"Remembering God's Gift" Revisited for Maundy Thursday Once Again

Thursday, April 2, 2026...Reposting this for today, which is "Maundy Thursday" for this year...It's well worth repeating each year.  May you be blessed as we remember our Lord's great sacrifice for us.

Thursday, March 28, 2024...Since today is "Maundy Thursday", I thought perhaps it would be a good time to revisit this post again. Whether or not your church observes this day or not, today is a good day to remember the events of Holy Week...the days leading up to Christ's death and resurrection.  Here is what I shared with you a couple of years ago, and also a couple of years before that.  It's a story and event that we have been asked to remember whenever we come together in Jesus' Name.

4/14/2022: I originally posted this when we were still under "lockdown" and unable to worship together in person.  Thankfully we are no longer under such restrictions, but not every church has a "Maundy Thursday" service.  Even so, we can still join together wherever we are, in a spiritual bond with our brothers and sisters around the world and observe this remembrance of our Lord's "Last Supper".  Here is what I shared in previous years on this date. I hope it will be a blessing to you:

Today is Maundy Thursday, the day we observe and celebrate "The Last Supper" during Holy Week. I have revised this post from a previous post regarding The Lord's Supper observance from our church, so that we can remember the Gift of Christ's sacrifice for us as He willingly gave up His life so that we might have eternal life with Him.  Whether or not your church observes this particular day or not, many will be joining together across the land to partake even if we are not able to assemble together physically. I believe God is using this time to draw many to Himself as we are focused on finding ways to participate in Holy Week/Easter services from our homes. May God be glorified and praised through these difficult days.

This is from a previous church service.  Please follow along and be blessed:

Our Scripture lesson is from Luke 22:7-20, but the following verses 14-20 were highlighted:

Luke 22:14-20

14.  "When the hour had come, 

He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.

15.  Then He said to them,

"With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you 

before I suffer;

16.  For I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."

17.  Then He took the cup, 

and gave thanks,

and said,

"Take this and divide it among yourselves;

18.  for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine 

until the kingdom of God comes."

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." 

Our choir sang this beautiful song prior to the message today. It was so beautifully written and sung.

 

Refrain:

"Every time we eat this bread,

Every time we drink this cup,

We proclaim the death of the Lord

Until He comes.

Take and eat this bread,

This is My body.

Take and drink this cup,

This is My blood.

(Refrain)

"I am the bread come down from heaven.

Eat this bread and live eternally."

(Refrain)

"I am the vine,

and you, the branches.

You who live in me

will bear much fruit."

(Refrain)

"My command is love for one another.

This I pray so your joy will be complete."

(Refrain)

In the above passage in Luke 22, Jesus said He desired to eat this Passover with His disciples.  Passover was and is a very special time of remembrance of the great redemption of the children of Israel from the Egyptians.  You can read more about this in the Old Testament book of Exodus, chapter 12. Particularly verses 12-13, God is explaining to Moses what He is going to do to redeem His people...and providing the very first Passover through the blood of the unblemished lamb.

"12.  For I will pass through the land of Egypt on the that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: 

I AM the Lord.  

13.  Now the blood shall be a sign for you 

on the houses where you are. 

And when I see the blood, 

I will pass over you; 

and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt."

Fast forward to the New Testament and to Luke 22, where Jesus is explaining  to His disciples in essence that He is about to become their "Passover Lamb"...and so when we celebrate Holy Communion, we are to remember Christ's great sacrifice for our redemption.   This is much more than just a history lesson. It is a celebration on the hearts and lives of believers until Christ returns...It is only through the cross of Christ  and the shedding of His blood that we have redemption from our sins.

In Luke 22:16-20 Jesus is foretelling for all of us the glorious promise of when we will one day sit at the banquet table with Jesus at the "Marriage Supper of the Lamb" (see Revelation 19:7-10)

In partaking in Communion we are remembering the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins.  For a prophetic description of the sorrow and anguish and pain that He suffered for us, please read Isaiah 53.  This is a vivid description of the vicarious sacrifice of Christ. Jesus took on Himself all of our sins...and because of this our sins are forgiven when we choose to believe in Him.

Hebrews 9:22 tells us:

"According to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission."

In John's Gospel, chapter 6, Jesus tells His disciples in verse 56:

"He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, 

and I in Him."

And so we come back to the communion service, where we follow Christ's example given to the disciples at that Last Supper before His death.   

