“NOW GO; I WILL HELP YOU SPEAK AND WILL TEACH YOU WHAT TO
SAY.” How I love it when God speaks to
me in such personal ways! I rolled over
in bed this morning, curled up for a few more lingering moments before needing
to exit the warmth beneath the covers.
What was on my mind was a yet unspoken prayer that God would give me HIS
message for this blog yet unwritten.
Before my feet touched the floor enroute to the kitchen to prepare
Communion for my morning time with God this day, my eyes rested on a beautiful
post painted by a friend. I had just
asked my husband to pray for God’s anointing on me so that His words would be
given to me as I wrote. Within seconds
my eyes rested on this beautiful message straight from the heart of God to me
today … though it had been spoken first to Moses, so long ago recorded for us
in Exodus 4:12: “Now go; I will help you speak
and will teach you what to say.” There,
I had my instructions.
Now it was time to offer my first portion of the day in
thanksgiving and praise to my Lord, remembering “why” He came to earth and gave
His life for “me”, as I celebrated His life and death and resurrection. It is a powerful time between the Creator and
His created – it is intimately personal.
Partaking of Communion helps us remember the priceless sacrifice of
Jesus giving His body and shedding His life’s blood for us, so that when we say
“yes” to Him we have the gift and assurance of life with Him in heaven for all
of eternity. But it holds yet a deeper
dimension of what Jesus wants us to remember.
I wholeheartedly believe that celebrating Communion allows us to bring
the remembrance of “why” He did what He did for us – for this day. For this moment in time. For these
circumstances we face – today. For these people we are praying for – for their needs.
For our needs. For us to
ask for cleansing and purging and forgiveness.
When we look at our lives in the here and now in the blazing reality
that Christ came so that we might have overcoming victory today … right now … for such a time and circumstance as this …
it changes everything about how we live our lives before God and with Him!
My eyes fell on such perfect scriptures for today and for the
days we are now living in, as I purposely turned to specific portions in God’s
Word this morning. Over the past few
days the news alerts have jumped off the pages and screens … screaming fear to
whoever will receive it. Paris attacks kill 130 people; Mali
massacre; terrorism alert levels raised to “serious and immediate threat”; US
citizens urged to exercise caution, especially in large crowds; Brussels
(Belgium) placed on lockdown; and
the headlines just continue on in horror and disbelief. But these things are happening, we cannot deny that.
And because they are, that demands a response from us.
What will we do?
Initially, we will experience the human emotions that flood o’er
us. But then … we MUST remember WHO is
in control, and WHOSE we are! I would encourage
you to grab your Bible and open it to Luke chapter 24 and read it slowly and
carefully. Receive its message – take it
in its truths. It is powerful! It was then when it was written – and it is
just as powerful on this day in November, 2015 when our world is falling apart
at the seams, seeming to destruct at the hands of all the evil being
unleashed. When the events of Luke 24
took place, the disciples’ emotions were wandering all over the place. Their Jesus had been crucified. Now the tomb was empty. They felt alone, abandoned and lost. Though the women came and reported to the
disciples the words of the angels that “He was risen” – the disciples thought
it was just an idle tale – nonsense.
Later that day, as they walked and talked, Jesus caught up with them and
engaged with them in their perplexed conversation. He even explained it all to them, from
beginning to end. But they just didn’t
get it. When they urged Him to stay with
them since it was almost evening, He did.
And amazingly, it was during His sharing of the bread, praising God,
giving thanks, asking a blessing, breaking it and giving it to them – that
their eyes were instantly opened and they recognized Him! It was in that moment that they believed He
had risen and appeared to them! There
are two very powerful verses here that we need to grasp and understand. “Then
they (themselves) related (in full) what had happened on the road, and how He
was known and recognized by them in the breaking of bread. Now while they were talking about this, Jesus
Himself took His stand among them and said to them, Peace (freedom from all the
distresses that are experienced as a result of sin) be to you!” (verses 35-36) Did YOU get it? Did you see the power of revelation that
Christ brings to us as we sit in His presence and remember why He came to do
what He did for us? And do you see that
He came back to their midst for the purpose of speaking peace to them! I love the description of the peace that
Jesus brings as explained in the Amplified Bible: freedom from all the distresses that are
experienced as a result of sin!
In today’s world, that pretty much covers it. We are in days of distress due to sin and
evil – and our Lord comes to speak peace to us!
For today, dear ones. For each
day. One day at a time! I encourage you to receive these words of
peace and speak them to others! God has
given us the Words!
Joyfully Serving Christ . . .
Pastor Doug and Debbie
