Miracles

Posted on by korgrocker

“He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.”
1 Corinthians 12:10-11 NLT

The Bible is full of miracles. And there is no reason that I can find as to why God would have stopped doing them in 21st-century Planet Earth. Of course, there are some Christians who claim that the Gifts of the Holy Spirit died out with the Apostles and never happen today, but the facts do not support such a view. Often today, a miracle, such as in my own testimony, is associated with a medical condition. At other times, a series of “coincidences” seems to point to a miracle granted from God. To take an example, a neighbour of mine, driving a large camper van, had a heart attack on a motorway in Scotland. His wife, from the passenger seat, was able to bring the vehicle to a stop in the middle lane on the highway, with traffic backing up behind them. There was then a series of “coincidences”. Several vehicles behind them was a paramedic going on holiday. Behind him was a bus that happened to have a defibrillator on board. The paramedic managed to restart my neighbour’s heart, and minutes later an air ambulance landed close by. A miracle? My neighbour thought so. The sceptic might dismiss such a series of circumstances attribured to God, and, with an isolated example, they might be right, but when examples such as this stack up, a wise person might start to wonder.

In the Bible, we read about Jesus and the many miracles He performed. The first recorded miracle was in John 2, at the wedding in Cana, when Jesus turned water into wine. We read, “Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions” (John 2:6-8). As if this weren’t miraculous enough, we then read in the following two verses, “When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!”” 

There was also an occasion when the Pharisees asked Jesus for a miracle to prove His authority. We read in Matthew 12:38, “One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority””. But Jesus was having none of their hubris, as we read in the next verse. Going back to Exodus, we find the Israelite slaves seeing one miracle after another, but they still rebelled against God. The parting of the Red Sea. Manna to feed them, not just once but for forty years. The pillars of fire and smoke. Water from a rock. What did God have to do to get through to such a stubborn and rebellious people? But this is the thing about miracles. They may lead a person to faith for a short time, but such a faith based on miracles will not last. There were plenty of Jesus’ miracles for the Pharisees to consider. He healed the sick, and He raised the dead. He fed five thousand men and their families. Jesus even walked on water, and the Pharisees were present for most of these. But even when presented by the miracle that took place in a synagogue, they still didn’t get it. In Luke 6 we find the occasion when Jesus healed a man right in front of the Pharisees and teachers of religious law. We read, “On another Sabbath day, a man with a deformed right hand was in the synagogue while Jesus was teaching. The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees watched Jesus closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath” (Luke 6:6-7). After Jesus healed the man, we read, “At this, the enemies of Jesus were wild with rage and began to discuss what to do with him” (Luke 6:11). The Jewish leaders failed to be convinced of Jesus’ pedigree and authority even when faced with a miracle.

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think”

Ephesians 3:20

Through the Holy Spirit, the Gift of Miracles is granted to believers to benefit the “common good”. And if we pilgrims lack the faith to pray, expecting a miracle, we must turn to Ephesians 3:20, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think”. What does “infinitely more” look like? Ask Jesus. He knows.

Dear Lord Jesus. You performed many miracles in Israel during your time on this world. And through Your Spirit, there is more to come. We pray for the faith to do Your will. In Your precious name. Amen.

Faith and Healing

Posted on by korgrocker

“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. … to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,”
1 Corinthians 12:7, 9 NIVUK
“to another [wonder-working] faith [is given] by the same [Holy] Spirit, and to another the [extraordinary] gifts of healings by the one Spirit;”
1 Corinthians 12:9 AMP