I Corinthians 10:16-17 

"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? 

For we, though many, are one bread and one body; 

for we all partake of that one bread."

Please read I Corinthians 11:23-34 for the order of Communion, and where we see again how the Lord gave thanks, and then said to His disciples, 

"Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you;

do this in remembrance of Me."

In the same manner He 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."

• We need to rejoice together in Communion. I want to live my life in such a way that I can one day stand before Him.

Remember the great gifts He has given us:

• Promise of eternity
• Promise of sins forgiven
• Partaking in the remembrance of Christ Jesus through this ordinance of the Lord's Supper.

(we sang the following song during the Communion service:)

In Remembrance 
(Ragan Courtney and Buryl Red)

"In remembrance of Me eat this bread
In remembrance of Me drink this wine
In remembrance of Me pray for the time
When God's own will is done 

In remembrance of me heal the sick
In remembrance of me feed the poor
In remembrance of me open the door
And let your brother in, let him in

Take eat and be comforted
Drink and remember too
That this is my body and precious blood
Shed for you, shed for you

In remembrance of me search for truth
In remembrance of me always love
In remembrance of me don't look above
But in your heart, in your heart
Look in your heart for God

Do this in remembrance of Me
Do this in remembrance of Me
In remembrance of Me"

Have YOU decided to follow Christ? Take time to remember His great sacrifice for your sins as you celebrate communion with Him and His body, the church.

After partaking of communion  today we closed the service with the following song, (one of my favorite hymns):  "And Can It Be?"  I hope you will sing along with me here:

VERSE 1
And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood
Died He for me, who caused His pain
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

VERSE 2
He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace
Emptied Himself of all but love
And bled for Adam’s helpless race
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free
For O my God, it found out me!
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shoudlst die for me?

VERSE 3
Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light
My chains fell off, my heart was free
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God shouldst die for me?

VERSE 4
No condemnation now I dread
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine
Alive in Him, my living Head
And clothed in righteousness divine
Bold I approach the eternal throne
And claim the crown, through Christ my own
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou my God, shouldst die for me?

2/3/2019: Personal notes from me (Pam) here:  I don't know if your church observes Holy Communion once a month, once a quarter, or every Sunday, but I know for me when we started coming to this particular church at first I was a little uncertain about the necessity for taking communion every Sunday.  But then I remembered that the early church "continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2:42), and that the believers were encouraged to "proclaim the Lord's death until He comes." (I Corinthians 11:26)  I find the time of communion at the close of our service to be a personal time of worship, prayer, and introspection as I examine my own heart and seek God's will and direction for my life.  It is a cleansing time, where I can once again remember how Christ sacrificed His very blood for me so that I would be washed clean from all my sins, and therefore  I want to surrender my life to Him for service  in whatever way He leads.  Sometimes we get complacent and lazy in our faith walk, and we tend to forget why we are here and what we are supposed to be doing in God's kingdom.  The communion service is a stark reminder to me that my life is not my own. I belong to Christ, and therefore I want to serve Him fresh and new  every day. I am very thankful for this time of remembrance each week. It has been life-renewing to me.  I hope this has been meaningful for you as well.  

"The Last Supper" ~ Revisited 4/6/2023

 I have shared this post a couple of times before, but since today is "Maundy Thursday", I find I cannot improve upon this particular post, so am sharing it again, this time without all of the previous comments.  Our country is in so much turmoil right now, due to horrific storms and also storms of both political and world events.  We need this time to come together around the table of our Lord and find solace and peace for our hearts and minds once again. I pray this observance of the Lord's Last Supper will be a comfort to you today.

Note: I originally posted this when we were still under "lockdown" and unable to worship together in person.  Thankfully we are no longer under such restrictions, but not every church has a "Maundy Thursday" service.  Even so, we can still join together wherever we are, in a spiritual bond with our brothers and sisters around the world and observe this remembrance of our Lord's "Last Supper".  Here is what I shared in previous years on this date. I hope it will be a blessing to you:

Today is Maundy Thursday, the day we observe and celebrate "The Last Supper" during Holy Week. I have revised this post from a previous post regarding The Lord's Supper observance from our church, so that we can remember the Gift of Christ's sacrifice for us as He willingly gave up His life so that we might have eternal life with Him.  Whether or not your church observes this particular day or not, many will be joining together across the land to partake even if we are not able to assemble together physically. I believe God is using this time to draw many to Himself as we are focused on finding ways to participate in Holy Week/Easter services from our homes. May God be glorified and praised through these difficult days.

