This is!

While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” (Mark 14:22-25, NRSV)

He blessed it and broke it and gave it to them and said, “Take; this is my body.”

And then He took the cup and gave thanks He gave it to them and all of them drank from it. He said to them “This is my blood of the covenant, poured out for the many.”

This is…

My body

My blood

Given and shed for you!

God gave Himself for you.

So that you could know what true love is.

So take and eat, take and drink, and know that you are loved!

fed

Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” The word of the LORD came to him, saying, “Go from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. You shall drink from the wadi, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” So he went and did according to the word of the LORD; he went and lived by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the wadi. (1 Kings 17:1-6, NRSV)

Have I said it enough this week, God will provide.

I really feel like a broken record, and like the boy who cried wolf.

How many different passages in a row can we look at that show God provides.

But I bet this is not a story most of us know.

Elijah was told by God to proclaim rain nor dew would be present in the land for years. And then he is told by God to go east and hide near Wadi. and there you shall find drink and the ravens will bring you food.

You see when God wants to do something He will stop at nothing to make it happen. He will even have the ravens feed you!

So trust that God will provide!

buy with no money?

Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the LORD, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:1-9, NRSV)

Where can you go and buy with no money?

This is an interesting concept. I do not know of anything I can buy that is free.

I have been given somethings in my life. But I did not buy them.

But in God’s reality we can buy the things we need with no money!

God will give us the delight of providing us with the good things we need.

Are you ready to allow God to provide for you?

eat your fill

Therefore keep the commandments of the LORD your God, by walking in his ways and by fearing him. For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper. You shall eat your fill and bless the LORD your God for the good land that he has given you. (Deuteronomy 8:6-10, NRSV)

If we follow the Lord, He will lead us to a land where there is more than enough for all of us.

A land with flowing streams, with crops galore, and plenty for everyone!

You will eat your fill and bless the Lord for how He has blessed you.

He will give it to you and provide for you through it.

cosmic vending machine

So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here? Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:24-35, NRSV)

Why do we seek Jesus?

Do we follow Him because we think we are going to get something?

That is exactly what Jesus asks the people who found Him, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you got what you wanted…”

You see Jesus isn’t a cosmic vending machine standing by to dispense what we want when we want and He also isn’t Burger King, where we can get it our way.

Jesus is here to show us how to live and to lead us to others who need to hear of His love and mercy.

We are His hands and feet and He is sending us to tell everyone.

So seek Jesus, not because you will get anything for it, but seek Him because your life will be nothing without Him!

Listen…

listen-with-heart-275x182“The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists of listening to them. Just as love of God begins with listening to his word, so the beginning of love for our brothers and sisters is learning to listen to them”-Dietrich Bonhoeffer-Life together

How many of us listen to each other?  Really listen.  We might hear what someone else is saying to us, but do we hear them, or do we think we know what they said?

Most of us will hear 3 – 4 words of someone speaking to us and then start formulating what we are going to say.  We will hear where a sentence starts and then begin working on our come back, what we will respond with. In doing this, you are no longer listening, but are paying attention to yourself.  This is one of the first things I work on with couples that I am working through premarital counseling with.  Communication is the basis for every relationship, and if you are not communicating there is no basis for that relationship. This is why we pray, to communicate with God.  Part of this should be silence to listen for what God has to say to us.  We need to listen not only to get to know the other person, but we need to listen, because that is what we have to do in order to communicate.  In order to know how we need to respond we have to listen, and hear what is said to us. Then and only then can we respond with a response that is one that will build the relationship. It may not always be what the other person wants to hear, but it will build the relationship if it is spoken in truth and love after listening and hearing what was said. If we listen and hear, then we will get to know more about the person and grow deeper in relation to them.

That is what Bonhoeffer tells us in the quote above.  We owe it to others to listen to them. We need to hear them and to love them by being quiet and not formulating a response while they are talking.  To hear them as we hear His word.

So the next time you are listening, listen and hear. Grow in relation to others.

God provides

Great are the works of the LORD,
studied by all who delight in them.
Full of honor and majesty is his work,
and his righteousness endures forever.
He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds;
the LORD is gracious and merciful.
He provides food for those who fear him;
he is ever mindful of his covenant.
He has shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the heritage of the nations.
(Psalm 111:2-6, NRSV)

It is always easier said than done. Relying on someone else.

But I know from personal experience that God will always be there for us.

God will provide for our needs. He will not always give us what we want, or everything we ask for, but He will never leave us, He will never forsake us.

God will provide!

“We are Groot.”

A wonderful post and worth the read

SerMom's avatarA Day with Grace & Hope

The movie Guardians of the Galaxy features an eclectic team of characters. There is the human self-proclaimed “Star Lord” leading the way. There is Gamora, adopted daughter of the bad guy. There is Drax, the brute strength of the operation seeking revenge against noted bad guy. And then there is the genetically-altered talking raccoon Rocket and his sidekick Groot. Groot is a tree who moves and sort of talks. His only words are “I am Groot.” He has the ability to grow quickly and uses this ability in a variety of ways to fight and protect the team.

At the climax of the movie the team is about to crash land in a giant space ship. There is not much hope. Groot, however, starts scooping up the team one by one. He gathers them together in a small circle and begins to grow around them. He grows a thick protective…

View original post 580 more words

I have learned…

I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned for me, but had no opportunity to show it. Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. In any case, it was kind of you to share my distress. You Philippians indeed know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you alone. For even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me help for my needs more than once. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the profit that accumulates to your account. I have been paid in full and have more than enough; I am fully satisfied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Philippians 4:10-20, NRSV)

This passage contains one of my favorite verses in the Bible:

“for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Many times used out of context, but here we see the context. Generous christians supporting Paul and others in their ministry.

Because if I don’t have something I need the community around me should come to my aid and if I have something to give to someone else, then I should because I was blessed to be a blessing.

Reminds me of the first semester of seminary. We had moved from North Carolina to Gettysburg, PA, we had a 16 month old when we arrived and in November we had our second child. We still owned our house in North Carolina, to say money was tight was an understatement. I wasn’t sure how we would pay all of our bills, and for school and then also have Christmas presents. But then one day in mid December there was a knock on our door, and I opened it to find a huge rubber made chest on wheels. I opened it to find it full fo presents for all of us, myself, my wife, our oldest (20 months at that point), our youngest 1 month at that point, and our dog. Yes even the dog got presents. To this day we do not know who was all involved, but it was the community that surrounded us that came together in our time of need to provide for us. And that my friends is what Paul meant.

I can do all things through him who give me strength, grace, mercy, love and every blessing I have ever received.

a feast

On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.
And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the sheet that is spread over all nations;
he will swallow up death forever.
Then the Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces,
and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the LORD has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.
This is the LORD for whom we have waited;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
(Isaiah 25:6-9, NRSV)

When you think about a feast, what comes to mind?

A beautiful set table with all of the trimmings…

Overflowing bowls and plates, and drinks galore!

Well here we see the Lord of Hosts, God making a feast happen on the mountain!

Not the place we expect to go for a feast, but then God is not held to our standards or limitations.

God can and will do what God wants to!

So prepare for the feast!