“Wonder-working” and “extraordinary” are words the Amplified translation uses to enhance the meaning of the gifts of faith and healing. Paul didn’t elaborate on what the gift of faith is or how it would benefit the brothers and sisters in Christ, but all believers have faith that they have been saved through Jesus. But the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith is more than that. According to “gotquestions.org”,  “The gift of faith may be defined as the special gift whereby the Spirit provides Christians with extraordinary confidence in God’s promises, power, and presence so they can take heroic stands for the future of God’s work in the church. The spiritual gift of faith is exhibited by one with a strong and unshakeable confidence in God, His Word, and His promises”. Biblical examples of faith can be found in Hebrews 11, the great faith chapter. We read about the faith of Noah in verse 7, “It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith”. Noah’s faith was definitely God-given, because how else would he have laboured for a hundred years or so building a large boat on dry land in a place that had never experienced rainfall before? He had to endure the ridicule of a people who probably labelled him “that crazy man” or something worse. Because of his faith, and we remember that he didn’t have to do what he did because he had a free choice, the human race was saved from extinction along with the animals that God provided for him. 

“And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith”.

Genesis 15:6.

Another example quoted in Hebrews 11 is Abraham. Imagine being told in your nineties that you would have a child? And we read in Genesis 15:6, “And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith”. But in a sense, we believers help our fellow Christians through our faith, that quiet confidence that God is who He said He is, and that He will bring to pass all that He has promised. Our fellow pilgrims sometimes go through a difficult patch, and it is our faith that will help sustain them through times of trouble. 

Paul also wrote about another spiritual gift, “and to another the [extraordinary] gifts of healings by the one Spirit”. In theological terms, this is tagged as a miraculous gift, something “extraordinary” that is far beyond what is expected or even deemed possible. I have a personal experience of this with my daughter, who some years ago suffered from encephalitis so severe that the prognosis was the worst possible. And yet, she was miraculously healed, and the word “miracle” was appended to her hospital notes at the time by the medics involved in her care. There are many Christians who sadly believe that the spiritual gift of healing died out with the First Century Apostles, but that is not my experience and the experience of many others in the faith. There are, of course, Biblical examples of miraculous healings, and the case of the lame man begging at the Temple gates comes to mind. He was a man who had never been able to walk and who had to be carried to the temple each day so that he could beg for sufficient money to keep himself alive. He asked Peter and John for alms as they entered the Gate, as we read Peter’s response and what happened then in Acts 3:6-7: “But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened”. 

Today, our medics, through technology and new drugs and medicines, can perform healings that would have been considered miraculous in Paul’s day. We thank God for the resources we have that bring about healings from all sorts of conditions. But there is still room for God to perform miracles of healing, and He does frequently. There is always the enigma of why God doesn’t heal everyone who asks Him in prayer, but we must always leave room for miracles in the lives of our fellow believers. Paul himself had an unknown condition that he referred to as a “thorn in his flesh”. We read about in in 2 Corinthians 12:7b-9, “ … So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me”. And then we have a little passing comment in 2 Timothy 4:20, “Erastus stayed at Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick at Miletus”. Surely Paul must have prayed for the man called Trophimus, obviously to no avail.

“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”

Apostle Paul

We pilgrims continue in our journey, always praying for a miraculous healing when we encounter a brother and sister in need. And if the opportunity arises, we should pray for everyone in need of healing, because, for all we know, we might meet someone whom God wants to touch in that moment.

Dear Heavenly Father. We thank You for the times when You have healed our sicknesses and diseases, and we are so sorry for the times when we have failed to thank You and acknowledge Your grace. But in those times when our prayers have not been answered in the way that we would like, we nevertheless still praise and worship You because of who You are. Amen.

Wise Advice

Posted on by korgrocker

“A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.”
1 Corinthians 12:7-8 NLT
“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,”
1 Corinthians 12:7-8 NIVUK

Paul starts to list the spiritual gifts that are given to believers through the Holy Spirit. We know that every believer has at least one gift, and the first on Paul’s list is the gift of wisdom, or wise advice. The New Living Translation effectively conveys the idea that the gift of wisdom is not for personal use, but rather to be used to help others. We know, of course, from 1 Corinthians 12:7, that spiritual gifts are given “for the common good” or to “help each other”. In the next verse, two spiritual gifts are mentioned – the gift of wisdom and the gift of knowledge, but what are “wisdom” and “knowledge” in the context of being a Holy Spirit gift? 