This is from a previous church service.  Please follow along and be blessed:

Our Scripture lesson is from Luke 22:7-20, but the following verses 14-20 were highlighted:

Luke 22:14-20

14.  "When the hour had come, 

He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.

15.  Then He said to them,

"With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you 

before I suffer;

16.  For I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."

17.  Then He took the cup, 

and gave thanks,

and said,

"Take this and divide it among yourselves;

18.  for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine 

until the kingdom of God comes."

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." 

Our choir sang this beautiful song prior to the message today. It was so beautifully written and sung.

 

Refrain:

"Every time we eat this bread,

Every time we drink this cup,

We proclaim the death of the Lord

Until He comes.

Take and eat this bread,

This is My body.

Take and drink this cup,

This is My blood.

(Refrain)

"I am the bread come down from heaven.

Eat this bread and live eternally."

(Refrain)

"I am the vine,

and you, the branches.

You who live in me

will bear much fruit."

(Refrain)

"My command is love for one another.

This I pray so your joy will be complete."

(Refrain)

In the above passage in Luke 22, Jesus said He desired to eat this Passover with His disciples.  Passover was and is a very special time of remembrance of the great redemption of the children of Israel from the Egyptians.  You can read more about this in the Old Testament book of Exodus, chapter 12. Particularly verses 12-13, God is explaining to Moses what He is going to do to redeem His people...and providing the very first Passover through the blood of the unblemished lamb.

"12.  For I will pass through the land of Egypt on the that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: 

I AM the Lord.  

13.  Now the blood shall be a sign for you 

on the houses where you are. 

And when I see the blood, 

I will pass over you; 

and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt."

Fast forward to the New Testament and to Luke 22, where Jesus is explaining  to His disciples in essence that He is about to become their "Passover Lamb"...and so when we celebrate Holy Communion, we are to remember Christ's great sacrifice for our redemption.   This is much more than just a history lesson. It is a celebration on the hearts and lives of believers until Christ returns...It is only through the cross of Christ  and the shedding of His blood that we have redemption from our sins.

In Luke 22:16-20 Jesus is foretelling for all of us the glorious promise of when we will one day sit at the banquet table with Jesus at the "Marriage Supper of the Lamb" (see Revelation 19:7-10)

In partaking in Communion we are remembering the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins.  For a prophetic description of the sorrow and anguish and pain that He suffered for us, please read Isaiah 53.  This is a vivid description of the vicarious sacrifice of Christ. Jesus took on Himself all of our sins...and because of this our sins are forgiven when we choose to believe in Him.

Hebrews 9:22 tells us:

"According to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission."

In John's Gospel, chapter 6, Jesus tells His disciples in verse 56:

"He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, 

and I in Him."

And so we come back to the communion service, where we follow Christ's example given to the disciples at that Last Supper before His death.   

I Corinthians 10:16-17 

"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? 

For we, though many, are one bread and one body; 

for we all partake of that one bread."

Please read I Corinthians 11:23-34 for the order of Communion, and where we see again how the Lord gave thanks, and then said to His disciples, 

"Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you;

do this in remembrance of Me."

In the same manner He 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."

• We need to rejoice together in Communion. I want to live my life in such a way that I can one day stand before Him.

Remember the great gifts He has given us:

• Promise of eternity
• Promise of sins forgiven
• Partaking in the remembrance of Christ Jesus through this ordinance of the Lord's Supper.

(we sang the following song during the Communion service:)

In Remembrance 
(Ragan Courtney and Buryl Red)

"In remembrance of Me eat this bread
In remembrance of Me drink this wine
In remembrance of Me pray for the time
When God's own will is done 

In remembrance of me heal the sick
In remembrance of me feed the poor
In remembrance of me open the door
And let your brother in, let him in

Take eat and be comforted
Drink and remember too
That this is my body and precious blood
Shed for you, shed for you

In remembrance of me search for truth
In remembrance of me always love
In remembrance of me don't look above
But in your heart, in your heart
Look in your heart for God

Do this in remembrance of Me
Do this in remembrance of Me
In remembrance of Me"

Have YOU decided to follow Christ? Take time to remember His great sacrifice for your sins as you celebrate communion with Him and His body, the church.

