powerful words in Scripture. It’s a clue that the information that’s about to be shared is based on the information that was just shared. To best understand the information about to be shared (and experience all the power it can unleash), we need to understand what came before it. So, take a couple minutes to read the verses that come before 2 Corinthians 5:17 (2 Cor. 5:11-16).
Then he says, “If anyone is in Christ…” The key word here is “in. “ When we say yes to Jesus, we are doing more than acknowledging His existence. We are embracing His message and accepting the sacrifice He made for us. We are not simply bringing Jesus into our world. We are jumping into His. Have you said yes to Jesus? Which best describes your relationship with Jesus: Him in parts of your world or you in His?
Paul then says “The new creation has come…” Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3 that belief in Him is so transforming that it is best described as being born again. Our entire existence gets a new start.
The verse then ends with “The old has gone and the new is here.” We are born with things that are opposite of Jesus, things that are part of our sinful nature. When we say yes to Jesus, these things no longer define us. They are gone. However, sometimes they don’t know they’re gone, and they try to creep back into our lives. So take a minute and throw a farewell party for these things: Write down the things that nag you that are part of your sinful nature. Then listen to your favorite break-up song and consider these things gone. Because the new is here! Let the celebration begin! Have your own New Year’s party! Create something that expresses this idea that you are a new creation: Draw it, write it, compose it, get crafty with it, build it. Then send it, snap it, post it, tweet it.
Use the first month of the year to build momentum on the truth that you are a new creation. Put whatever you created in the previous exercise (in celebration that the new is here!) in a prominent place of your daily routine so you constantly are reminded that you are a new creation.
– Graham Clifford