There was a man in the Old Testament who God blessed with wisdom. He was David’s son, Solomon, and we read in 1 Kings 3:5, 9, “At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, ‘Ask for whatever you want me to give you.’ … So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” Solomon had the opportunity to ask God for something to help him be king of Israel, and he requested that God give him “a discerning heart”. The rest of 1 Kings 3 gives the account of how Solomon used his gift of discernment or wisdom in the case of a dispute of parenthood by two prostitutes over a baby boy. Solomon gave a wise verdict, and we can read the impact that he had on the nation of Israel in the last verse of this chapter, “When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice”. 

Some believers get concerned over these spiritual gifts because they fear that they are being used to provide direction that exceeds the Bible’s or God’s authority. They fear that the revelation being supplied by another person, perhaps during the delivery of a prophetic word, will not be in accordance with God’s will and will contradict what the Bible actually says. But we know, almost intuitively, that the Holy Spirit will never supply such erroneous revelation. The devil might, but not the Holy Spirit. We know that directional messages from one believer to another should always be confirmed in other ways. For instance, a word of wisdom to a believer might be to give up some sinful practice even though there is nothing specific in the Bible that says so. This wisdom will immediately resonate with the believer, and will give direction for the next phase in the person’s life. Regarding a word of knowledge, this was something that Jesus used in His conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus said to her, “ …  ‘Go, call your husband and come back.’ ‘I have no husband,’ she replied. Jesus said to her, ‘You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.’” (John 4:16-18). Jesus had never met the woman before, and He did not have access to her social security records, so how else would He have known without revelation from the Holy Spirit? In this case, the word of knowledge was part of a process that resulted in salvation for a Samaritan town. 

We must note that these two gifts, wisdom and knowledge, are given for the edification, the building up, of the church. They will not bring confusion or conflict. They will not be at variance with the Word of God. Instead, they will reveal God’s truth in a way that another believer can understand and apply in their own lives. But we cannot just leave it there because to do so would limit God’s will and ability to bless His children. It would lock all believers into a strict Biblical worldview, but would fail to provide what God wants for the world of today. The gifts of wisdom and knowledge will take what the Bible says and apply it topically to believers in our society, relating to very different situations. There was nothing in Scripture that would have helped Solomon with his judgment in the case of the two women contesting the ownership of the baby. The Bible does not contain any personal information about the woman who had been married five times. However, through the power of the Holy Spirit, a revelation emerged in each case that unlocked a situation, allowing biblical truths to prevail in people’s lives. 

Wisdom and knowledge. Revelatory gifts from God for building us all up. We seek God for these gifts and the opportunity to use them to edify His people.

Father God. Thank You for Your Spirit, so freely given to us. We pray for a fresh infilling today, to resource us for the day ahead. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

The Same Differences

Posted on by korgrocker

“A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.”
1 Corinthians 12:7-8 NLT

Over the following few verses, one particular feature stands out – the words “the same Spirit” are repeated several times. There is only one Holy Spirit, who is not split into individual parts for each believer. We know that the Godhead includes three Persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. But the Holy Spirit graciously provides spiritual gifts for followers of Christ, and for one purpose, so that they “can help each other”. God is in a unique position, as He knows every person’s heart, their thoughts, their needs and deeds, and everything else about them. So in His grace and loving kindness, He has given gifts to His children so that they can help each other, and these gifts come through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. 

Every human being needs help at some point in their life, some more often than others. Many of our basic needs are met by the society in which we Westerners live, with social security resources available for the needy. However, the state lacks the ability or even the desire to provide for a person’s spiritual needs, and for most, such needs are crucial to their well-being. But God, through His grace, has provided a way. 

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other”

John 13:34.

