lightbuilder

Q. In what way is the Lord's Supper a proclamation? A. Clarkes bible commentary states: "As in the passover they showed forth the bondage they had been in, and the redemption they had received from it; so in the eucharist they showed forth the sacrificial death of Christ, and the redemption from sin derived from it." Matthew Henry's commentary states that the Lord's Supper is: "to commemorate, to celebrate, his glorious condescension and grace in our redemption." and that " ...we own before the world, by this very service, that we are the disciples of Christ..." Q. To whom is the proclamation made? A. I agree with forum member charisbarak who wrote: "The proclamation is made to God first of all, then to my brothers & sisters in the Lord, then to any unbelievers who may be watching me." Wesley wrote: "Ye show forth the Lord's death - Ye proclaim, as it were, and openly avow it to God, and to all the world. Till he come - In glory." Q. Why is this important? A. The JFB Commentary states: "The supper joins the two closing periods of the Old and the New dispensations." and further explains; "That the Lord's Supper is in remembrance of Him, implies that He is bodily absent, though spiritually present, for we cannot be said to commemorate one absent. The fact that we not only show the Lord's death in the supper, but eat and drink the pledges of it, could only be understood by the Jews, accustomed to such feasts after propitiatory sacrifices, as implying our personal appropriation therein of the benefits of that death." Q. What happens to the church when its proclamation shifts to a different central theme? A. I believe that loosing site of the spiritual pattern of God's work in Christ, as proclaimed and shown in the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, means for the church a loss of it's core identity and message as a body of believers, and of it's purpose in carrying that message to the world.

Jesus, being "the Word made flesh" (Jo.1:14), demonstrated the divine pattern by which the Father reconciles us (2Co.2:5:18) and conforms us to the image of his Son (Rom.8:29), a pattern which is most eloquently described in 1Co.15 By continually bringing to our remembrance and meditating on this pattern demonstrated in the death and subsequent ressurection of our Lord, we become mindfull of the process by which the Father, in Christ, makes us "new creatures" (2Co.5:17) which provides the resolve we need to walk by faith: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." (1Co 15:58 KJV) That's my 2 cents worth anyhoo... your mileage may vary Let Your Light Shine! -Larry

This 4th chapter of James appears to be telling us that all interpersonal conflicts (wars without) stem from a lack of Godly submission and the arrogant presumptuousness self-deception that we alone control our destiny (creating a war within). And that this is like the "double-mindedness" of seeking material gain while failing to recognize our transitory nature and total dependence upon the spiritual world, of which this present world is but a shadow. In short, you can't pick up one end of a stick without picking up the other. We do not act unless we feel (emotions are the fuel of our actions), yet feelings dissapate without action, and if we consistently fail to act on our feelings we will cease to feel. Faith without works is dead. Everything is interconnected, when we fail to recognize this in humility and submission to Him in which "we live, and move, and have our being;" (Acts 17:28) we find ourselves enslaved by our own self deception. I believe James is warning us of the danger inherent in vainly seeking earthly things without spiritual application, which is a great and presumptuous sin, and the necessity of continually humbling ourselves before God in all our earthly endeavors, for this life is but a vapor that appears and vanishes away. So how do we maintain humility without being "wishy-washy"? It is written, "...be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." (Eph 6:10 KJV) and "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Pro 3:5,6 KJV )

I liked the way Magnus addressed the question, well spoken. I also appreciate the observation of many others that the issue is in fact "two sides to the same coin." To put it another way; you can't pick up one end of a stick without picking up the other. It is written "...for whatsoever is not of faith is sin." this is (to quote one comentator) "a maxim of unspeakable importance in the Christian life."

Hi, my name is Larry and I live in the town of Kalispell in the North West corner of the state of Montana in the US. Greetings to Helen from Indiana, Keith from Michigan, Renee from Alabama, Cher from Indiana, Caroline from Singapore, Marsha from Texas, Estelle, Bonniean from Georgia, Sharon from Virginia, and Sue from New Hampshire! This is the second or third study I have participated in with Pastor Raplh, and promises to be the best one yet, I LOVE "Practical Chistianity"

I found further insight into Gods provision in this verse by meditating on the words "His divine power"... "His" being Jesus Christ (a continuation from the preceding verse) "divine" (Gr. theios) indicating Christs relationship to the Godhead "power" (Gr. dunamis) inherent power, ...power that duplicates itself ...perhaps this duplication of power has to do with "God in Christ in us" whereby the Father, revealed in the Son, now reigns from within and supplies our every need through intimate relationship... Wow... trying to put this stuff into words is like trying to wrap the wind up in wet tissue paper!

