Psalm 132-134
I am up early this morning. I love to get up early and watch the sunrise – and think about another day – a day which the Lord has prepared for me. There’s always more to do and more to learn.
This morning as I read Psalm 133, I can’t help but think of my husband’s recent mission. He has been gathering pastors together for bi-weekly prayer meetings. There are many denominations involved in these meetings, and they are very careful to keep the spirit of unity.
We can find ourselves separating over so many doctrines and cultural preferences. But the Lord wants unity. He wants us to see ourselves as many parts of the same body of Christ. If we agree on the essentials – Jesus Christ, Him crucified, dead, buried, resurrected, and the born again experience He provided – then we are part of the same Body of Christ.
My husband uses the term “twelve tribes, one nation” when speaking about unity. The tribes of Israel had different banners, different leaders, and even different customs. However, when it was time for war, they came together as one nation – God’s nation. That’s the way we are as Christians. It’s okay to have our different tribes with different customs and doctrines. However, we are to appreciate each other as being part of the Lord’s body.
With these parameters in mind, the prayer meetings my husband has been leading are truly powerful. The men of God are growing to have such a love and appreciation for each other. They realize that basically they all desire the same thing. They are praying for awakening in our region, for the Holy Spirit to move, and for God’s presence to take back our nation.
The level of prayer is increasing with each meeting. The anointing of God is flowing every time.
“How good it is for brothers to dwell together in unity. It is like precious oil upon the head…There the Lord commanded the blessing – life forever.” (133)
I Corinthians 11:17-34
The bawdy Corinthians carried their behavior over into the taking of the Lord’s supper. (What else would we expect)?
These new Christians are taking the bread and wine as Jesus had told them to do – in honor of Him, and committing themselves to Him. However, they are chowing down on the bread in a gluttonous way. And they are getting drunk on the wine. What a mess!
The communion which we honor in our services today is a sacred thing, and not to be taken lightly. Jesus said that we are to do it in remembrance of Him. When we take the bread, signifying His body, and the wine, signifying His blood, we are demonstrating our allegiance to Him. We are symbolizing the fact that we are part of Him and partakers of all that He has for us.
If we haphazardly go through the motions of communion without any thought, we are in danger of mocking the cross of Christ. And we don’t want to go there!
As we prayerfully examine ourselves through the process of taking the Lord’s supper, we find the act of great benefit. If there is any sin which has crept into our lives, we repent. If there is anyone we need to forgive, we do it. If there is any sickness in our body, we receive the healing from the Lord – and the peace which comes with it.
We are saying through this prophetic act that we give our all to Jesus and we want all that he has for us.
As we think about what we are doing, we can expect a miraculous walk with the Lord.
