As we study the Scriptures we must always put them into the perspective of truth as they are written, understand the correct context of what is being said, and most important what is the personal application God desires we learn. God is very concerned about us learning those lessons that will ensure His primary goal of conforming us into the character and image (icon) of His precious Son Jesus Christ. It is a shame we are not so concerned about learning these lessons. It seems we are more concerned about doing things for God and not becoming something in God. We are not very concerned about spiritual growth and development, we are more concerned about the seen things in God and not the hidden things of the heart. You know music, programs, church duties, dancing, flag waving, and the like will only carry you so far in God. People will go where they get fed. Most church growth is from lilies willfully picking themselves up (because they are not being fed the word of God) and looking for another field to plant themselves, well this is not God’s idea of church growth. The church, the God-ordained organization to edify and build up the Body of Christ, is to grow through salvation of non-believers, but this is not the case. Most Believers who get a real taste of the Word of God will leave if they are not getting fed. Again music (which is so entrenched in most church service) and such will only carry us so far. Sadly most church leaders do not know they are the blame and will say, “the people are in rebellion and it would be good for our local church body if they leave.” Well, my friend this is so far from the heart of God, but it happens all of the time.
We must guard against making up things to do for God (even though well intentioned) and call them a ministry. Remember, God is concerned how we do things for Him, not so much what we are doing for Him. Do we do things for God with the right heart condition, with the right motives, and for the right reasons? Often times we read things in the Bible and jump to conclusions ending with the word ministry. When Jesus said to go visit those in prison, I do not believe He was saying to start a prison ministry. But, He was saying to the people He was speaking to; if your friend is in prison, go visit him. To the ones who were sick, naked, and hungry Jesus was not telling the disciples to start a soup kitchen or medical ministry (this is the local church’s responsibility), but He was saying, if your friend is sick, help him get well, if hungry feed him, and if your friend is naked clothe him, because as you help, visit, feed, and clothe people you are doing that unto Me. All we do for God is boiled down by how and why we do things for Him.
One day Jesus was talking with the disciples, “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.” (John 6:53-58) The question is: how much of God’s glory can we hold? Well the answer is how much of His “blood” can we drink and “flesh” of Christ we can eat. Unless we eat of His “flesh” and drink of His “blood” we will not have eternal life and will not be raised up at the last day. Now please understand Jesus was not talking about literally drinking His blood and eating His earthly flesh. Oh no, Jesus was talking about eating of His words, character, and nature of His very life. We eat of Christ every time we die to our self and allow our brothers and sisters to win. We eat of Christ every time we take the lowly and humble place, every time we identify with loss so that we may gain Christ. If we have not eaten of Christ how can we follow Him? What eternal life can we have if we do not eat of Him? How can we be raised up if we do not die? Now the disciples took His words literal and could not comprehend what He was staying. “These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. 60Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 61When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?” (John 6:59-61) Many Christians today do not understand what the Scriptures are really saying so they make up things to soften the hurt of truth. But this my friend will never do. In verse 61 Jesus asks the disciples, “Doth this offend you?” The word “offend” here means to take away your heart to follow the Lord. My friend if we too desire to follow Jesus He will speak words and allow things into our lives that will prove us, test our resolve, and too take away our heart to follow Him. Many Christians say, God loves us and He would not do anything to hurt us, well God does love us very much, but He knows we must learn those hard lessons to be useful to Him. In Deuteronomy we read “And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.” (Deuteronomy 8:2) The word “humble” here means to afflict or weaken. God’s leading often in our lives is to afflict us so that we may learn of Him and weaken us so that He may be strong. All of this is done to “prove thee, to know what is in our heart.” If we get things wrong, if we do not eat of His flesh and drink of His blood, if we have no life of God in us we will fall out of the way. We must have the heart to follow God no matter what. And the way to eat and drink of Him to have His life is in a downward direction not up. Remember, the way up is down where Jesus is. It is a meek and quiet spirit that is incorruptible, not the high and mighty spirit full of self-strength. We can only put on incorruption if we have died.