Our confusion in this issue arises from the idea that one person has more or less "faith" than another. Yet it is written, "...God hath dealt to every man the 'measure' (Gr. "metron" the required [full] measure or limit) of faith. [Rom.12:3] Faith is a spiritual principle whos operation is made manifest through confident belief and trust in the absolute authority and ability of God in Christ to perform all that He promises in His Word. The degree to which it becomes evident in our experience is determined by our level of "believing." Faith is the principle, believing is the action. Jesus said "...Everything is possible to the one who believes." (Mk.9:23 HCSB) Eph.2:8-9 states that God in His grace saves us THROUGH faith, which (salvation) is not brought about by our own effort but is a gift from God (who has given to every man the full measure of faith and made salvation freely available through Christ) ...and yet God requires something from us (a response). [Rom.10:9-10] Salvation is the gift of God, freely available, yet only RECEIVED by whom? - ALL that BELIEVE (trust in God, rather than their limited grasp of the truth). We must "excercise" believing (trust in God's ability & willingness in Christ, despite our circumstances) in order to receive the things of God. Faith (the principle) without "works" (believing action) is dead (produces no effect). An airplane is able to fly because of the law of aerodynamics, which is a principle just like faith. But the plane must be moving in order to "fly", to put the law of aerodynamics into operation, just like a "believer" must BELIEVE (action) in order to demonstrate the measure of faith given to every man by God. Some airplanes fly higher and faster than others, but they ALL fly by operating the same law of aerodynamics.

Most likely for the same reason Christians struggle with "accountability" (see below) Typically it is the emotions that arise from reason and imagination that motivate our behavior. We "feel" the embarrassment and the "unpleasant sensation" of humiliation and all of the other emotions associated with imagining ourselves confessing our deepest darkest sins and fears to the very people we have represented ourselves to as "fine and dandy" and "blessed of the Lord" Sunday after Sunday. Logically, we should be inspired to pursue accountability in the present, knowing that it will inevitably be thrust upon us. However we tend to be motivated in the moment by that which is most pressing, and the difficulty imagined in facing ones peers with an intimate confession is often far more "real" to us in the moment than the knowledge that we will be held accountable before God when the number of our days is fullfilled. It's been said that maturing spiritually is supplanting lies with the truth. We all must be willing to continually challenge our "vain" (profitless) imagination in obedience to The Word: "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" (2Cr 10:5). Phl 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. E.g. Christ humbled himself and became the servant of ALL, being empowered by the knowledge of the Glory that awaited him in heaven. Conclusion: Our attitude (the direction we lean in our minds) must be tempered by a constant awareness and continual remembering of the glory of our calling, Eternal Life with Christ, so that we may be filled with His perfect love (...perfect love casteth out fear: 1Jo.4:18) and "supplant" the lie that confronting our fears and imaginings in the moment is to much for us to bear. 2Cr 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory;

The need to be prepared at all times, due to an inability to know the day and hour of His coming, requires continual attention on our part to remain steadfast in the hope to which we are called (1Th 5:8) Christ's glory WILL be manifest, and when He appears, we shall be like Him (1Jo 3:2), for we will be transformed (1Cr 15:52): This is the ultimate hope! Christ calls us to live disciplined lives, in accordance with His Word, and to teach others also (Matt.28:19,20) - obedience leads to life as rebellion leads to death, so we best "sober" up and get down to business When we lose sight of Christs glorious return, we lose sight of our goal, and take to wandering in the spiritual wilderness of this present world Look Up! - Our redemption draws near

In my experience, God's refining process can take what seems like a lifetime... in fact some lessons He's been teaching me about love and forgiveness have been going on for over 20 years now... You see I married my highschool sweetheart at age 18 (despite her parents strong objections), and she left me for another, two children and a dozen years later. At the time, I couldn't see how self centered and unloving 'I' had been, but blamed everything on the other party. The stage was set. Hurt, angry, and feeling self-righteous, I was unable to see myself in the mirror and landed in another relationship on the rebound. I convinced myself at the time that I was "right with God" in the whole situation, but soon found myself entangled in a relationship with a violent, self-centered substance abuser that made life a living hell (...we'd been living together, which - unknown to me at the time; constituted a "common law" marriage. Confronted by my church fellowship, I did what I thought was the right thing and arranged a wedding ceremony. After the fact, she refused to sign a marriage license or take my name as her own; except to write bad checks for booze when the 'mood' came upon her - a situation God allowed me to "learn some hard lessons" from for almost ten years) - Ouch! When I reached the end of my rope (self) and confessed my miserable inability to manage my own life, love the unlovable (including myself), or recognize my own sin when it was staring me in the face... God taught me something about forgiveness and faith that I suppose I couldn't have learned any other way (?) There is no sin which befalls us that is not common to all, but God always provides a way out, if we will place our trust and faith in Him. It's amazing how life can turn inside out and show you what the view looks like from the other side of the mirror. I know God hates divorce, and I don't have all the answers, but I also know God is a God of second (and so many more...) chances; God has since blessed me with a wonderfull, loving Christian marriage, a ministry in the church that we both share, and blessings I can't begin to count. In hindsight, I can be thankful to God for the work He has brought about in me through these trials, and the person He continues to mold me into through the trials and triumph's that lay ahead.