After partaking of communion  today we closed the service with the following song, (one of my favorite hymns):  "And Can It Be?"  I hope you will sing along with me here:

VERSE 1
And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood
Died He for me, who caused His pain
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

VERSE 2
He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace
Emptied Himself of all but love
And bled for Adam’s helpless race
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free
For O my God, it found out me!
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shoudlst die for me?

VERSE 3
Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light
My chains fell off, my heart was free
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God shouldst die for me?

VERSE 4
No condemnation now I dread
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine
Alive in Him, my living Head
And clothed in righteousness divine
Bold I approach the eternal throne
And claim the crown, through Christ my own
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou my God, shouldst die for me?

2/3/2019: Personal notes from me (Pam) here:  I don't know if your church observes Holy Communion once a month, once a quarter, or every Sunday, but I know for me when we started coming to this particular church at first I was a little uncertain about the necessity for taking communion every Sunday.  But then I remembered that the early church "continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2:42), and that the believers were encouraged to "proclaim the Lord's death until He comes." (I Corinthians 11:26)  I find the time of communion at the close of our service to be a personal time of worship, prayer, and introspection as I examine my own heart and seek God's will and direction for my life.  It is a cleansing time, where I can once again remember how Christ sacrificed His very blood for me so that I would be washed clean from all my sins, and therefore  I want to surrender my life to Him for service  in whatever way He leads.  Sometimes we get complacent and lazy in our faith walk, and we tend to forget why we are here and what we are supposed to be doing in God's kingdom.  The communion service is a stark reminder to me that my life is not my own. I belong to Christ, and therefore I want to serve Him fresh and new  every day. I am very thankful for this time of remembrance each week. It has been life-renewing to me.  I hope this has been meaningful for you as well.  

Postscript 4/6/2023:  Since I originally wrote this post and comments above in 2019, I wanted to add that now I am blessed and humbled and honored to be able to actually participate in serving Communion alongside my husband in our weekly service at our church. We take the bread and the cup to members of our choir, our Pastor and his wife, and any of those who are unable to get up and walk forward to be served communion in the service. It is a sweet and humbling experience to serve those who are seat-bound, and to extend this blessing of Christ's sacrifice of His body and blood for our sins to each one by name.  It makes these hymns above and the words of Christ's blessing to us so much more meaningful to me personally. All because of God's Amazing Grace.  

Praying that this Holy Week is especially meaningful for you.  Amen.

You're Always Welcome at the "Table of Grace"

You're always welcome, at "The Table of Grace"

"Hear the good news, you've been invited

No matter what others may say,

Your darkest sins will be forgiven

You will always have a place.

At the table of grace the cup's never empty.

The plate's always full and it's never too late.

To come and be filled with love never ending

You're always welcome at the table of grace.

So come weak, and heavy hearted (heavy hearted)

Don't try to hide your earthly scars.

In His eyes, we all are equal (yes, we are)

Don't be afraid, come as you are.

At the table of grace the cup's never empty.

The plate's always full, and it's never too late.

To come and be filled with love never ending

You're always welcome at the table of grace.

(Instrumental break)

So let the first become the last

Let the poor put kings to shame.

Their willing hearts will be their treasure

By the power of Jesus' name!

At the table of grace the cup's never empty

The plate's always full, and it's never too late!

To come and be filled with love never ending

You're always welcome at the table of grace

At the table of grace the cup's never empty.

The plate's always full, and it's never too late

To come and be filled with love never ending:

You're always welcome at the table.

Everyone's welcome at the table of grace."

Songwriters: Connie Rae Harrington / Anna Hutto
Table Of Grace lyrics © Universal Music - Brentwood Benson Publ.

Dear friends, I hope you know you are always welcome at "The Table of Grace".   Have a blessed and beautiful SONday today.

It's a Beautiful Day for a Beautiful Day

It's a beautiful day for a beautiful day!! 

From the Psalms of David, 

"A Psalm of Unmixed Praise" (per my NKJV Bible)

Psalm 103:1-5

1.  "Bless the Lord, O my soul;

And all that is within me, bless His holy name!

2.  Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all His benefits;

3.  Who forgives all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases,

4.  Who redeems your life from destruction,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

5.  Who satisfies your mouth with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

We took a little ride in our own neighborhood. We had kind of forgotten this beautiful place was there, practically within walking distance....(but not quite yet for me)

 Hubby is on the lookout for a quiet, safe spot to have our own personal Sunrise Service on Easter Sunday Morning.  Since we can't gather in crowds or groups, we are looking for a  secluded spot where we can just sit and praise the Lord at sunrise on Easter.

