Showing posts with label healthy living. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthy living. Show all posts

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Communion! “in an unworthy manner”? What?


                                              



Communion!in an unworthy manner”? What?





Isaiah 58 Ministries                                              December, 2013

Pastor: Leah Svensson

Scriptures: Romans 8:37, Luke 22:24-30,  Matthew 23:1, Luke 16:1-8, 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 


                                                                   Theme

1 Corinthians 11:23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. 32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.



                                                      Sermon

             Communion! “in an unworthy manner”? What?


As a follower and disciple of Jesus Christ we do not enslave people but set them free.   We are more than a conquer.  When “The Gospel” is preached people are delivered from oppression, healed, provided for by God! Not Christians. Jesus is our Savior from suffering!






To understand what it is to partake of the Lord Supper unworthily we need to learn something from the  worldly people around us.  (Luke 16:1-8)  People in the world “conquer” to provide for themselves.  




I use to wonder why my brother and sisters in the flesh would say things like “I work hard for what I have!”  I never saw them do any work. They wouldn't help their mother or father or anyone else for that matter, they wouldn't even clean their own rooms.  So how are they working hard for what they have?  


They disobey all Ten Commandments. They worked hard mentally, using all the sin they had in them! Always accusing people of some kind of terrible sin! Which the person was innocent of! This is hard work in the 50’s and 60’s because everyone else is trying to obey the Ten Commandments, not break them.  Most people were looking towards heaven not hell.  






But there were those breaking free from the principles of Christianity especially in the media, entertainment industry government, and business.  These people were violently, “conquering”, taking, (over throwing, insurrection,)   over the country.  




During this time, small groups of people and individuals were gaining power by falsely accusing innocent people; enticing the people to judge others without a trail; legalizing murder; abortion; dishonoring parents, hating God; lying constantly,  stealing, coveting, wanting what others have and cheating to take it from them, etc.  (Roe vs Wade, rebellious Rock and Roll are examples).








Now Jesus delivered us from these people when we remember Jesus and receive nourishment from him worthily.  Right now we have to learn from the oppressors. 
     
These people drain others of Life, Liberty and happiness. They suck the life out of people; they take from others to “nourish” themselves.  An example is when a bully puts down a good clean person to “make themselves feel” better, stronger, not the inadequate person they really are.  Sinners sin makes them very weak.  



A Christian who takes of the body and blood of Jesus takes God’s “strength inside themselves”.  A Christian, a saint is good because Jesus died on the cross and “willingly” gave and gives his life for us to gain strength from.

Every human being is born with a vessel “empty” needing someone else to fill it.  A Mother breast feeds her child, dresses them, cleans them.  We are all naked before God and need him to feed us, dress us, put a roof over our heads.  

The world meets their needs from taking “life” from their “victims”, innocent people.  The world conquers then: Matthew 23:4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.   The world: Luke 22:25 “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’

Jesus came to set us free from these cannibals.  A lot of people have cancers, diabetes, other sufferings because their life is constantly being drained from them by cannibals!  Your body and blood have nourishment in them.  Nourishment that comes from “someone else”, just like your mother's breast! The world knows it needs the life of others. A person one time yelled at me, “You need people!”  This person was a very manipulative, cunning, crafty, deceitful, spoiled child since birth always sucking the life out of everyone around her.  This is why lawyers are called “blood suckers”.  They really are!  You cannot blame a child for what they are unless you have another way to meet these needs.

The is a natural law.  Science
Jesus laid his life down for us freely.  We need him.  As much as the world needs people they can suck the life out of, we need Jesus' Life!  How?  The Gospel.  The Gospel!  The very words are the power of God to save, heal, deliver, set free.  We have to turn our back on everything that “sucks” the ‘life”, “strength”, out of us!  Turn to God, “the Gospel”, Keep Gospel! in your mind constantly, it will heal, mend, restore, release hope within your being. You will feel strong!  Hope that isn't from a sinful dying world, but a hope that comes from purity, holiness, clean honest thoughts that come from the written word in your being! 

The kingdom of God is within.  Where the Holy Spirit resides, deep within you.  God has written his word in you.  When you draw from it they you are able to take communion worthily.  You have ceased from drawing life, (sinning: breaking the Ten Commandments), from others

                                    Conclusion                          
  I have always wanted God to give me understanding about this. So he did. A pure heart, thoroughly examined by the person, sinless, only following the leading of the Holy Spirit, a person who is holy before God and man is worthy. You are right. Most people in America, even if they call themselves Christian, should probably not take communion. American Christians are not holy. I've seen some orthodox people in other countries close to being holy.
                                      References 

Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

The Parable of the Unjust Steward
Luke 16:1 He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 2 So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’
3 “Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’
5 “So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 And he said, ‘A hundred measures  of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8 So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.

