So we can say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper,
    so I will have no fear.
    What can mere people do to me?”

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
    will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
    he is my God, and I trust him.

But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.

The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

For a child is born to us,
    a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
    And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor,  Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

And my God will meet all your needs
according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 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.

Our citizenship is in heaven.
And we eagerly await a Savior from there,
the Lord Jesus Christ.

Woe to those who make unjust laws,
to those who issue oppressive decrees,
to deprive the poor of their rights and
withhold justice from the oppressed of my people.

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name…

From the LORD comes deliverance.
May your blessing be on your people.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.

He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.

Jesus replied, 'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.'

If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.

Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.

This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved and that by God.

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you as well.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,

and I will give you rest.

 Blessed rather are those who hear
the word of God and obey it.

Many are the plans in a man’s heart,
but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.

The LORD is my light and my salvation —
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life —
of whom shall I be afraid?

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever…

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!

If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin…

So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper;
I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ.

But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him

Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! … For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.”

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

And having disarmed the powers and authorities,
he made a public spectacle of them,
triumphing over them by the cross.

The LORD is my light and my salvation 
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life
of whom shall I be afraid?

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted.

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.

Once you were alienated from God but now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.

Therefore put on the full armor of God,
so that when the day of evil comes,
you may be able to stand your ground,
and after you have done everything, to stand

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the LORD delivers him from them all;

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

One man considers one day more sacred than another;
another man considers every day alike.
Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.

"If you feel guilty and condemned, come, and though the house is too good for you, Christ will make you good enough for the house. He will wash you, and cleanse you, and you will yet be able to sing with Moses, with the same unfaltering voice, 'Lord, thou hast been my dwelling place throughout all generations.'" - Charles Spurgeon

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace with his blood, shed on the cross.

Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great:
He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit,
was seen by angels, was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

I do not frustrate the grace of God:
for if righteousness come by the law,
then Christ is dead in vain.

So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don't be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,
who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped…

In all my prayers for all of you,
I always pray with joy because
of your partnership in the gospel
from the first day until now.

I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.

Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do
and doesn’t do it, sins.

Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great:
He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit,
was seen by angels, was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

And it is my prayer that your love
may abound more and more,
with knowledge and all discernment,
so that you may approve what is excellent,
and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,

If any of you lacks wisdom,
he should ask God, who gives generously
to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

The lips of the righteous know what is fitting,
but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.

My old self has been crucified with Christ.
It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.
So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

You [God] prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

I will praise God's name in song
and glorify Him with thanksgiving.

Not only so, but we ourselves,
who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
groan inwardly as we wait eagerly
for our adoption as sons,
the redemption of our bodies.

The Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen
and protect you from the evil one.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths,
but only such as is good for the building up,
as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to
those who hear.

As for you, the anointing you received
from him remains in you, and you do
not need anyone to teach you.
But as his anointing teaches you about
all things and as that anointing is real,
not counterfeit, just as it has taught you,
remain in him.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit,
but in humility count others more significant
than yourselves.
Let each of you look not only to his own interests,
but also to the interests of others.

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them [those who deny that Jesus is from God and who have the spirit of the world], because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

Who is wise and understanding among you?
By his good conduct let him show his works
in the meekness of wisdom.

To all who received him,
to those who believe in his name,
he gave the right to become children of God
children born not of natural descent,
nor of human decision, or a husband's will,
but born of God.

So we have come to know and to believe
the love that God has for us.
God is Love, and whoever abides in love
abides in God, and God abides in him.

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.

For sin shall not be your master,
because you are not under law,
but under grace.

Never forget 911

For the Lord is the Spirit,
and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is,
there is freedom.

Older men are to be sober-minded,
dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith,
in love, and in steadfastness.

Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things
grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

The Lord is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.

Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me,
he will keep my word, and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our home with him.

And Jesus came and said to them,
"All authority in heaven and on earth
has been given to Me. God therefore
and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that
I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

The eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love.

For the wages of sin is death,
but the free gift of God is eternal life
through Christ Jesus our Lord.

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture,
"Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right.

A patient man has great understanding,
but a quick-tempered man displays folly.

Do not envy a violent man
or choose any of his ways,
for the LORD detests a perverse man
but takes the upright into his confidence.