If we examine verse 7 from another perspective, we can see that God has given us spiritual gifts so that those believers around us who are in need can be helped. And as we look around our churches and fellowships, we find that this is indeed the case. From time to time, we all need support from each other, and in many cases, it is a spiritual gift being exercised by one of our believing friends that makes the difference. Sadly, many Christians live a closed life. When asked how they are, the response “fine” is the norm. But Jesus said, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other” (John 13:34). There is a responsibility for us to love our brothers and sisters, but they, too, have a responsibility to allow others to love them, and then love them in return. In our churches and fellowships, there are those who go about their daily lives hurting and sick, but instead of seeking the place where they can experience love and grace through others, they stay away from church until their problems are resolved. 

Paul made it clear to the Corinthians that each of them had at least one spiritual gift, and that gift was given to them by the same Spirit. This may have been to correct a notion that some of the believers there were “spiritual” but others were not. Paul also emphasised that the gift provided was not for the person’s benefit, but for the benefit of others, for the “common good” as some translations say. Today, we believers must ask God for clarity about the spiritual gift that He has provided for us. We, of course, pray about it, but it is also helpful to ask others what our gift is, because they may have a more objective view of us. But in it all, we must relax with the assurance that the Holy Spirit is at work in each of us and He will bring about what He intends for us. We look to our fellow believers in love and transparency, and remain open to the work of the Holy Spirit, who builds us up and guides us in His ways.

Dear Father. Thank You for the gifts that You have given us. Please help us to use them for Your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Differences

Posted on by korgrocker

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.”
1 Corinthians 12:4-6 NIVUK

In Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost, he mentioned a gift received by all believers in Jesus – the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). Previously, Jesus had encouraged His disciples when He said that He would send them an Advocate, the Holy Spirit.

“If you love me, obey my commandments.“

John 14:15.

John 14:15-17, “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognise him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you”. Jesus was faithful to His word, and we all know the Acts 2 story – “And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability” (Acts 2:4). This wasn’t an occasion without drama and impact! But my point this morning is that all Christians receive the Holy Spirit when they make Jesus Lord of their lives through the repentance of their sins. There are not many different types of Holy Spirit, one for each person, because there is only one. This is how Paul began his teaching to the Corinthians about the gifts of the Holy Spirit: many gifts, but one Holy Spirit. In the days ahead, we will explore what these different spiritual gifts are. 

“All Christians receive the Holy Spirit when they make Jesus Lord of their lives”

Paul continues with the thought that “There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord” (1 Corinthians 12:5). In other Bible translations, the word “services” is replaced by “ministries”, but even though there are differences between ministries, there is only one Lord commissioning them. So, in our churches, we have the pastors and teachers, the evangelists and so on, with each person, or even several people, performing the same function. But these are the headline roles, and the ones that people think of when the word “ministry” surfaces in conversations. We forget about the other equally important roles that are present in a church or community. The people who maintain the building, cleaning and decorating, repairing and maintaining, are equally important. A bit further down in 1 Corinthians 12, Paul equates a fellowship of believers with a human body, as we read, “Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body” (1 Corinthians 12:14-15). Just as all our body parts have a particular “ministry”, so does the body of Christ as a whole. 

Paul concludes the three verses we are considering today with, “There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work”. We have gifts, ministries, and different ways of doing things, but in everything it is God who is at work in them all. But if we stop and think, aren’t we all glad that each person is unique? What if God had created a race of human clones, each identical in looks and abilities? Where would the variety of gifts and ministries then be found? God created each one of us just as He planned, and after our creation, He broke the mould, so that there would never be another you and me. Yes, we may have character traits inherited from our parents. But they uniquely combine to make us who we are.

The differences between believers enrich the Body of Christ in all its facets and functions, and we should be content with how God has made us. We must never spend our time fretting because we are looking at someone else, wishing that we had their gift or ministry. Our function instead is to be faithful with the gifts God has given us, so that one day we will hear those wonderful words, “Well done, good and faithful servant”. 

