Bread from Heaven

Mark 16:9-20, Acts 1:1-2:47

I've always been impressed with how Peter knew that they should replace the empty spot left by Judas Iscariot.  The Holy Spirit brought seemingly obscure Scriptures to bear on the situation.  My Brother Ari says, "The language that the Holy Spirit speaks to us is called 'Bible'."  It is the Living Word, alive in the hearts of those who Believe.

I am growing to appreciate the Lord's Supper more and more.  I don't understand it, but I know that it is important.  Sadly, for fear of over-emphasis or religious routine, I think our congregation errs with too little celebration for Communion.  There is something sweet about the celebration of Christ's infinite work in the simplicity of bread and wine.  I think this simplicity is especially important in our society.  It is easy for church members to get lost in the machinery of a myriad of Bible studies and other activities, but we find substance in the organic simplicity of the bread and wine.  This has become evident to me as I read Acts 2:

42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for communicating your love to me through your Holy Spirit and your Holy Word, which is Jesus Christ.  Thank you for the shed blood and broken body of Jesus Christ which gives us justification before the Holy Judge and life with the Creator.  Lord, please lead me to a greater appreciation of the celebration of the Lord's Supper.  I pray that I will neither neglect it nor let it be undermined by religion.  I pray that I will always celebrate Communion in a way that honors you and edifies the Body.  I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Bread from Heaven.  Amen.

experiencing the resurrected Christ

Matthew 28:11-15, Luke 24:13-43, John 20:19-31, Matthew 28:16-20, John 21:1-25, Luke 24:44-53

While the religious Jews had to lie to themselves and others about Christ's resurrection, there are others whose hearts burn within them as they experience the resurrected Christ.  And how did they recognize him?  In the breaking of bread.  Now tell me again why we don't celebrate the Lord's Supper more often?

When we come to grips with the reality of Christ's death, and the supernatural power of His resurrection, we simply respond like Thomas:

John 20:27Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." 28Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" 29Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." 30Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

When we consider the magnitude of our sin and the intensity of the wrath Christ bore on the cross for our sin, when we consider the infinite love of the Father to provide His only begotten Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sin, we will embrace His desire for all peoples to know this amazing love:

Matthew 28:18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of your Son Jesus who died on the Cross bearing your wrath for my sin.  Thank you for the promise of resurrection life because Christ was resurrected.  Lord Jesus, I believe in you; please reveal yourself to me like you did to those two on the road to Emmaus.  Please let me experience you each and every day.  Please fill me with your Holy Spirit, and anoint me to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and do the Father's will.  I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, the One with scars on His hands and feet.

calloused heart

Mark 15:6-15, Matthew 27:15-26, Luke 23:13-25, John 18:39-19:17, Mark 15:16-21, Matthew 27:27-32, Luke 23:26-32

Pilot tried to get out of a jam, but the Jews incited the crowd to demand Pilot to release Barabbas, and Pilot finally gave in to the crowd.  Peer pressure is powerful, especially when it is connected to your job.

As I read of Christ's interrogations before the Pharisees, Pilot, Herod, and Pilot again, I am nearly unmoved.  As I read of Christ being flogged and mocked, I am moved so little.  How can my heart be so hard towards the most incredible display of patience and love?  How can my heart be so calloused that I am not overwhelmed by the magnitude of His love.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, please break my hard heart for the sin that broke Christ's flesh on the Cross.  May I be captivated and motivated by the pain and suffering He endured, and may I be empowered by His death and resurrection.  Please help me appreciate the reality of Christ's sufferings, not for the sake of emotional sensationalism but for the sake of the Gospel.  I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, by whose stripes we are healed.  Amen.

stinking religion

Matthew 27:1-10, Luke 23:1-12, Mark 15:1-5, Matthew 27:11-14, John 18:28-38

Matthew 27:6The chief priests picked up the coins and said, "It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money."

They knew that they had paid to have Jesus killed (which is wrong), but they were so religious that they didn't put the money in the treasury.

John 18:28Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.

They didn't want to compromise their religious status by entering the place so they could participate in their religious ceremony.  It is especially tragic that the True Passover Lamb was right there in front of them, but they were so stuck in their religion that they missed the God of the universe.

I heard a preacher say that there are two principal enemies of the Gospel: idolatry and religion.  Both are missing true worship which is simply communicating to God that we love Him and obeying Him to discover in Him our ultimate satisfaction.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, would you please give me life today?  Lord, please fill me with your Holy Spirit, and lead me to follow you.  I pray that heart will desire you more than anything in this world.  Lord, please keep me from slipping into empty religious practice without your presence.  I pray that my life will be a sweet song of obedient worship to you.  I ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

sad day ...

Mark 14:43-52, Matthew 26:47-56, Luke 22:47-53, John 18:1-11, Mark 14:53-72, Matthew 26:57-75, Luke 22:54-71, John 18:12-27

How could you be one of the most educated Jews in Jerusalem, be that close to the physical fulfillment of all of those Messianic prophecies, and miss it?

Mark 14:60Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?" 61But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.
      Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"

 62"I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

 63The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked. 64"You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?"  They all condemned him as worthy of death. 65Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, "Prophesy!" And the guards took him and beat him.

What is especially sad is that if I were there, I would have done the exact same thing.  I would have punched Christ and spit in His face because I am a sinful, depraved, insolent, proud, and rebellious man.  I need His saving grace.  O how I need His grace to love him more.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, please give me grace to love you and trust you more.  Jesus Christ is the Messiah!  May I never deny this Truth.  I ask for your grace in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

unity

John 15:18-17:26, Mark 14:32-42, Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 22:39-46

Christ's desire for us is to be united with Him in the fellowship of the Triune God!  What else could we desire that would compare to such LIFE?

John 17:20"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25"Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

What?!  You have got to be kidding!

Prayer
Heavenly Father, I pray that you will accomplish Christ's prayer in my life.  Lord, I ask that I will be united with you - that I will reject all of the junk of this world so that I may run to you and experience the joyous fellowship you desire.  I pray that I will experience unity with my wife - a picture of Christ and the Church.  Lord, I pray that you will bring unity to my Bible study group, to our local congregation, and to the congregations in this city. Lord, I ask you to miraculously unite the splintered denominations that claim to follow Christ - may we truly follow Christ in unity so that we may be the True Church.  Lord, I ask in the name of Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church.  Amen.

grace

Mark 14:22-26, Matthew 26:26-29, Luke 22:15-20, John 13:31-35, Mark 14:27-31, Matthew 26:30-35, Luke 22:31-38, John 13:36-15:17

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

The Lord gives us so much Grace!  Not only did He give us an infinite measure of Grace on the Cross, but He continues to give us Grace when we, like Simon Peter, profess our loyalty to Him when He knows full well that we will fail.  His patience with us is as infinite as His love.

It is my desire to seek Him, but I am so weak.  It is my desire to know Him, but am so ignorant.  It is my desire to live with Him, but I am so dead.  My only hope is that the Father replicates the Son in me:

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

What does it mean to abide in Christ.  Thinking about the context of the vine, branches, and vinedresser, to abide in Christ is to be connected with Him in spirit so that His Holy Spirit is filling me with ZOE life and producing the Fruit of the Spirit in my life.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for your incredible love, grace, and patience.  I pray that I will be captivated by your love expressed through Christ on Calvary and motivated by your love to share your love with people in my sphere of influence.  Jesus, I pray that I will know you as the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Holy Spirit, please keep me connected to Christ so that your essence may flow through me.  Father, please glorify yourself in me today.  I pray that I will live in constant expectation of Christ's return.  May I keep in step with the Holy Spirit.  I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.