A new commandment I give to you,
that you love one another:
just as I have loved you,
you also are to love one another.
By this all people will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust destroy,
and where thieves break in and steal.
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where moth and rust do not destroy,
and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God,
that you believe in him whom he has sent."

Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind."

But when they saw him walking on the lake,
they thought he was a ghost.
They cried out, because they all saw him and
were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them
and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

I have told you these things,
so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world.

Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong,
but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know
on what day your Lord will come. But understand this:
If the owner of the house had known at what time
of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch
and would not have let his house be broken into.
So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man
will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens,
but fellow citizens with God's people
and members of God's household,
but on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

The LORD is my light and my salvation
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life
of whom shall I be afraid?

I consider that our present sufferings
are not worth comparing with the glory
that will be revealed in us.

Yet he did not waver through unbelief
regarding the promise of God,
but was strengthened in his faith
and gave glory to God,
being fully persuaded that God
had power to do what he had promised.

Humble yourselves, therefore,
under God's mighty hand,
that he may lift you up in due time.

Live a life of love,
just as Christ loved us
and gave himself up for us
as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity and
cleanse me from my sin.

And we,
who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory,
are being transformed into his likeness with ever
increasing glory, which  comes from the Lord,
who is the Spirit

When they saw the courage of Peter and John
and realized that they were unschooled,
ordinary men, they were astonished and
they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

I enjoy living by your rules as people enjoy great riches.

What is impossible with men is possible with God.

Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong,
but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture,
"Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right.

You intended to harm me,
but God intended it for good
to accomplish what is now being done

Jesus answered, "I am the way
and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father
except through me."

'Not by might nor by power,
but by my Spirit,'
says the Lord Almighty

Blessed are those who are persecuted
because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Therefore, as God's chosen people,
holy and dearly loved,
clothe yourselves with compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

For great is your love,
reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

You shall not give false testimony
against your neighbor.

But the gift is not like the trespass.
For if the many died by the trespass
of the one man,
how much more did God’s grace and the gift
that came by the grace of the one man,
Jesus Christ,
overflow to the many!

Do not merely listen to the word,
and so deceive yourselves.
Do what it says.

Don’t let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good.

I have made you known to them,
and will continue to make you known
in order that the love you have for me
may be in them and that I myself may be in them.

The God of all grace,
who called you to his eternal glory in Christ,
after you have suffered a little while,
will himself restore you and make you strong,
firm and steadfast.

Because, if you confess with your mouth
that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart
that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved. 
For with the heart one believes and is justified,
and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Father, I want those you have given me
to be with me where I am,
and to see my glory,
the glory you have given me
because you loved me before the creation of the world.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD,
“He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God,
for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless
who misuses his name.

Here is a trustworthy saying
that deserves full acceptance:
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners
of whom I am the worst.

Fear not for I am with you...
I will strengthen you. 
Yes, I will help you. 
I will uphold you with the right hand (Jesus)
of My righteousness.

You shall not make for yourself an image
in the form of anything in heaven above
or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
You shall not bow down to them or worship them;
for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.

The law was added so that the trespass might increase.
But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,
so that, just as sin reigned in death,
so also grace might reign through righteousness
to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 But let him who boasts boast in this,
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the Lord who practices steadfast
love, justice, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.

Love the LORD your God with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your strength.

Peace I leave with you;
my peace I give you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled
and do not be afraid.

All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
but the Lord weighs the spirit.
Commit your work to the Lord,
and your plans will be established.

But you are a chosen race,
a royal priesthood,
a holy nation,
a people for his own possession,
that you may proclaim the excellencies
of him who called you out of darkness
into his marvelous light.

He who dwells in the shelter
of the Most High will rest
in the shadow of the Almighty!

Pray then like this:
"Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven

There is no fear in love,
but perfect love casts out fear.
For fear has to do with punishment,
and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.



Believe me that I am in the Father
and the Father is in me,
or else believe on account of the works themselves.

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is His faithfulness.

2 Timothy 3:16

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God"
2 Timothy 3:16

The Greek word for inspiration literally means God-breathed. God breathes out His Word.

When God breathes out His Word, things happen. They come into being because He calls them forth by the breath of His mouth.

Romans 4:16-17

"Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations") in the presence of Him whom he believed - God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did."
Romans 4:16-17

God calls things that are not as though they were.