Dear Father God. Thank You for making us just as we are, with all the gifts and ministries that You want us to have. Please help us to be content and continue in our Christian lives, as we become more and more like your Son, Jesus. In His precious name. Amen. 

Jesus is Lord

Posted on by korgrocker

“Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this. You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshipping speechless idols. So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.”
1 Corinthians 12:1-3 NLT

With the turning of the page away from issues around the Lord’s Supper, Paul now starts to answer another question from the Corinthians. It’s a shame we no longer have access to the letter the Corinthians must have sent to Paul, a letter that obviously contained a series of questions. The question Paul is now addressing concerns spiritual gifts, and as we read down this chapter, we are so glad that the believers in Corinth provided us with the means to understand more about the Holy Spirit. The NIV translation for verse 1 reads, “Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed”. It is probable that the Corinthian question sought more information about the Gifts of the Spirit, a topic that has sparked discussion and debate ever since. Perhaps there were some manifestations of the Gifts in the Corinthian church that were causing confusion, so Paul acted to set things right. 

Paul continued in the next verse to remind the believers about their previous pagan tendencies, as they were “swept along in worshipping speechless idols”. But it was all different now, and they had accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, bringing with it a lifestyle change that was cataclysmic in its impact, both at the time and for all eternity. But in verse 3, we find something puzzling. Who in the Corinthian church would ever want to curse Jesus? Was there someone there who, under the apparent influence of the Holy Spirit, was doing such a thing? We can only explore potential scenarios because Paul didn’t supply any more information. Perhaps there were some religious Jews who denied the fact that Jesus was the Messiah, and who gatecrashed one of the meetings and said such a thing.

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us”

Galatians 3:13.

Then there is Galatians 3:13, which reads, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole’”. Perhaps there was some confusion about this verse, which the Corinthians would know about from Deuteronomy 21:23. But in the sense that Paul was writing about, it looks as though he had to correct something that was going on.

Paul wrote, “No one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit”. We know, of course, that once someone has declared their faith and belief in Jesus, accepting His atoning death, they receive the Holy Spirit. Peter said in his Pentecost sermon, “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). The gift of the Holy Spirit does not necessarily follow baptism, as we read in Acts 10:44, 47, “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. … ‘Surely no-one can stand in the way of their being baptised with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have’”. But we know that all believers have received the Holy Spirit, and through Him they have one or more gifts. Note that each believer has at least one gift. 

“Jesus is Lord” can only be said by believers who have the Holy Spirit within them. By saying this, a person declares that Jesus was who He said He was: the Messiah, the Son of God, and the second member of the Trinitarian Godhead. Anyone who does not have the Holy Spirit within them, that is, an unbeliever, cannot say this, understanding what it really means. The idea is that someone who says “Jesus is Lord” sincerely expresses their belief. Nobody can say that—in truth and sincerity—unless they do so in the power of the Holy Spirit. 

We pilgrims are Spirit-filled believers, and we can testify to changed lives. Through the Holy Spirit, we have a changed worldview because we have transitioned from the kingdom of the world into the Kingdom of God. As God’s children, we now see what is around us from a spiritual perspective, and we can even become strangely detached from the mayhem that has been caused by sin and evil. We do not escape the problems of living in this world, of course, but we know that it is only for a short time, because one day we will be in Heaven with Jesus. There, we will never stop saying “Jesus is Lord” because that is who He is.

Dear Lord. Thank You for saving us from the consequences of our sins. We declare Your Lordship over all that we do this day and every day. Amen.

