I did not want to wake up this morning, nor did I want to get out of bed. But, alas, I finally drug myself out about 4:30AM and I'm still struggling NOT to curl up in a ball here in my chair, wrap my blanket about me, and try to just snuggle. It's the end of the week - and the usual weariness that follows. I did remember at 4AM as I was waking up that my oldest son and his wife are heading out of town this weekend for a very long drive. Been praying over them, that angels will surround their vehicle, that it will keep running and all will be well, and that God would be watching over them. I am confident that no matter what, they are in safe hands. It's like a piece of me goes with my children when they leave town; I miss them, although I really do not see them that much, and talk infrequently with them.
Just grabbed another cup of coffee. Hubby is getting ready to leave for his Bible study this morning. He's been having trouble with his phone so stopped at verizon the other day. Yes, they talked to him about 'giving us' two iphone 16s at no cost. Yeah, right. I asked some questions as to 'when' we will be paying for them, if not right up front, and how long is the contract for that he will be signing (you know he will). He's going back down to talk to them today after Bible study. I don't care. My 12 is fine. Yes, my screen is cracked in several places, but I can still read it, so what's the problem? But hubby seems to always have trouble with his phone about every 2-3 years and has to get a new one because verizon can't find what is wrong with it. This time he isn't getting calls from the management company, and of course being president of the HOA, they need to be able to get to him. The calls are going straight to voicemail. It's like 'whatever'. I only need a phone to make calls and an occasional photo. And read my emails if I choose. I could do without all the other stuff, but will probably end up with a 16 just because he wants it. I was happy with my 6 and with my 10. It would mean I would have to find the passwords for all these apps that I have on my phone that I do use (and those I don't that often). Lord, help. That would be a task I don't want to undertake. We will talk about it 'again' after he gets more information.
Yesterday wasn't that busy with work and I was able to get a few things done outside of work. Grateful when I have a couple slow days without a lot of pressing things to accomplish. All I need to do today, that I'm aware of right now, is complete the minutes from the board meeting the other week. No, I haven't done them yet. I still want to get the easel and table and other projects set up so that we can start on them. I did take a short break and worked on my diamond art project of a Santa Claus to hang on my wall at Christmas. I may try to 'push' hubby into doing a snowman that I had bought before Christmas last year and get him on it. Trying to get him to focus on a hobby. He never has had one so this is hard for him, I think. He doesn't like puzzles. He doesn't do model cars. He has never had a hobby. Well, he does enjoy reading, but he doesn't read long (like I do). I'm going to try to get him to do a diamond art project and I can put a book on speaker and we both can listen to it. Win, win, perhaps?
I have so many projects I enjoy doing, and so many that I WANT to get done. The one that eats at me is the bookcases. As mentioned before, we have several and they are all full of books. I want to put them in alphabetical order. I know we have a few authors that we have 2 each (at least) of some of their books. If I want to read a book, and know I have it but can't find it, I will just go to Thriftbooks.com and buy another. Paying $3.99 - $5.99 is a lot cheaper than $15 or $20 at Amazon. Plus I also get extras at time to share with others. In fact, I have a stack of books in here that I have purchased and want to share with friends and my sister for birthday or Christmas. And it's growing. I guess I need to quit that and just give them titles and recommend THEY get them if they want them. I know some have tastes different from me. For example, I'm into spiritual or learning more about Jesus - and my sister is into the end times books. She would send me copies of some at times. Some I have read, but others are either above my head or I just can't get into them. We don't always agree on books, but sometimes we do read what is sent. I read Winning the War of Your Mind by Craig Groeschel and loved it. Craig is so real in his books. But one of the things he talks about is his fear of not having enough money. There were several things that reminded me of my sister, and hubby. So I handed the book over to hubby when I finished it, and he is in the middle of it now. He said it caused him (after he and I discussed this very subject) to write down a list of things that he had a fear of. Yesterday we talked about it again - he is afraid that I will die and leave him first. And he's afraid he will die first and leave me alone. See what fear can do to you? My sister doens't know how to save money nor wants to. And she is always broke and complaining they don't have any money. Yet she spends every penny she gets. I sent her the book cause he also talks about that. She says she is reading it; but will she think about applying it? I don't know and it is none of my business. I just want to give some information that may help.