I got an email from a lady today and I challenged her with regards to being called to a ministry that is not called a ministry in the Bible which was an example mentioned once in passing. We do all of these crazy things that satisfy our religious flesh and call them ministry because we do not want to do what God wants us to do. She became very offended (a good thing) at me. Did you know if you walk long enough with God you will get offended? He will see to it. The disciples walked with Him and time and time again they got offended at Jesus. The goal here is to get offended so that we can learn about ourselves and change so that God can use us. Sadly many are learning, but never learning. Many are never coming to the understanding and knowledge of what Christ desires we know of Him and our selves. Sadly we make up religious traditions and customs so we will not have to focus on our evil heart condition and self-seeking motives. We see this play out with the disciples in what we call the last supper or the communion table. Now I really believe Jesus was NOT establishing a custom or ordinance of the church when He and the disciples sat around the Passover table before He was crucified. Jesus was a good Jew and kept the law. I know this will ruffle many religious feathers and some will even get offended and brand me a heretic, but that is okay there is a lesson of truth waiting for you here. If we look at the four references of the last supper in the Bible either before or after is always set in strife, disagreement, division, and confusion. Here in 1 Corinthians we see the church in great spiritual immaturity, strife, and disagreement as were the disciples in the three references in the Gospels: Mathew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-24, and Luke 22:17-20. In Luke we read, “And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed! 23And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing. 24And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.” (Luke 22:22-24) The communion table is always set in strife and it was this strife and even offense Jesus and Paul wanted to end using the Passover feast. During the meal, Paul said, “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) Jesus took the bread and said this bread is my flesh, you MUST eat of my life or you will not have the strength to possess the life of God in you to follow me where I am going. And fellows I am going to a cross so that I can spill my life out for the sin of the world. And in the same manner, Jesus took the cup and said, fellows this cup is my blood and you MUST drink the bitter cup of loneliness, fatigue, shame, misunderstanding, humiliation, ridicule, and even death like me or you will never have any part of Him. Verses 25 and 26 drives my point home, “this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” What Jesus was saying, every time you pick up a glass of wine and a piece of bread (both essential staples in the Jewish diet) remember Him and to think of the forth coming sacrifice on the cross as He told them time and time again, until He comes again as promised. This was to be a moment-by-moment event in our lives not a monthly ritual service with pomp and folding white sheets that is announced or observed during special occasions. Jesus and Paul was not starting an ordnance or tradition for the church, but using the moment to teach a critical lesson that will yield, if received in the vain of truth, the life of God. This too is why Paul said, “Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.” (1 Corinthians 11:27-30) If we eat any other things except the “blood” and “flesh” of Christ we, “eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” And, “for this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.” Many have no strength to survive. They are weak they eat of ambition, pride, self-strength, arrogance, and desire fame and riches they eat the wrong food and many sleep because they have no life within them. My friend Jesus was not establishing a tradition or custom, but the way we may receive the very life of God. How can we examine our self enough to be worthy of God’s wonderful saving grace? We cannot, “But let each man examine himself” or stand before God in a holy moment of reverence as they eat and drink of the Lord.
My friend let us keep the feast by eating of the “blood” and “flesh” of Christ. It is the only way to end the strife and division that is found in our heart and thus in the church and to help endure the offense of the cross, “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled (afflicted and weakened) himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:8) which is designed by God to kill us like it did Jesus. Brethren please let us keep the feast. The Master calls, “come and dine.” Written by David Stahl.
We must guard against making up things to do for God (even though well intentioned) and call them a ministry. Remember, God is concerned how we do things for Him, not so much what we are doing for Him. Do we do things for God with the right heart condition, with the right motives, and for the right reasons? Often times we read things in the Bible and jump to conclusions ending with the word ministry. When Jesus said to go visit those in prison, I do not believe He was saying to start a prison ministry. But, He was saying to the people He was speaking to; if your friend is in prison, go visit him. To the ones who were sick, naked, and hungry Jesus was not telling the disciples to start a soup kitchen or medical ministry (this is the local church’s responsibility), but He was saying, if your friend is sick, help him get well, if hungry feed him, and if your friend is naked clothe him, because as you help, visit, feed, and clothe people you are doing that unto Me. All we do for God is boiled down by how and why we do things for Him.