Eating and Drinking

Posted on by korgrocker

“So, my dear brothers and sisters, when you gather for the Lord’s Supper, wait for each other. If you are really hungry, eat at home so you won’t bring judgment upon yourselves when you meet together. I’ll give you instructions about the other matters after I arrive.”
1 Corinthians 11:33-34 NLT

Eating and drinking are two activities necessary to sustain human life. Without consuming water, a human being will die after a few days. A lack of food will cause a person’s body to extract the nutrients it needs from its own tissues, but there comes a point when those reserves run out. Both of these thoughts are rather gruesome but well-known by anyone living in certain deprived countries. Here in the privileged West, we open the fridge door or turn on a tap, and we find our basic needs are met. In the Corinthian church, what started as an introduction to the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper turned into a one-sided fellowship meal, where each family brought its own food and proceeded to eat it in front of those who had nothing—no sense of unity, no sense of sharing and preferring one another in the true Christian way. So, Paul brought in a chapter of correction, teaching the right way to share the Lord’s Supper and pointing out their errors. Paul finished this chapter with “I’ll give you instructions about the other matters after I arrive”, indicating that there must have been other issues connected to the Lord’s Supper, but not important enough to include in his letter. How could the Corinthians have got things so wrong? Thankfully, Paul was on hand to bring in the correction needed. 

But there is also a need for spiritual food and drink, and the same principles apply. Our souls need to be fed, and if deprived of spiritual food, they will wither and die. What is this food? We find it in the Bible, which is a treasure trove of unlimited spiritual resources. We find more through prayer and worship. Through fellowship with other believers. In fact, we feed our souls by spending time in God’s Kingdom. The early Israelites were fed for forty years with a constant supply of manna. This was a superfood containing all the nutrients necessary for human life. But there is a manna that came through Jesus and which is still with us today. It is available in unlimited quantities and is free for all to eat. If we read John 6:35, we find out the Source of this soul-superfood, “Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty”. Jesus continued, “Yes, I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh”. This was teaching that most of the people of His day failed to understand, because Jesus wasn’t talking about cannibalism, but about Him being spiritual food for those who believe in Him. Earlier in John 6, we read about the feeding of the five thousand, about how a young boy’s packed lunch of five barley loaves and two fish was multiplied to not only feed everyone but to ensure that they were full (John 6:12). Such was the magnitude of this miracle that the people wanted to make Jesus King. They understood the physical benefit of a miraculous food supply, but they failed to realise that Jesus was showing them the spiritual meaning, that His supply of bread was unlimited, and by eating it, their souls would become full.

There are many people today who are going about their daily lives depressed and without hope. Their souls are running on empty, and they have no resources that will feed them. They wake up in the morning, perhaps hoping that their circumstances will change in the day ahead, but return to their beds in the evening still unfulfilled. These are the people we pilgrims must introduce to Jesus. We are like the four lepers we can read about in 2 Kings 7. These lepers were starving, as were the Israelites, because of the Aramean siege of Samaria. They decided to visit the enemy camp to see if they could find mercy there and perhaps a crust or two of bread. But when they arrived, they found an empty camp and a plentiful supply of food and wine. After gorging themselves, we read in 2 Kings 7:9, “Finally, they said to each other, “This is not right. This is a day of good news, and we aren’t sharing it with anyone! If we wait until morning, some calamity will certainly fall upon us. Come on, let’s go back and tell the people at the palace””. As we pilgrims enter our day, we must remember that we have found “good news”and our souls have been filled by God’s spiritual manna. We must find an opportunity to tell the people around us where they, too, can find the food they need to nourish their souls. 

Dear Father God. We must never keep the Good News about Jesus to ourselves. Please fill us today with a fresh supply of Your Spirit, so that we can be equipped to share the hope that we have with the hopeless. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Judgment

Posted on by korgrocker

“For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and ill, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.”
1 Corinthians 11:29-32 NIVUK

In a previous blog, we considered what it means to discern “the body of Christ”. We continue to read today about what will happen to those who fail to “discern” what is really happening in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Reading between the lines of what went on in the Corinthians’ service of Communion, it must have been a bit of a riot compared with our sombre services today. They were apparently turning it into a drunken party, with those with the means to supply their own food and drink having a good time, and those without forced to sit on the sidelines and watch. And in some way, they considered that they were sharing in the Lord’s Supper by doing this. But before we condemn them and take the moral high ground, we must confess that some of us might be doing something equally dishonouring in our own thoughts. 

