Confirming the Covenant

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 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people.
– Matt 26:28a NLT​
 
 

Earlier, that day, Jesus had been anointed with alabaster perfume at the house of Simon, the leper.  He told those that criticized the woman’s act of kindness that she had anointed His body in preparation for burial.  Later, Judas goes to the leading priests and offers to betray Jesus. Then, sometime later, the disciples asked Jesus about the preparation for the Passover meal.  Jesus gave them the instructions and they went into town to prepare the room and the meal.  As evening approached, they were all seated around the meal and Jesus informed them again that He must die.  He also informed them that one of them would betray Him.  Judas rightly assumes that he is the one of whom Jesus speaks.​ Jesus then blesses the bread, explains its significance and gives it to the disciples to eat.   After that, He blesses the wine, explains its significance and gives it to the disciples to drink.  Each time we take Communion, we participate in the Last (or Lord’s) supper with Jesus and His disciples.  We are instructed to continue to do this in remembrance of Him until He returns to take us all home. There we will sit at the banquet table and do this again as we participate in the wedding feast that He has prepared for us. How often should we partake of the Communion?  As often as the Holy Spirit directs each of us to do so.  A good guideline in anything concerning Jesus is that you can never get more than you need and we sure don’t want to have too little of His goodness.

“The Gospel has come to you because it’s on its way to someone else.” – Anonymous

Post 11-8-2018

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Good Answer!

even-smaller-bug-light128 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plates.”

29 “Good answer!” he said. “Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone. — Mark 7:28-30 NLT

Hearing the words that Jesus had just spoken to her, it would have been understandable if this woman would have just crawled out of the room and left without receiving anything from Jesus.  But instead she suffered the humiliation and showed great humility by humbling herself before Jesus.  She told Jesus, I am not asking for the best, your leftovers will be more than sufficient to fulfill my needs.  Because of her humble response, Jesus answered her request and healed her daughter.  Is there a request in our lives that Jesus hasn’t fulfilled?   Is it possible that our “unanswered” prayers only appear to be unanswered because we refuse to humble ourselves before the Lord?   Is it possible that God can’t say “yes” because we refuse to say “yes” to His request?  Is it possible that we will only accept our preconceived notion as the answer and we miss what God is trying to do in our lives?  In this instance, Jesus first said “no” (which is an answer) but then because of her humbleness and persistence, He said “yes”.  God always answers every prayer, just because we don’t like the answer doesn’t mean He didn’t hear and answer us.  We need to be like the Phoenician woman, we need to be persistent but humble.  If we give God a good answer, He will give us a good answer.

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. — 1 Peter 5:6, 7 NLT

 

Post 02-25-2016