 Although this is a public boat ramp in our neighborhood, there was no one there today. So we are hoping perhaps it will be the same on Easter Sunday morning, and perhaps we can go there

to spend that quiet time rejoicing in the Risen Christ.

We shall see. If it doesn't work, then we will do our time of rejoicing here at our own home, but

we were kind of hoping to see the sunrise from a special location.

Maybe people from all over will also be rising early wherever they are to celebrate

the risen Christ at sunrise on Easter Sunday.

Perhaps something to think about, if you haven't already.

We would be celebrating together across the land, even if it is at different times for the different time zones, but it might be a special way to celebrate together.  

So, why not set your alarm clocks next Sunday morning to be sure and rise early enough to watch the sunrise wherever you are...and spend that time rejoicing in the fact that Christ is Risen!

He is Risen indeed!

Meanwhile, back at home, I am preparing for another special "celebration." Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. Our Pastor will be speaking to us online, and he has also promised that we will be sharing Communion (The Lord's Supper) together, since it is also the first Sunday of the month.  So we are each to prepare our own elements for observing this wonderful Sacrament together.  

I decided this was a good reason to bake some bread.

Yes, I know, I do cheat a little by using this bread machine. It was a gift from my parents many years ago, and I honestly don't use it often enough anymore...but felt this was a good opportunity to put it back into service...to prepare bread for our remembrance of the Lord's Supper.

For a complete personal Communion Service Please click HERE and share in this service with me.

So, what special plans are you making for the observance of this Holy Week? It will be largely up to us as individuals to set apart a special time to worship and remember the Lord's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, His Last Supper, His brutal death on the cross, His burial in the tomb, and His glorious Resurrection three days later.

If nothing else, during these difficult days, let us remember what Jesus said to the sleeping disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night He was betrayed:

"What? Could you not watch with Me one hour?

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  

The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

Matthew 26:40-41

May Jesus find us awake and watching, for we do not know the hour that He will be returning to take us all home.

Have a wonderful, beautiful, blessed Holy Week.  Remember, it's not really about the Easter Bunny, or the eggs or the baskets  or the dresses...It's all about Jesus. Let us never forget.

Sermon Notes: Soaring with the Eagles

Today our message came from the book of Isaiah 40:21-31.

I will not print the whole passage for you here, but commend it to your reading.

The key verses are the most recognized:

"29.  He gives power to the weak,

and to those who have no might He increases strength.

30.  even the youths shall faint and be weary,

and the young men shall utterly fail,

31.  But those who wait on the Lord

shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

they shall run and not be weary,

they shall walk and not faint."

 (These eagle photos were from this time last year)

Here are some key thoughts from today's message:

• Learning how to live...how to trust in God...how to soar like the eagles...look at verse 31 (above)
• Pastor told the story of a young woman who was ready to give it all up...ready to die...and she didn't believe that God really cared about her or knew her at all, and she really didn't know Him. But somehow she received this message in a note..."Never give up...never give in..." and it spoke to her heart at just the critical moment in her life...Could it have been a  message from God, she wondered?
• Have you ever had a message from God?
• Has there ever been a time when you questioned God...Does He love me?
• Am I just too sinful, too flawed, too weighed down with guilt and shame?
• God is saying to us:
• "I know you...I died for you...Stop being so hard on yourself...Trust ME...I LOVE you just the way you are.  I have great plans for your life.
• God loves us...Hope and peace are found only in trusting in God.
• God is with us...God loves us...

In the book of Isaiah the people of Israel were in exile. They were faint, powerless...they thought God had forgotten them. They were hopeless, insecure...God wasn't hearing or answering their prayers (they thought)

Listen to what God is saying to the children of Israel through the Prophet Isaiah in verses 25-28:

"25.  To whom then will you liken Me (God),

Or to whom shall I be equal?, 

says the Holy One.

26.  Lift up your eyes on high, 

and see who has created these things,

Who brings out their host by number;

He calls them all by name,

By the greatness of His might 

and the strength of His power;

Not one is missing.

27.  Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel;

"My way is hidden from the Lord,

and my just claim is passed over by my God."?