There were consequences to the Corinthians’ behaviour, and Paul made the association between those who shared the Communion in a way that dishonoured Christ and those who were suffering from illness or weakness, and even those who had died. How could that have happened? There is only one explanation, and that is God has brought weakness, illness, and even death to them as discipline for their failure to observe Communion with proper respect for Christ’s sacrifice and for each other. This could be a stumbling block for Christians who think God is a God of love, grace, and forgiveness and would never do such a thing. But God does discipline His children, “because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son“ (Hebrews 12:6). Comparing with the discipline meted out by human fathers, we read, “They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:10-11).

So, we pilgrims must approach the Lord’s Table in a way that honours Him. Paul wrote, “But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment”. We must judge ourselves first with sincerity. In other words, we must be brutally honest with ourselves before joining in the Lord’s Supper, and we must change our attitudes toward Christ’s death and all those He died for. Then we will not have to worry about God’s judgment afterwards.

But a word for all those anxious in these circumstances, and who fear for their salvation, Paul wrote, “Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world” (1 Corinthians 11:32). When God disciplines us, it does not mean that He has rejected us and slammed the gates of Heaven in our faces. He still loves us and wants us to spend eternity with Him. 

Dear Father God. We are so sorry for the times when we have taken the emblems of Holy Communion in an unworthy manner. We pray for forgiveness and for the Holy Spirit to help us remember You the next time we have the opportunity to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Discerning Christ

Posted on by korgrocker

“So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and ill, and a number of you have fallen asleep.”
1 Corinthians 11:27-30 NIVUK

We continue this morning to consider what the Communion service, the Lord’s Supper, really means. We know that a few moments are allowed before we take the emblems, and in these times of reflection, we confess our sins and do what we can to get right with God, even making promises to ourselves to go and put things right after the service. But what does it mean to discern the Body of Christ? Paul wrote, “So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord”. We cannot ever make the mistake of being “unworthy” at a time like this, because of the solemnity of what it means. I’m sure, however, that we pilgrims would never want to be guilty of this, but we know our feeble capabilities. The pressures of life, and perhaps what we saw on television the night before, will crowd into our thought processes, causing us much distress. Paul eloquently described the problem in Romans 7:21, “So I find this law at work: although I want to do good, evil is right there with me”. Above all, we would never want to dishonour Jesus, who went through hell so that we wouldn’t have to. 

With the emblems before us, we should perhaps pause for a moment to consider that the bread on the plate isn’t the product of a baker at all, but the body of Jesus. In this respect, perhaps the Anglicans have got it right by never leaving even a crumb behind after the service. In the same way, the communion “wine”, whatever it is, must be totally consumed, and even the goblet used must be rinsed out and wiped clean. Anglicans do this in reverence to Christ because, through the solemnity of sharing the bread and wine, the emblems are made sacred. Sadly, so many churches will throw the unused elements away, disposing of them in the trash can or by pouring them down the sink. But how many congregants really make the connection between the elements and the body and blood of Jesus? God has blessed us pilgrims with an imagination, something that has become anointed by the Holy Spirit and is being sanctified by His presence. We must remember that although the body and blood, in the form of bread and wine, might be partaken of during a meal, they are entirely separate from it. 

In 1 Corinthians 11:26, we read, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes”. In the process of sharing in the Communion, we are “proclaiming” the Lord’s death. In other words, through sharing in this ceremonial meal, we are acknowledging that Jesus gave His body and shed His blood for our benefit, for the salvation of all who believe in Him. And we will keep on proclaiming this momentous event until one of two things happens – either we die or Jesus returns, ushering in His new Kingdom. Jesus said, “I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26:29). Then there will be that marvellous occasion we refer to as the marriage feast of the Lamb (Revelation 19). 