The context of 1 Peter 1:5 is the hope of God's elect (chosen from before the foundation of the world) in the resurrection, who (God's elect) are kept, or guarded [1], by the indwelling [2] inherent power of God (it is told to the apostles by Christ in Acts 1:8 that they would "receive" [3] this power, which was demonstrated on the day of Pentacost, and is now available to all who believe to receive the gift of God) It is "through" (the means by which an action passes to its accomplishment) "faith" (the living, Divinely implanted principle) [4] that we are "kept" (held in custody in a fortified position) until we are transformed into our new, spiritual, resurrected bodies at His appearing (His bodily return to earth, to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lord's). APPLICATION: it is this hope and UNCONDITIONAL assurance of our complete and final redemption at Christ's appearing that should carry us through this life regardless of the temporary circumstances we must endure, including our own moments of weakness, doubt and unbelief. The Word says we are "kept" as by a garrison holding us in custody in a fortified position... by God's power, the living Divine principle He has placed within us... we are sealed with the holy spirit (God's gift of indwelling inherent power waiting to be manifested) by God, The Holy Spirit, and that He has chosen us from before the foundation of the world. That doesn't sound like something that can be turned on or off like a light switch depending on my state of mind? Whether or not we manifest (outwardly demonstrate to others) the abundant life that Christ has made available to us, and walk in power and light rather than darkness and defeat, is one thing; but our salvation (as I read it?) is the gift of God sealed until the day of our redemption. footnotes: 1. "Kept" (guarded, in custody, as by troops defending a fortified position: the same word occurs in 2Co.11:32, Gal.3:23, Phil.4:7) 2. "power" (dunamis: inherent power capable of reproducing itself - internal, spiritualy present, yet to be manifested in the senses realm) 3. (Acts 1:8) "receive" (lambano: bring forth, objectively into the senses realm) 4. "faith" in this context is the living, Divinely implanted principle, more than just the belief of the rational mind, or mere feelings of confidence and trust. It is the principle itself (that God has measured out to every man) which pursuades and convicts us from within (unlike senses knowledge, which comes from outside of us) of the truth of God's Word. 5. "to be revealed" is apokalupto in the Greek: meaning to unveil so as to be visible to the eye

Only Jesus lived a life of perfect obedience, the rest of us need continual forgiveness to stumble after His example without being crushed by condemnation (...there is no condemnation, to them who are in Christ Jesus). In the visible world of cause and effect, trying to live a life of obedience without forgiveness (or presuming upon the forgiveness of God without true repentance and a desire to please Him) is like trying to breath in without breathing out... you'll suffocate just the same It is of course by the grace (unmeritted favor) and mercy (witholding of meritted punishment) of God that we are delivered from death, as a consequence of our sin, through The Faith of Jesus Christ - but our faith (though it be the size of a mustard seed) requires "believing" (action, verb) as a response (like Peter coming to Jesus on the water) in order for "power from on high" (dunamis in the Greek) to be made manifest in the world (Jesus knocks, but we must open the door). Salvation is a gift, but living the abundant life that Christ came to make available is a continual conscience choice on our part.

An ineffectual witness, indistinguishable from his or her nieghbors, unremarkable, forgetfull, ungratefull, etc... I dare say anyone who believes they are entirely free from the sin of allowing themselves to be shaped by their culture, as much or more than by the Word of God, is not being entirely honest with themselves however. I need constant reminders throughout the day that God has given me free will and that I therefore MUST CHOOSE obedience & life over rebellion & death, moment by moment, remembering all that God has done for me and counting the cost. The latter, for me, requires regular "quiet time" in God's Word & prayer... something I can all to easily get distracted from. As far as the "constant reminders" go, I'd love to entertain any suggestions anyone has to offer? PS. I agree with sponsor that "walking by the senses" is characterized by fear. rather than love - and Helen made an excellent point about focusing on serving others

Greetings from NW Montana in the good Ol' US of A... my name is Larry G. Wilson (no relation to Pastor) my wife Linda & I coordinate the outreach department for our local church. We also maintain and provide the hosting for our church web site Easthaven.org through our modest efforts at affiliate & referral marketing at Lightbuilder.com, which is how we were introduced to Pastor Ralph, through his excellent web marketing resources. We're looking forward to meeting new friends through this Bible study forum