TO BE PERSONALLY HAPPY & HEALTHY we need to be PERSONALLY TOUCHED and BLESSED BY JESUS THIS DAY and on a daily basis.
On a regular basis we need to reflect on what happened roughly 2018 years ago in the life of Jesus on Easter Friday and Sunday, i.e. His crucifixion AND especially His resurrection from the grave with a new eternal body, and then six weeks later His ascension into heaven.
When anyone considers the relevant facts as verified by many scholars like Josh McDowell, there can be no doubt that:
1. JESUS is the Super Star and Greatest Freedom Fighter of history and
2. EVERY PERSON on planet earth is the target of His love, forgiveness, blessings and very life.
3. There can be no doubt that God's purpose of sending Jesus to earth was two fold:
a. to set people free from their sinful nature, guilt, stress, broken relationships, poverty, debt, crime, violence, rape, corruption and strife in our families and communities and
b. to restore Heaven On Planet Earth IN & THROUGH those people who voluntarily and willingly return to God and who accept His forgiveness which was dearly bought by the shedding of His Son's blood on the Cross.
Through the birth, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus YOU and EVERY PERSON from across ALL religious, denominational, political and financial barriers are INVITED anew THIS DAY by God to BE PERSONALLY TOUCHED and BLESSED BY JESUS, THE SUPER STAR OF HISTORY AND TO JOIN THE "CELEBRATION" of the greatest Freedom Fighter's ongoing victory march over evil with an eager expectation of His second coming to reign physically from Jerusalem, God's chosen capital city. When you and I visit London, Paris, New York or any renowned city it is obvious why the city is located where it is. Not so with Jerusalem. But the Creator of the planet has chosen Jerusalem as His capital city of the world. Whether we are Jews, Christians, Moslems or part of any other religion we must accept the fact that Jerusalem is God's chosen capital city. I am sure that everyone who is in a relationship with God the Father will like me also experience that Jerusalem is not only their Father's chosen capital city but as His children also their capital city. Jerusalem is the capital city of one God's one family across all national and denominational, political, financial and class barriers. Those who respect, pray for and bless God's plans with Jerusalem, Israel and the recipients of the God's promise (covenant) with Abraham will be blessed.
God CALLS ALL His prodigal sons and daughters to come to their senses, turn from their wicked ways, repent and return to Him. Those who do so are ggiven theopportunity to be touched by the birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension and second coming of Jesus. With the help of the Holy Spirit, every person is given the opportunity to be born again and to be set free from sin, guilt, stress, broken relationships, debt, poverty, strife and corruption. God's INVITATION requires our voluntary and willing response. God is not a 'rapist' but a 'lover' of our souls! He desires a willing and voluntary relationship with each one of us. He will not do what many dictators do and that is to buy their 'vote' or force people by the barrel of the gun to 'vote' for Him.
2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV)
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Acts 2:37-41
38 Then Peter (prompted or inspired by the Holy Spirit) said to them,
“REPENT, and let every one of you
BE BAPTIZED in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall
RECEIVE the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 For the PROMISE is to YOU and to YOUR CHILDREN and to ALL who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
40 TESTIFY and EXHORT others, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”
41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
BAPTIZE those who BELIEVE and gladly RECEIVE the Lord's free gift of salvation and who take His hand so that He can lead us from our sinful nature and death
Let them: 1 Thell 5
16 REJOICE always,
17 PRAY without ceasing,
18 in everything GIVE THANKS; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
JESUS INVITED US TO EAT THE BREAD & DRINK THE WINE IN REMEMBRANCE OF HIM AND WHAT HE DID FOR US:
Please REMEMBER Him and HONOUR Him, the Super Star of History by taking Holy Communion on a regular basis after a time of introspection.
CELEBRATE Holy Communion regularly to FEEL HIS TOUCH and to HONOUR the One:
1. Who achieved for us a far greater exodus than was accomplished when the children of Israel were led out of Egypt and which we are to allow Him to work IN and THROUGH us to its completion.
