Wise Words in Regards to Sacrament Sunday

 

Wise Words in Regards to Sacrament Sunday from Brian Turner

We are a gathering people. We gather for many things, reunions, worship service, prayer service, camps and places where we think that the Lord will hear us and talk to us. Many times we forget that God gave us a promise Matthew 18: 20 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. If we believe in the scriptures, and I think that we do, then we must believe that God will be with us as we gather in His name no matter where that may be. So many times we forget that God can transcend time and space and connect all that are gathered for a purpose, his purpose. Think of it like a super Zoom meeting where we are all logging in. This is where Sacrament Sunday comes to mind…are we not all gathered for the same reason, the same purpose? Mark 14:20 - 24 And as they did eat, Jesus took bread and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them, and said, Take it, and eat. Behold, this is for you to do in remembrance of my body; for as oft as ye do this ye will remember this hour that I was with you. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them; and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, This is in remembrance of my blood which is shed for many, and the new testament which I give unto you; for of me ye shall bear record unto all the world. And as oft as ye do this ordinance, ye will remember me in the hour that I was with you and drank with you of this cup, even the last time in my ministry. This is the one time that we come together in our various congregations or groups and are focused on the same thing. Isn’t this the ideal time and place for God to reach into our hearts and give us that direction that we sorely seek not only for our lives but for the Church as a whole? 1 Corinthians 10: 15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we being many are one bread, and one body; for we are all partakers of that one bread. As we come together and partake of the Bread and Wine we come not only to remember but to gain faith, strength and knowledge in Jesus Christ. And if there is a word for the Church will not all hear it? 2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. By knowing and confessing your weakness’s and sins to God / Jesus Christ that is when you are the strongest that you can be – for only then have you truly surrendered…only then will you be able to hear the word of God as it is uttered. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. And the strength comes from surrendering all that you are so that you can become all that Christ died for. Revelation 12:9 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ; The scriptures are very clear about the power in all things that come about when one surrenders….the power is in faith, the power is in understanding, the power is in the gospel of Jesus Christ in ways that you are not even aware of at this moment. Have we really surrounded? Have we truly given our hearts to Him? If we believe that we have then why are we running to and fro seeking His word, His direction, His counsel? Why do we wrest the scriptures and bring them down to our level instead of us rising to his? We have been given guidance as to how we are to approach the Sacrament and how and to whom it is to be served. It is given to us so that we may be prepared to forsake our sins and to receive the Word. Alma 10:77 O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance; and they brake the cords with which they were bound; and when the people saw this, they began to flee, for the fear of destruction had come upon them. You can see the effects of a simple prayer by Alma and Amulek – what separates them from you and I? Nothing other than a commitment to keep the commands of God…you know; the ones that you walked into the waters of baptism for. Brothers and Sisters if you were not already planning on attending a Sacrament service this Sunday I ask you to consider changing your plans. Go and be a part of your Church family, be a part of God’s family. Give praise to the one who hung on the cross for you and I while you are in fellowship with each other. What do you have to lose? Maybe the question is what will you gain? Brian Turner