THE LORD’S SUPPER- WHEN? (No. 4. - Final)

“On the first day of the week we came together to break bread…”    (Acts 20:7)

            Jesus’ church in its beginning was d

evoted to the teaching of the inspired apostles. (Acts 2:41f.)  Thus they met on the first day of every week to break bread in Jesus’ memory.(1 Corinthians 16:1f; 11:23-34; 4:17; Hebrews 10:25.)  Luke records (Acts 20:1:1ff) that in Troas they met on “the first day of the week to break bread”. (V. 7.)  Though Paul and his company had been in the city for

“seven days”, and were “in a hurry to reach Jerusalem”, they did not meet at

Jesus’ table on any other day than “the first day of the week”. (vs. 6, 16.)

            Church historians from the second century A.D. onward confirm this to be the biblical practice.  Justin Martyr. In his Apologia 1:67,  writing about 140 A.D. observed: “And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the Memoirs of the Apostles or the Writings of the Prophets are read, as long as time permits, then when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things.  Then we all rise together and pray, and as we before said when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgiving, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying amen, and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons.” 

            George P. Fisher, (History of the Christian Church, pp. 67, 68), describing worship “in the second century”, writes, The ordinary practice was for the communion to be received on Sunday of each week.”

            Augustus Neander (Lutheran) comments in his History of the Christian Religion and Church (Vol. I, p. 332): “As we  have already remarked, the celebration of the Lord’s Supper was still held to constitute an essential part of divine worship every Sunday, as appears from Justin Martyr (A.D. 150)…”

            John Wesley (Methodist), in a memorable “Christmas letter”, read on

December 24, 1784 in Baltimore, Maryland, wrote to “Dr. Cope, Mr. Francis

Asbury, and our brethren in America…I have learned from reading the New Testament that  Christian people ought to observe the Lord’s Supper on the first day of every week…”

This was Jesus’ command through his inspired apostles. ((Matthew 28:1820;  Acts 2:42.)  Uninspired history confirms this weekly observance, each Sunday.  Jesus’ church today is guided by Jesus’ authority in this memorial – in its significance,  its manner of observance, and in its weekly observance  each Sunday, and only on Sunday. 

Tedd Kell, Brownwood, Texas

Prayer: It's Right in Front of Us

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountain to pray, and spent the night praying to God (Luke 6:12).


How many nights have you spent praying to God? If you’ve spent even one, I salute you. I can count on one hand the nights I’ve spent in prayer by taking one finger and one thumb…to form a great big zero!

I’ve never spent an entire night praying, but the number of nights I’ve lain awake fretting are too numerous to count. Dark hours of anxious fear, heart heavy with sadness and worry…I’ll bet you have, too.

How was Jesus able to pray all night long? He had religious leaders dogging him. They hated him and wanted him dead. Multitudes of the curious and needy pressed him daily for signs and begged for favors. A large group of disciples followed him everywhere, hanging on his every word, but they rarely understood him. In their spiritual shortsightedness he was larger than life, and consequently smaller than the Heavenly King he really was.

At the end of “one of those days” in Jesus’ life he did what came naturally. He prayed. Luke 22:44 says of Jesus, “And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” The Greek word for anguish tells us that Jesus knows what it’s like to be in dire straits, crushed between a rock and a hard place. He suffered every distress we can think of and some we can’t even imagine.

Like watching a bad movie, we lie awake at night playing and replaying our grievances, anxieties and worst fears.

Loving Heavenly Father, through Jesus who knows, forgive us for neglecting your precious gift of prayer, and thank you for the peaceful rest that’s ours because of your active presence in our lives. Amen.

Sandra Milholland
Abilene, Texas

Come On In!

A man of many companions may come to ruin,

    but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” – Proverbs 18:24

Life is lived better with friends.  They can say things to us that nobody else has “permission” to say.  Why?  Because we know they are our trusted companions in life.  When they speak, we know they have our best interests in mind.  And, when life chips away at our strength, they are the people we seek out for renewal and perspective.  They just have a knack for knowing how to walk with us in an understanding that others can't and don't.  

As the writer of Hebrews comes alongside his struggling readers, he shows them a side of Jesus that perhaps they (and we!) had forgotten.  He throws the curtain back and shines the spotlight on Jesus' magnificence. He is the “better” everything.  His sacrifice was final and complete.  Afterwards...He sat down at the right hand of the majesty in the heavens.  Big truths they needed to remember!   

But there is more. 

The writer reminds them that Jesus has not orphaned them.  His ministry in their behalf continues even in the heavenlies.  He celebrates the fact that Jesus“entered heaven for us” (9:24).  The purpose of his suffering was to bring many sons to glory (2:9-10).  Moreover, he is nor ashamed to call them his brethren (2:13).  In fact, he lives to make intercession for them (7:25)!

But it gets better.