But there is something else about “proclaiming” the Lord’s death. What else should we be proclaiming? We can’t just be obedient in this one thing without being obedient to many others as well. Are we loving our spouses? Are we sharing the Gospel? There is a long list of “Are we’s”, providing a sobering reality to what it means to be a Christian. Thankfully, God is patient and kind, and doesn’t expect an instant transition from an unbeliever to a fully fledged believer overnight. We enter into a process called sanctification, as we are being made holy to be more like Jesus.

Another reason for the Communion service is to declare the unity among believers. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf”. In other words, we must see Christ in our fellow Christians and treat them as we would treat Jesus when we come together.

If we bring God’s spotlight into our souls, looking at who we are through His eyes, what will we see? This is an easy question to answer, because through Jesus, we will see a righteous and holy child of God. Through our repentance, the blackness of sin has been left at the Cross. But we must never become complacent, and we must value the Communion service to provide an opportunity to touch base with Jesus once again. We feel His love and forgiveness once again flood over us, refreshing and restoring our souls.

Dear Lord Jesus. Once again, we kneel before You, confessing our sins, and thanking You for all You have done for us. We worship You today. Amen.

 

Honouring Christ

Posted on by korgrocker

“So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honouring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.”
1 Corinthians 11:27-30 NLT

I don’t think people realise how important and significant the Lord’s Supper really is. The Corinthian Christians seemed to think that it was just another opportunity for a fellowship meal, as we read earlier in this chapter. “When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper. For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk” (1 Corinthians 11:20-21). Paul, therefore, went to great pains to point out to them the error of their ways, and his teaching has been there for all to read ever since. But when was the last time we heard a sermon on the verses we are considering today? In churches today, it is expected that the congregation will know what the Communion service is all about and how it affects them personally. I’m sure many a pastor, knowing what is going on in people’s lives and understanding the issues these same people have shared with them in times of confidence, will despair as they watch the congregation eating the Communion emblems. Paul certainly did, and his warning has to be seriously reflected upon. 

Paul made a connection between judgment, sickness, weakness, and even death for those who fail to honour the body of Christ. Considering the emblems, the cup represents Christ’s blood, and the bread represents His body. The purpose of taking communion is to commemorate and reflect on the sacrificial death of Jesus. To do so without “honouring the body of Christ” brings judgment on the participant. So, to turn it around, by failing to examine ourselves before we share the Lord’s Supper, we effectively insult Christ’s body. To examine ourselves commonly means confessing our sins and receiving forgiveness through God’s grace. In the Corinthian context, perhaps we should include how we treat our fellow believers. There may be sins that we confess that require some remediation, for example, putting things right with someone we know. And this is why it is so important that we pause for a few moments before we take Communion. In some instances, we might find it better not to take Communion at all because of the seriousness of a particular situation in which we find ourselves. But whatever, we need to examine ourselves. 

The Psalmist, David, began Psalm 139 with, “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me”. So it is no good pretending that God won’t know about something we would rather hide. David continued in the following two verses, “You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do”. As we continue to read this Psalm, we find that there is no escape from God’s gaze, even if we wanted to. This insight is probably one of the reasons why so many people deny the existence of God, because they know the consequences of believing in God, and the impact it will have on their lives of sin. A human being deserves punishment for their sins, but thanks to God’s grace and forgiveness through Jesus, we have a way into His presence.

But perhaps the essence of Psalm 139 is distilled within the last two verses, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life”. This is the self-examination required before we take the Communion emblems, and if God points out anything that needs to be addressed before we proceed, we must be obedient to Him. 

Dear Father God. We understand today the importance of having a right relationship with You, and at our times of Communion we remember what Jesus did for us at Calvary. Please forgive us for the times when our minds have wandered off into irrelevancy instead of focusing on You. Amen.