That's how the heavens and the earth got here in the first place. Once they were not, then they were because God spoke them into existence.

That's how God works. He speaks and expects His Word to be fulfilled.

That's what we are to do, speak God's Word and expect it to be fulfilled.

Luke 17:6

"If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."
Luke 17:6

Jesus told them that it wasn't an increase of faith that they needed.
What they needed was to apply the faith they already had.

Even if they had faith only the size of a mustard seed, it would be more than enough to do the job for them.

Acts 2:21

"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Acts 2:21

The Bible says that those who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

We call on His name, with faith that He really is there and that He is who He says He is.

We call on His name, trusting that He will do what He says He will do.

Faith is about God and His Word, not us and our works.

Psalm 147:10-11

"He does not delight in the strength of the horses; He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.
The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy."
Psalm 147:10-11

Faith is the only basis in which we can come to God.

We don't come on the strength of who we are and what we have done.

We come because of who He is and what He has done.

We can only come trusting in Him!

Mark 11:24

"Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them"
Mark 11:24

This a powerful truth.

The receiving doesn't happen when we see it manifest in the natural.

The receiving occurs as soon as we pray believing.
First comes believing.
Then comes receiving.

Hebrews 11

Hebrews 11 is called the Faith Hall of Fame because it features  a list of many Old Testament heroes who accomplished mightiness by faith.

Studying Hebrews 11 to see how faith works, it will work the same for us as it did for them.

We may not do the same exploits as they did, but God desires to do things in us that pertain to these times that we live today.

The principles of faith will work just the same as they did for them when we work them properly.

Ephesians 2:8

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast"
Ephesians 2:8

The Bible says that Abraham believed the Lord and the Lord accounted it to him for righteousness.

Just as faith made Abraham right with God, it will do the same for us when we believe God because faith is a spiritual law.

Romans 3:27

"Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith."
Romans 3:27

Everything in the world is ruled by spiritual laws.
A law works by spiritual principles, is something that works every time for everybody and in the same way.

Faith is a spiritual law.

Mark 11:23

"Assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, be removed and be cast into the sea and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says."
Mark 11:23

Assuredly means 'amen' which is a powerful expression of faith.

Jesus using this word, was making a confident declaration about making confident  declarations.

Isaiah 55:11

"So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it"
Isaiah 55:11

If God is full of faith in His own Word, then we should also be full of faith in His Word and believe it will fulfilled.

God operates  by faith in everything He does and so should we.

Hebrews 11:3

"By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, So that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible."
Hebrews 11:3

When darkness was on the face of the deep in Genesis 1, God said, "Let there be light."
He believed what He said and had expected light would appear.

When God spoke, He expected it to be fulfilled.

Hebrews 11:1

"Faith is the substance of things hoped for"
Hebrews 11:1.

Faith is the basic reality of what we expect to see fulfilled.

Galatians 5:22

Faith is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,. . . faith"  Galatians 5:22

All these fruit are worked in us by the Holy Spirit because they all come from God.

Happy Mother's Day 2013

Deuteronomy 7:9

"Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments."  Deuteronomy 7:9

In the Old Testament the word for 'faithful' is 'aman in Hebrew.  It sounds a lot like 'amen' because they are cousins, and follow the same principle of faith.

Godly Faith

The faith that comes from God causes us to depend on Him and on His Word, the promises He has given us.

This is the Bible kind of faith.

It comes from God and it always leads us back to Him.

Worldly Faith

There is a faith that comes from the world that teaches us to trust in ourselves and to be moved by circumstances.

It conditions us to be directed by our own understanding and to rely on our own thoughts, emotions and senses.

Romans 10:17

To the Romans, Paul said, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God"
Romans 10:17

As long as we have ears to hear the Word of God, we can have faith in what God says.

Ephesians 2:8

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God"
Ephesians 2:8

God's faith is sufficient and we can have it and use it.

We can take Christ for our faith just as we took Him for our justification, for our victories over temptation, and for our sanctification.

Every one of us can have the faith that comes from God. He offers it to us as a gift.

Mark 11:22

"So Jesus answered and said to the, 'Have faith in God.'"
Mark 11:22

Everything in life is all about God.

Every good thing comes from Him,
works because of Him and
find its fulfillment in Him.

Faithfulness, too, is all about God,
trusting Him and exercising faith in His promises.