28.  Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

The everlasting God, the Lord,

The Creator of the ends of the earth,

neither faints nor is weary.

His understanding is unsearchable."

• God loves us no matter what...God is with us always...
• God created the heavens...the stars, and called them all by name (vs. 26, and see also Psalm 147:4)
• God has promised us..."have hope, God will renew our strength.."

Are you feeling discouraged, beaten down with life...our calendars are filled with something...doctor appointments...and we get tired of going to the doctor and not getting any better...

• I wonder about the obstacles that keep me from imagining the wonders that God has promised.
• I need to pray for true healing to change my life.

Are you feeling alone, powerless..."How could God love me?"  "Does God even see me?" "How could God love me?" (see verses 27-28)

It's easy to forget God's attentiveness for each and every one of us...but God loves us, He cares for us...He has promised to care for us, and has told us to not be afraid...

Jesus is there to remind us that God loves us, when we feel lost, alone, unloved.

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

The pastor told the story of a Christian school in tornado alley, where a tornado was coming. And the little children were afraid as they gathered together in the hallway. As the storm was passing over their building and actually destroying much of the building, the children were praying. Afterwards, one little girl told the story of how they were saved. She said she saw angels come and hold up the ceiling of their hallway, and when things started getting really difficult for them, the angels called for more help, and many more angels came and held up that ceiling and the children were all safe and sound even though the rest of the building was destroyed.

God can be depended on. God never gives up on us. If we wait and trust in God...He is there and He will hear our prayers and be there to hold us up.

\Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 11:28-30

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, 

and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Don't give up and don't give in! God is in control...and He will not fail you!

Our choir sang this beautiful anthem before Communion:

Come, Come to the Table

by Joshua Metzger

Please listen and worship the Lord with me...

I pray you have a week of blessing and renewal in the Lord. And if you are feeling weak and alone, remember that God is there to give you strength...and to carry you with wings like eagles as you soar with Jesus.  

Please Note : I want to repeat this disclaimer here...the notes, outline, and content included here are based upon my own personal understanding of the message that was being given.  I am not attempting to completely quote or reproduce this message or any other message I've shared previously.  Just as each person reading these notes may glean insights and thoughts that seem to directly apply to one's own situation and interpretation, my own delivery of these messages is skewed by my hearing and translation of what is being said.  Some may read my notes here and wonder if they were hearing the same message as I...and I say, God speaks to each of us as He wills...there are things He is trying to get across to each individual that may be entirely different than what the person sitting next to you in the pew is needing to hear...  That is how the Holy Spirit works! He knows what we need to hear and how to apply it to our hearts.  So it is with that understanding that I present these sermon notes to you.

Sermon Notes: FUMC, Interlachen, FL, Pastor A.C. Myers, November 4, 2018

Toni's Creative Adventures: The Garden Surprise

Good Morning Friends! It's time for another of 
Every two weeks our friend Toni, also known from her other blog   http://treasuresbytoni.blogspot.com/, comes up with these fun memes for us to create our own adventures.  If you have a bent for creativity, why not join in the fun?  Just go to  http://toniscreativeadventures.blogspot.com/ and copy and paste the outline to your page, and fill in the blanks.  Then be sure to let Toni know you've played along.  The more the merrier!

The Garden Surprise
1.   Walking through a public garden I came across the strangest and most beautiful ancient garden gate.  It was surrounded by lush and fragrant blossoms of every hue. 

Internet Photo

And beside the gate was this marvelous stone with the following inscription:

Internet Photo

"Pause, friend, and read before you enter here.

This vine-clad wall encloses holy ground.

Herein a mellowed garden dreams away the years,

Steeped in serene sweet light and muted sound.

Herein tranquility and peace abide,

For God walks here at cool of evening-tide.

Pause, friend, and strip from out your heart

All vanity, all bitterness, all hate;

Quench, for this hour, the fever of your fears,

Then, treading softly, pass within this gate,

There, where the ancient trees wait, hushed and dim,

May you find God, and walk awhile with Him."

Pearl Hiatt, Brookgreen Gardens, SC

2.   Truly in awe of what I could see, I stopped and pondered where it might lead.

3.   Could it possibly be meant to just be admired or is it possible to actually open the gate and walk through it to find that tranquil, peaceful place?  Could there truly be such a garden, where "the ancient trees wait, hushed and dim..."
Oh how marvelous if even, "for this hour" One could "quench...the fever of my fears"...Might I actually be able to "find God, and walk awhile with Him"? 
  