2. Who died and is now gloriously alive, all powerful and ever present.
Luke 22
19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
20 Likewise, He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.
CELEBRATE Holy Communion regularly so that we can focus, with the Holy Spirit’s help, not on the first Exodus from Egypt but on Jesus as the One and Only who died for us and rose again to be our ever-present Lord Who leads us on the new exodus .....from a life of sin (distrusting and ignoring God) and death .......to a life of love, forgiveness, justice, joy and peace that will contribute to the eventual restoration of Heaven On Planet Earth. (H.O.P.E.)
THE PURPOSE OF COMMUNION = to REMEMBER JESUS and to be TOUCHED by JESUS anew each time. IT IS TRULY A TIME OF JOY AND CELEBRATING HIS VICTORY OVER EVIL / SATAN.
The theologian Dale Bruner says of the legacy of Jesus: ‘Jesus did not want to leave His Church with only words … He wanted to leave His Church (not a particular denomination) with both His word and His touch, and so – to keep in touch – He wisely instituted the supper.’
A great churchman of an earlier era, H.P. Liddon, commented: ‘The sacraments are the guaranteed points of contact with the unseen Saviour.’ They are!
Selwyn Hughes puts it this way: The touch of Jesus – skin on skin, flesh on flesh – always brought blessing to lepers and children. Jesus brought God into the realm of the material and the tangible in the very real human body He was about to offer on the cross.
Just as the physical human body of Jesus was that through which the eternal transcendent life of God was revealed, so a material element such as bread can be a means of opening up our imaginations for the reception of God’s life to us. The phrase ‘this is my body’ is a powerful image which shows that Jesus had in mind the offering of Himself as the Passover Lamb. When He said to His disciples, ‘Take and eat; this is my body,’ He was offering them a share in His own life about to be broken on the cross for them.
When the elements of communion, the bread and wine or grape juice, are handed out I receive it as if it were out of the hand of Jesus Christ Himself saying: ‘Take and eat; this is my body,’ ‘Take and drink; this is my blood,’
BUT because I do not want to take the elements in an unworthy manner and become weak, sick or even die, I am very careful not to eat the bread or drink the wine or grape juice until I have examined my life and considered the Lord’s warning in:
1 Corinthians 11:25-34 (NKJV)
25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Examine Yourself
27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
THINK OF THE LORD'S TEN COMMANDMENTS. and HIS LOVE CHAPTER 1 Cor 13 and HIS TOUGH LOVE CHAPTER 2 Cor 13
I ask myself: "For whom do I need ....to love? ....to forgive?, ...to ask for forgiveness? .... to bless? .... to write off a debt? What restitution do I need to do?
What wrong thoughts, emotions, words and deeds do I have to confess? .... lust? .... jealousy or covetousness? ....impatience?..... greed? ..... fear? .... 'petty' theft? . Small or big theft is still theft!
CONFESS to God and to one another and RECEIVE THE LORD'S PARDON and HEALING with joy and make a commitment to do better next time!
I implore the fathers in the homes and church leaders to teach the above and to make time in the church service for self examination before serving the bread and wine / grape juice. It is of no use if some people become sick and then require prayer for healing! Prevention is better than cure!
On this RESURRECTION DAY, know that we can STAND UP in the Resurrection Power of our Lord Jesus Christ and:
- live the life of love and of abundance as He promised us in John 10:10
- do exceedingly abundantly above all we can think Ephesians 3:20
- make a stand for His kingdom and His Biblical values, boundaries and standards in our families, communities, countries & continents
- stand up against all unrighteousness, injustices, unjust scales and and all forms of 'legalised' theft.
WISHING YOU, YOUR FAMILY & FRIENDS A BLESSED TOUCH OF JESUS & OF THE HOLY SPIRIT POWER THIS EASTER so that we can truly BE SET FREE to love God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and one another, including our enemies.
Set aside some time to be BE ALONE WITH JESUS on this resurrection day.
HE IS alive, well and all powerful AND HE LOVES YOU!
GOD BLESS
Matthys & Lorraine
--GG--