 Luke 22:24 A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. 25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. 28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials.29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

A Warning Against Hypocrisy
Matthew 23:1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5  “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6  they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7  they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
8  “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9  And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10  Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11  The greatest among you will be your servant. 12  For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Seven Woes on the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees
13  “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.  14 
15  “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.
16  “Woe to you, blind guides!





Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Critic of the movie "Unstoppable"

Galentians 5:6  The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
(A child loving their father, A Man Loving his Creator God)

     




          So, we went to opening night of Kirk Cameron's movie Unstoppable. First off, the movie contained a lot  special effects that were very professional and more real to life than any movie I have seen in the past describing "events" in the Bible.  On the other hand, the people I went with were all Bible believing Christians and we all agreed that the theology portrayed was a bit off.  We all left kinda scratching our heads. Now, why would I put out a critic of a Christian movie? I back and support all Christians who put the Gospel out there in a sincere manner. We were so moved by Cameron's first movie, Monumental, that we took a family pilgrimage to Plymouth just to see it! However, Unstoppable, with all it's special effects, left a gaping hole at the end of it. The  message conveyed was that   bad things happen to good people and we have to trust God had a plan and he will use it for good. This in and of itself is not entirely off base, but it continued to say that every bad thing that happens to good people is really just a good seed the Lord will use. Almost like God intended for the bad thing to happen just so He would be glorified. We rarely, if ever, see any bad thing happen to a good person specifically for the glory of God, and even then, when we do in the Gospel of John, God the Father is glorified in healing, not death or sickness.

John 9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
Neither this man nor his parents sinned, said Jesus, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

    This one man was born blind for the glory of God to be revealed in his HEALING. He was a seed planted so the Gospel of God- healing and health- would be spread far and wide. 


      "Unstoppable" was made mostly for Christians, ie, the narrator calls his friends "good people," and tries to explain why a young boy died a long and drawn out death when parents were devote Christians and loved God. 

     The narrator was not able to give scripture references so his reasoning is not Biblically sound. Anyone in the Bible who truly loved God and was in the will of God was saved somehow, except for martyrs. Now, if they are saying this young boy was martyr for Christ, that he and his family stood for the Gospel and some outside source killed them for their faith, that would be a movie right there. 

Instead, when talking about sickness, like cancer, we need to see that there are other, perhaps evil forces (sin and sickness go hand in hand as we just read in John 9- "who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?), that are at play.

But when talking about the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, those who follow him always seem to find a way out. Examples:

Job, Daniel in the lion den, Shadrach Meshach and Abednego were saved in the firey furnance, the Isrealites were led out of Egypt an into the Promised Land. I could go on and on. They all had a common denominator: They LOVED GOD WITH ALL THEIR HEARTS
          
        I have found recently that there is nothing more powerful than the first Commandment.  “Love God.”  
   

     It isn't hard to love God.  God is love and to love God is to Love loving God, Jesus, everyone.  For faith works by “Love”. all things work together for good for those who "Love God"
With every thought I first “think”, “I love God”, or I think “I love Jesus”.

If you want to talk to God you have to first Love him.

       


            The movie stated their purpose was to answer  the question,”Why do bad things happen to good people, or anyone.”  The movie never answered the question.





         Jesus said bad things happen to people because of their own sin or the sin of others. The movie doesn't mention Jesus talking about “Go and sin no more so the sickness doesn't come back.”  

       







      The movie didn't mention Jesus, being a hero, coming and rescuing, saving, (Savior),  people like a fireman.   Jesus coming and healing a problem, situation or brokenness.



I could get the same message from any “worldly psychologist.”  The movie gave a worldly answer which is no answer.  But go see the movie yourself.  If it comforts you OK.  We all need peace even if it is from the world because we have lost our connection to God through  disobeyingGod; the first Commandment “Love God with all that is in you!”

         Get everyhing and everyone out of your heart that exalts itself above God. 2 Corinthians  10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 

 You have to   think with every thought “I love God” "I love Jesus," to be healed, saved, broken hearts healed, mended, fear vanquishes in the presence of Loving God. 
 


       So Love God, stay connected to the vine, for you are just a branch and you are lost without being connected to God through Loving him.  Peoplewho ask people to do things for them but do not love the person with God's love whom they  are asking a favor of: are just “using others”.  You can not use God, or manipulate him.  There is nothing you can do; going to church, tithing, singing in the choir, teaching Sunday school, feeding the poor.  None of that will get God to “answer” your prayers.  Only “loving” God will be your faith and your faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains..   Just think: 

                         I Love God!                                 


Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who  have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, [neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


1 John 4: 16 God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.


Faith in Action

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Hebrews 11:33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.

Galatians 2:16 know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.

1 Corinthians 13:8 Love never fails.

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy

Matthew 17:14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him.15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. [ ” 21 

Freedom in Christ
Galentians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value.

2 Corinthians  10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,



The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.