What did I have to lose?  The ancient stone suggests that "herein a mellowed garden dreams away the years.."   All that I must do is "pause...and strip from out my heart all vanity, all bitterness, all hate..."  and then just tread softly, and "pass within this gate"...and perhaps I may discover the beauty of spending a "cool evening tide", walking with my Lord.

And so I entered the gate and discovered this lovely bench, where I could sit a while and rest and contemplate the beauty of this place...

And I looked to my right as I sat down and noticed this lovely chalice filled with wine, and the bread...which was broken...for me?  

I know I heard  Him say, "Yes, child, for you...This is My body which is given for you...

Take and eat." 

And then He said, 

"Likewise, take the cup...This cup is the new covenant in My blood...shed for you...

Do this in remembrance of Me."

Oh! What joy and peace filled my heart...all my burdens and fears just melted away as I sat there in His Presence in this lovely garden...such comfort as I'd never felt before surrounded and enveloped me in a velvety mantle of love. It was difficult for me to even consider having to leave.  


4.   I'm so glad I decided to visit this garden today or I never would have known such peace could exist in this world. I learned something in that garden that I could take with me and remember anytime I found myself feeling alone or fearful...just take a moment to pause and draw near to the Lord...wherever I may be...and He will be there waiting for me....just through the garden gate of my heart and soul.

More Clues...if you need them...

Last week's post left a few clues here... 

I mentioned last week that this little table was built by my husband's maternal grandfather, and was used for something very special in their home throughout the years.  My Mother-in-law, who is now 91 years old, has been spending her days between my brother-in-law's home and ours.  She has been with us for several weekends lately, and has shared her memories with us regarding the use of this little table in the home in which she grew up.


Today's clues are pretty revealing I think...

My husband's grandparents were members of a Bible fellowship known as the "Plymouth Brethren", which met in their home, and had a traveling evangelist come periodically to share God's Word and serve Holy Communion.  It was a time of true Christian worship, fellowship, and prayer, much like the very first church described in the 2nd Chapter of Acts...

"And they continued steadfastly 

in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship,

in the

BREAKING OF BREAD,

and in PRAYERS.

Then fear came upon every soul, 

and many wonders and signs were done

through the apostles.

Now all who believed were together,

and had all things in common,

and sold their possessions and goods,

and divided them among all,

as anyone had need.

So continuing daily with one accord in the temple,

and

BREAKING BREAD FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE,

they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,

PRAISING GOD AND HAVING FAVOR WITH ALL THE PEOPLE.

And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."

Acts 2:42-47

My husband has some very early memories of that precious time of fellowship with his mother and grandparents when he was a young child.  The influence of those Godly men and women who came to their home was very powerful, and helped plant the seeds in my husband's heart that later blossomed into the Call to serve God and to preach the Word...which he did faithfully for many years.

I am not sure just exactly what God is planning to do in our home at this time...but I will tell you this much, that which Jesus taught His disciples in the Gospel of Matthew 18:18-20...

"Assuredly, I say to you, that whatever you bind on earth 

will be bound in heaven,

and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Again I say to you that 

if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask,

it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.

For where two or three are gathered together

IN MY NAME,

I AM there in the midst of them."

This little table has come full circle... 

It is now a part of our home, and the blessing which was bestowed upon it so many years ago in the home of my husband's grandparents is being continued in our home.

All the clues are not complete yet, but we are walking day by day in faith,

trusting God to lead us and show us His plans.  This is just the continuation of the work that He began so many years ago... like over 2000 years ago!

Again, I say, Stay tuned for further developments...

and keep praying! God is at work in our midst.

I'd like to close this particular post today with the words to the song that we sang together this morning here in our home as we gathered together to worship the Lord...I found this song very comforting in light of the things that are happening in our world and nation today. Perhaps you will appreciate them also:

"O soul, are you weary and troubled? 

No light in the darkness you see?

There's light for a look at the Savior,

And life more abundant and free!

Chorus:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

and the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace.

Through death into life everlasting

He passed, and we follow Him there;

Over us sin no more hath dominion--

For more than conquerors we are!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

and the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace.

His Word shall not fail you-He promised;

Believe Him, and all will be well;

Then go to a world that is dying,

His perfect salvation to tell!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

and the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace."

Written by: Helen H. Lemmel, 1922