In 4:14-16 he says,

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

One of Satan’s most destructive tools is discouragement and negative self-talk. I’m not talking about ignoring repentance and living the easy life.   It’s the other side of sin I'm referring to.  It's the leftover stuff…the residue that lingers after we have poured our hearts out to God but “feel” (and I stress the word “feel”) that God doesn’t want us around...period!  Our faith experience is similar to the person who swims laps with an extra forty pounds strapped to their legs.  Fatigue sets in.  We hear the call to swim but eventually find ourselves sitting on the bottom of the pool!  How we see ourselves and feel about our value as persons can be determined by distorted notions of God. Distorted notions of what it means to live in relationship with God paralyze us leaving us with hope in one hand and despair in the other!  We live out our days biting our finger nails wondering if God gives a rip about us.  Can you identify with that?

That’s where Hebrews 4:14-16 helps us!  It plainly says that Jesus, the great high priest, understands our weaknesses.  He knows firsthand what it is like to be “human.”  AND, he doesn’t want us to run away from the throne “of grace”;  He wants us to RUN TO IT!  We can drag our stuff - whatever it is - before this greatest of high priests knowing that he not only understands but wants us in his presence for strength and healing.

I love the old hymn entitled “There’s Not a Friend Like the Lowly Jesus.”  We know the words, but do we truly know its ministry of heart and spirit?

Here it is:

1 There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus,
No, not one! No, not one!
None else could heal all our soul’s diseases,
No, not one! No, not one! 

2 No friend like Him is so high and holy,
No, not one! No, not one!
And yet no friend is so meek and lowly,
No, not one! No, not one!

3 There’s not an hour that He is not near us,

 No, not one! No, not one!
No night so dark but His love can cheer us,
No, not one! No, not one!

4 Did ever saint find this Friend forsake him?
No, not one! No, not one!
Or sinner find that He would not take him?
No, not one! No, not one!

Refrain:
Jesus knows all about our struggles,
He will guide till the day is done;
There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus,
No, not one! No, not one! 

Now, that’s a real friend.

Father, may we allow the truth about yourself and your Son’s ministry in our behalf to fill our hearts especially, when doubts arise and Satan comes against us with lies about what you truly want for each of your sons and daughters.  Our friend in heaven can be counted on to help and strengthen us.  Train our hearts to come with confidence, for it is our right as those He calls brethren.  Thank you Father!

Randy Daugherty, Stephenville, Texas

Think Before You...

Before the days of social media, before the days of cell phones and text messages, people spoke to each other in person. This may come as a shock, but the primary mode of communication used to be person-to-person, face-to-face. In those days, the rumor mill ran through the aisles of the supermarket, in the sitting room of the next-door neighbor's house, across booths in the local diner. Gossip is an old thing. Centuries old, in fact, according the textbooks I've been reading about medieval British culture. There are entire books written about women as gossips in the Middle Ages, but it goes back further than that. 

Have you taken a look lately at what scripture says about gossip? See James 3:8-10:

"And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.  For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind,  but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.  From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so."

Sadly, the impulse to gossip has not lessened, and because of our flashy technologies today, gossip happens in more revolting ways than we have seen before. In seconds, the world can find out a piece of information that was supposed to be private or secret. You can tweet it. You can update your Facebook status. You can send out a group text. Years ago, I remember getting a text message from a girl I hadn't talked to in months. Completely out of the blue, the text said: "Hey, did you hear that so-and-so came out of the closet?" She could have sent that text message out to twenty other people, and in a matter of minutes, "so-and-so" would've had dozens of people discussing something deeply personal and difficult to reveal while hiding behind their cell phones. 

Worse still, there are private chat rooms. You can create an alias and hide behind it on Twitter or Facebook. Using this, you can say whatever you want about anyone, and it is very likely that it will never come back to you. The modes of communication that we have access to today promote one thing over all others: cowardice. We are too cowardly to have self-control--we can get on a computer or cell phone, frantically type something out in a moment of anger or sadness or fear, click "send" or "post," and say things we wouldn't dream of saying in person to someone, because there are rare repercussions for things we post on social media. We are too cowardly to call people up and communicate our feelings in person--Facebook pages like "Stephenville Confessions," for example, allow us to rail on people and degrade people and disrespect them with our words without anyone knowing. It allows the emotional release, but we can expect no consequences in return. These modes of communication have given us the opportunity to become more cowardly, uncontrolled, reckless versions of ourselves, and require no apology or consideration for what might happen as a result of what we've said. 

Proverbs 18:21 says: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” 

What might we be killing when we recklessly send a text, post a status, or tweet something? Hmm. A person's entire reputation? A relationship? Someone's self-confidence? For me, personally, the more tweets and statuses and posts I read that degrade people, my faith in humanity--and Christians--dies a little bit more. Because that's the sad part. Christians do this everyday. And, worse still, adult Christians do this everyday. Every time you gossip about someone, regardless of the form in which you do it, you take that person's reputation and dignity into your own hands and you taint it. When you gossip, you are deeply affecting another person's actual life. 

There is a time to speak and a time to be silent. As Christians, we never, ever get to skip out on the effort and wisdom that is required to know when it's time for which one. Self-control is hard, but it's necessary, and more importantly, we're commanded to exercise it. God created language, and God created our tongues. A tongue is apart of the body, and Romans 12:1 begs us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, as our spiritual act of worship. Our tongues are not exempt from this expectation. 

