Tried With Fire

This do in remembrance of Me. Luke 22:19 I am never happier than when I am in your midst, my beloved brethren, and we all sit around the table, because I think of all the Lord has done for you and for me. Why, it is not worth while going to heaven alone. A little lost child sits down on the doorstep of a West end mansion and cries because it is so lonely; is that to be our position in heaven? Are we to take no friends there with us? Who wants to be solitary in the New Jerusalem? But oh, to come with all of you to the table, and to look into the faces of all God’s people, and to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is in each one of them! They are a poor lot, full of mistakes, full of errors, full of infirmities, just like their minister, but the Lord has loved them, and bought them with His blood. A precious Christ He is, not only to have saved me but tens of thousands of His saints everywhere, for there are people of His in all churches, even in the churches that are most full of e...

I am continuing my reading of A Brief History of Sunday by Justo Gonzalez. It's quite a page turner and has whet my appetite to read more church history. Here are some of my impressions after reading about the Middle Ages. This is the era that adopted the doctrine of transubstantiation - the Communion bread and cup become the actual physical body and blood of Jesus during the celebration of mass. This belief was widely held and spread via stories of a miraculous transformation before it was formally adopted as church dogma . So "popular piety and experiences in worship moved ahead of theological development." This doctrine changed the tone of mass from a joyous celebration to a "fearsome experience." In R.C. Sproul's lectures on Martin Luther, he described the young Luther as trembling and being barely able to speak when he performed his first mass for fear of mishandling the body and blood of Christ. This belief also changed how communion was served b...

"This do in remembrance of me."—1 Corinthians 11:24 Behold the whole mystery of the sacred Eucharist. It is bread and wine which are lively emblems of the body and blood of Jesus. The power to excite remembrance consists in the appeal thus made to the senses. Here the eye, the hand, the mouth, find joyful work. The bread is tasted, and entering within, works upon the sense of taste, which is one of the most powerful. The wine is sipped—the act is palpable. We know that we are drinking, and thus the senses, which are usually clogs to the soul, become wings to lift the mind in contemplation. Again, much of the influence of this ordinance is found in its simplicity. How beautifully simple the ceremony is—bread broken and wine poured out. There is no calling that thing a chalice, that thing a paten, and that a host. Here is nothing to burden the memory—here is the simple bread and wine. He must have no memory at all who cannot remember that he has eaten bread, and that he has ...

Yesterday's sermon by Pastor Ryan was on Mark 14:12-26, the last supper.  There was much to consider, but this point stood out to me: We receive spiritual nourishment when we partake of the Lord's table. We don't believe in transubstantiation, but we are declaring that our souls need Jesus as our bodies need food. Without Him, we will starve. So I ask myself, how's my appetite? This led me to Jeremiah 2:13 where God confronts his people for forsaking the water of life and making broken cisterns that can hold no water. Do I do this? Yes and probably until the day I'm with the Lord, there will be the temptation to find my sustenance from another source. But I also believe in the sanctifying power of God's grace. He ordains circumstances in our lives to expose the things that would slowly starve us to death. We are awakened to our hunger, and in turn He "satisfies our mouth with good things" (Ps. 103:5 KJV).  Once we've tasted the sweetness of C...

How deep the Father's love for us How vast beyond all measure That He should give His only Son To make a wretch His treasure How great the pain of searing loss The Father turns His face away As wounds which mar the Chosen One Bring many sons to glory Behold the Man upon a cross My sin upon His shoulders Ashamed I hear my mocking voice Call out among the scoffers It was my sin that held Him there Until it was accomplished His dying breath has brought me life I know that it is finished I will not boast in anything No gifts, no power, no wisdom But I will boast in Jesus Christ His death and resurrection Why should I gain from His reward I cannot give an answer But this I know with all my heart His wounds have paid my ransom ~ Stuart Townend It was good to be with the Lord's people today. We sang this modern day hymn before celebrating the Lord's table.

There are days when my head is a little clearer of spiritual fogginess. Those are the days that I would gladly tell the Lord that it doesn't matter what happens to me as long as He is glorified. But sometimes the fog creeps in and I have those moments when I ask, "Why me?" Does this ever happen to you? I woke up with one such moment this morning. Sometimes, I am so weary of my situation being dragged out with no resolution. Sometimes, I get frustrated when it seems that justice has not been served. When it seems as though nothing is happening, I begin to assume that God is doing nothing. It's like spiritual Alzheimer's comes over me and I forget too quickly God's providence, His sovereignty, His provision, His comfort, His promises, and His love. Before I got out of bed, I began to recount God's goodness to me, not only my whole life but especially these last two and a half years. When I remembered His specific faithfulness, I was so ashamed of my shor...