One day Jesus was talking with the disciples, “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.” (John 6:53-58) The question is: how much of God’s glory can we hold? Well the answer is how much of His “blood” can we drink and “flesh” of Christ we can eat. Unless we eat of His “flesh” and drink of His “blood” we will not have eternal life and will not be raised up at the last day. Now please understand Jesus was not talking about literally drinking His blood and eating His earthly flesh. Oh no, Jesus was talking about eating of His words, character, and nature of His very life. We eat of Christ every time we die to our self and allow our brothers and sisters to win. We eat of Christ every time we take the lowly and humble place, every time we identify with loss so that we may gain Christ. If we have not eaten of Christ how can we follow Him? What eternal life can we have if we do not eat of Him? How can we be raised up if we do not die? Now the disciples took His words literal and could not comprehend what He was staying. “These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. 60Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 61When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?” (John 6:59-61) Many Christians today do not understand what the Scriptures are really saying so they make up things to soften the hurt of truth. But this my friend will never do. In verse 61 Jesus asks the disciples, “Doth this offend you?” The word “offend” here means to take away your heart to follow the Lord. My friend if we too desire to follow Jesus He will speak words and allow things into our lives that will prove us, test our resolve, and too take away our heart to follow Him. Many Christians say, God loves us and He would not do anything to hurt us, well God does love us very much, but He knows we must learn those hard lessons to be useful to Him. In Deuteronomy we read “And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.” (Deuteronomy 8:2) The word “humble” here means to afflict or weaken. God’s leading often in our lives is to afflict us so that we may learn of Him and weaken us so that He may be strong. All of this is done to “prove thee, to know what is in our heart.” If we get things wrong, if we do not eat of His flesh and drink of His blood, if we have no life of God in us we will fall out of the way. We must have the heart to follow God no matter what. And the way to eat and drink of Him to have His life is in a downward direction not up. Remember, the way up is down where Jesus is. It is a meek and quiet spirit that is incorruptible, not the high and mighty spirit full of self-strength. We can only put on incorruption if we have died.
I got an email from a lady today and I challenged her with regards to being called to a ministry that is not called a ministry in the Bible which was an example mentioned once in passing. We do all of these crazy things that satisfy our religious flesh and call them ministry because we do not want to do what God wants us to do. She became very offended (a good thing) at me. Did you know if you walk long enough with God you will get offended? He will see to it. The disciples walked with Him and time and time again they got offended at Jesus. The goal here is to get offended so that we can learn about ourselves and change so that God can use us. Sadly many are learning, but never learning. Many are never coming to the understanding and knowledge of what Christ desires we know of Him and our selves. Sadly we make up religious traditions and customs so we will not have to focus on our evil heart condition and self-seeking motives. We see this play out with the disciples in what we call the last supper or the communion table. Now I really believe Jesus was NOT establishing a custom or ordinance of the church when He and the disciples sat around the Passover table before He was crucified. Jesus was a good Jew and kept the law. I know this will ruffle many religious feathers and some will even get offended and brand me a heretic, but that is okay there is a lesson of truth waiting for you here. If we look at the four references of the last supper in the Bible either before or after is always set in strife, disagreement, division, and confusion. Here in 1 Corinthians we see the church in great spiritual immaturity, strife, and disagreement as were the disciples in the three references in the Gospels: Mathew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-24, and Luke 22:17-20. In Luke we read, “And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed! 23And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing. 24And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.” (Luke 22:22-24) The communion table is always set in strife and it was this strife and even offense Jesus and Paul wanted to end using the Passover feast. During the meal, Paul said, “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) Jesus took the bread and said this bread is my flesh, you MUST eat of my life or you will not have the strength to possess the life of God in you to follow me where I am going. And fellows I am going to a cross so that I can spill my life out for the sin of the world. And in the same manner, Jesus took the cup and said, fellows this cup is my blood and you MUST drink the bitter cup of loneliness, fatigue, shame, misunderstanding, humiliation, ridicule, and even death like me or you will never have any part of Him. Verses 25 and 26 drives my point home, “this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” What Jesus was saying, every time you pick up a glass of wine and a piece of bread (both essential staples in the Jewish diet) remember Him and to think of the forth coming sacrifice on the cross as He told them time and time again, until He comes again as promised. This was to be a moment-by-moment event in our lives not a monthly ritual service with pomp and folding white sheets that is announced or observed during special occasions. Jesus and Paul was not starting an ordnance or tradition for the church, but using the moment to teach a critical lesson that will yield, if received in the vain of truth, the life of God. This too is why Paul said, “Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.” (1 Corinthians 11:27-30) If we eat any other things except the “blood” and “flesh” of Christ we, “eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” And, “for this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.” Many have no strength to survive. They are weak they eat of ambition, pride, self-strength, arrogance, and desire fame and riches they eat the wrong food and many sleep because they have no life within them. My friend Jesus was not establishing a tradition or custom, but the way we may receive the very life of God. How can we examine our self enough to be worthy of God’s wonderful saving grace? We cannot, “But let each man examine himself” or stand before God in a holy moment of reverence as they eat and drink of the Lord.
My friend let us keep the feast by eating of the “blood” and “flesh” of Christ. It is the only way to end the strife and division that is found in our heart and thus in the church and to help endure the offense of the cross, “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled (afflicted and weakened) himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:8) which is designed by God to kill us like it did Jesus. Brethren please let us keep the feast. The Master calls, “come and dine.” Written by David Stahl.
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