"Think before you speak" is certainly considered a cliche. That doesn't make it less true. Think before you speak. Think before you text. Think before you tweet, post, blog, and call. Think, discern, and then if you speak, speak out of truth and love. 

Erin Daugherty, Abilene, Texas

Is My Way the Right Way?

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. — Proverbs 16:25

I've learned, after 41 years of walking with the Lord, that just because I can get something to work, it doesn't make it right.

The verse from the word of God above is a warning that although there is a way that seems right to us, in the end it leads to death. Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that He wants us to get our hearts in the right direction for our own protection. Think about the times when we were children and we wanted something from our parents. We would act a certain way or do anything we could to cause them to cave and give in.
When we weaken someone's will to get what we want, we really are not winning anything. When we study someone, because we want to learn how to manipulate them, we have lost in love and have lost a blessing from God. Let’s look at how to make things right and do things in a way that gets us closer to God, closer to one another, and put our hearts at perfect peace.

If you're ready for a beautiful day, embrace these treasures of truth.

1.      Instead of trying to prove my point I need to prove my love.

2.      Instead of being right, I need to practice doing right to bring glory to God.

3.      Lay down my rights for someone else.

4.      Lay down my will for God’s will.

Remember the story of Jonathan and David. Jonathan was the son of King Saul and next in line to the throne, but God had anointed David to be the next king. Jonathan cared more about God’s will than his rights. Because of this, Jonathan had a cherished relationship with David and he was blessed by God.

If you are struggling with a relationship decide to put these truths into action and you will be blessed.
Father God, help me to discern what is actually right from what appears to be right. Thank you for your Word that helps me discern right from wrong. Protect me from being deceived. I ask for wisdom. Guard my heart and direct me in everything I do. Amen.

Terry Smith  Stephenville, TX

The Holiness of God

Isaiah 6 records a vision of God in the temple.  Isaiah tells what he saw.  ‘I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.  Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:  “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”  At the sound of their voices, the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 

Revelation 4 records a vision of heaven.  This is what John saw.  ‘Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.  From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder.  Around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.”  The twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

One of the best songs we sing in worship is the song entitled ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’.  It contains these words of adoration to God.  ‘Only thou art holy; there is none beside thee, perfect in power, in love and purity.  The consistent response from humanity in Scripture to God’s holiness is a response of fear and trembling, with a recognition of one’s weakness and neediness.

A word that has become vogue or stylish in our society today is the word ‘awesome’.  We use the word to describe almost anything.  A pair of shoes, a hamburger, a movie, a football game, a car.  You name it—we think it is awesome!!!  A milkshake, a haircut, a speech.  We need to rethink the word ‘awesome’.  The God who created heaven and earth and everything in it—the God who willingly sacrificed His own Son for humanity is AWESOME!!!!  He is our holy God.  He deserves the recognition that He deserves.

Prayer:  Father, please let me worship You as the AWESOME GOD that you are.

Terry Brown, Abilene, Texas

Plowing New Ground

Jesus said, “Anyone who begins to plow a field but keeps looking back is of no use in the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62

Looking back at what we left behind for Christ limits our ability to enter His kingdom.  Holding on to pieces of our old life clouds our spiritual vision resulting in an earthbound destination rather than a spiritual journey.  To have a true longing for and realization of heaven and to have an intimate relationship with Christ will not happen unless we give up everything for Him.     

It is impossible to live Jesus' teachings of turning the other cheek, going another mile, not storing up earthly possessions, and loving our enemies, just to name a few, (Matthew 5-7) unless our lives are lived seeking and knowing the Spirit filled life is real. Earthly thinking justifies retaliation, causes us to pass by on the other side of those in need, empowers us to rely on our own wealth, and results in loving only ourselves.  True life is discovered only when looking beyond this world while still living in it.  We each must take this step to unlock this wonder.  Only then do the things Jesus says make any sense.  

The freedom, peace, and joy of the gospel are experienced when we stop playing it safe.  We must give in, buy in, step off, step out, and dive head first into the wonder and reality of God's miraculous gift that has nothing to do with here.  His kingdom is not of this world.  Following Jesus is a choice of all or none. It is plowing the new ground of trusting only in Christ’s Way to a blessed, abundant life regardless of our circumstances.  If I look back attempting to keep a foot in both worlds I will never experience this richness.   To the extent I seek is the extent I will find. 

 “No one can serve two masters. The person will hate one master and love the other, or will follow one master and refuse to follow the other. You cannot serve both God and worldly riches.” 

Matthew 6:24

“Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well.” Matthew 6:33

 “Ask, and God will give to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will open for you. Yes, everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened.”

Matthew 7:7-8

“But the gate is small and the road is narrow that leads to true life. Only a few people find that road.”  Matthew 7:14

But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things. Only one thing is important. Mary has chosen the better thing, and it will never be taken away from her.” 

 Luke 10:41-42

Father, increase our faith.  Give us a longing for You not held back by any attachment to this physical life.  Lead us to the open door of Your incredible storehouse of spiritual blessings.  In Jesus name.

Scotty Elston

Shallowater, Texas