For He is and He is the rewarder of all who diligently seek Him by faith.

3 John 1:5

"Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers;
Which have borne witness of thy charity [love] before the church:"
3 John 1:5

The Bible says that faith expresses itself through love.

Gaius was faithful, he believed God and was full of faith.
His faith was full of love and his love was full of action.

The Church gave witness to his love and John commended him for his faithfulness.

Hebrews 11:6

"Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him"
Hebrews 11:6

Without faith, it isn't only hard to please God, it's impossible!

If something is not of faith, it is not of God.

If it doesn't come from God, it cannot please Him.

"Whatever is not from faith is sin"  Romans 14:23.

Luke 16:10

"He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much."
Luke 16:10

In the Greek, the word for 'faithful' is the same word for 'faith.'

In English, we say that 'fruitful' means 'full of fruit',
'joyful' means 'full of joy'.
In the same way 'faithful' means 'full of faith'.

Romans 1:16-17

"For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also the Greek.
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "the Just shall live by faith."
Romans 1:16-17

God's way is always of faith, and faith always comes by hearing the Word of God.
It comes by righteousness, His way of doing and being right.

As Often As We Do It

The Lord our Shepherd has prepared a table for us, even in the presence of our enemies.

It is the place where all our needs are met.
It is the place where we are anointed with fresh oil.
It is the place where our cups run over.
It is the place from which the goodness and mercy of God follows us all the days of our  lives.
It is the place where we can dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
It is the place of our health.

We can take our place at this table.
For as often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.

It is for us that He came.
It is for us that He died.
It is for us that He is coming again.

Communion is the sign of our victory in Jesus Christ over sin, sickness and everything that stand against us.

We proclaim this victory as often as we take the bread and the cup.

For Our Sins and Sicknesses

Jesus bore our sicknesses and pains in His own body in the same way He bore our sins.

"He was numbered with the transgressors and bore the sin of many", Isaiah 53:12.

The Hebrew word for 'bore' in each instance means to lift a burden and carry it far away.
When Jesus bore our sins, He lifted them off of us and carried them far away so we could be forgiven.
Also when He bore our sicknesses, He lifted them off of us and carried them far away so we could be healed.

We receive healing in the same way we receive forgiveness, by faith.

Healing and forgiveness go together, just as the body and the blood go together.

Psalm 103:2-3
"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:
            Who forgives all your iniquities,
            Who heals all your diseases"

Without the forgiveness of sins, there could be no healing of diseases.

The New Covenant in His Blood

Luke 22:20 "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you."

Matthew 26:28, "For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."

The blood of Jesus was shed for our sins.
It is the sign of a new covenant that has been instituted, a better covenant than the old covenant under Moses.
"But now He [Jesus] has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises"
Hebrews 8:6.

The essence of covenant is exchange: Jesus took our sin that we might have His righteousness.
"For He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him"
2 Corinthians 5:21.

Jesus took our curse so that we might have His blessing.
"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree). that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus"  Galatians 3:13,14.

Jesus took our sicknesses that we might have His wholeness.
"Surely He has borne our griefs [literally-sicknesses] and carried our sorrows [literally-pains] He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed"  Isaiah 53:4,5.

Jesus' Body

Luke 22:19 "This is my body which is given for you."

The "breaking" of bread is actually the giving of bread.

The body of Jesus was given on the Cross, but it wasn't broken.

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but He delivers them out of them all. He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken"
Psalms 34:19,20.

This is fulfilled in John's account of the Crucifixion.
"But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. . .
For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, 'Not one of His bones shall be broken'"
John 19:33 and 36

Jesus bore all our afflictions for us, but He was not broken by them, for the Lord delivered Him from them all.

Because He has been delivered, He is able to minister healing and wholeness to us.

Many have experienced this at the Lord's Table.

The Lord's Supper

In the Lord's Supper, God has given us a wonderful way to lay hold of the healing benefits of the body and blood of Jesus.

The Lord's Supper is an ordinance, commanded and commissioned by Jesus for the Church.

It is a sacrament, and outward sign of an inward reality, signifying His presence.

It is a means of grace by which God strengthens and blesses His people.

It is called Communion, a prayer of fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul gives us his account  of it in
1 Corinthians 11:23-26. 
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