Hubby has left for his Bible study and I am loving the quiet in the house. My door is open and there is just quiet. I love it. It really makes me want to stop and go start putting one of my 'projects' together. If I wait when hubby is home, he will 'want to do it' and he doesn't get it, that I want to do it. It's fulfilling for me. He has never shown an interest in putting anything together until I start on it and then he wants to do it. He likes to steal my joy that way. I have several things to put together this time so I'm prepared. I think I will start him with the small table for the paints. I can start on the easel. If he finishes, then I have the stool he can start on. Easy, simple projects, right? I never get complicated ones - I'm not that smart. Complicated? I will call one of my children or grandchildren to put it together!
I Corinthians 11:29-30 (NKJV): For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgement to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.
I finished a book on Communion by Joseph Prince last night. It really gave me thought. Something I had never thought about before, always accepting what I was taught. See, there is a difference. We can be taught to believe or think about something a certain way. But when we dive into the truth and try to understand it, and God reveals His truth, it can change everything.
For example, I have always heard (not necessarily 'taught') that 'don't come to the Lord's Table (communion) if you have sin in your life. If you are unworthy and partake, you are guilty of the body and blood, and will drink judgement to yourself.' That is enough to scare one to confessing every thought that comes to their mind! How many times have I had to tell hubby I was sorry before I took communion at church (but did I really mean it?) sot hat I felt I was 'clean enough' to take communion? How many times have we declined to take communion because we felt we were sinful and unworthy?
According to Joseph Prince - that is wrong thinking! He explained the scripture in a way that I hadn't thought about before. One would always be thinking 'is there a sin in my life that I haven't confessed?' every time communion would come up. We don't want to take the risk and take communion and have judgement fall upon us. What if we forgot a sin? And didn't confess it?
But Joseph Prince says 'by ot coming to the Lord's Table, we are robbing ourselves of God's source of health, healing and blessing. Legalistic and erroneous teaching is very damaging because it keeps us from receiving what God has for us.
Paul says in I Corinthians 11:27-29 (KJV): Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
In this case, 'unworthily' describes the action of eating and drinking. It is not describing the person who is eating or drinking. So Paul was not saying that if you are an unworthy person, do not partake. We have construed that teaching and now we tell ourselves (and others) that if you are unworthy, don't partake, or if you have sin in your life, don't take communion lest you get sick and die prematurely. What was meant to be a blessing was turned into a curse. Does that make sense?
All of us who come to the Lord's Table are unworthy and made worthy only by His blood. It is only Jesus' death that qualifies us to partake. Paul was not saying that we should not partake if we are unworthy. He was saying that we should not partake in an unworthy manner. Partaking unworthily means not recognizing that the broken body of the Lord was meant to bring health and wholeness. By treating communion as a ritual, by not understanding the significance of the bread, you don't understand the why of taking it. The manner in which we partake of the bread and the juice will determine whether we experience the benefits of the Lord's body. If our attitude is 'it's just a piece of bread', that's all it will be. And we will have robbed ourselves of the life-giving effects of the bread at his table.
The Corinthians would come together hungry and when it was time to go to the Lord's Table for communion, it wasn't like what we have now. We have a very very small piece of a wafer or bread. Back then they had loaves of bread that they could break a piece off of and if they were hungry they would take a huge piece, not leaving much ofr others. Does that make sense? And others would guzzle the wine until they became drunk, rather than sipping it in remembrance of Jesus' sacrifice of His blood.
Paul was not saying that if you have sin in your life you cannot partake of the Lord's Table. He was telling us to partake in the correct manner, which is to recognize that the Lord's body was broken so that ours can be made whole. Paul was teaching us that we are to discern the power of the Lord's broken body. He was teaching us that when we fail to discern the body, we should not partake because we are not claiming by faith what Jesus has done for us. And by failing to do so, we make His work on the cross ineffective and powerless as far as we are concerned.
Jesus wants us to take the bread and believe that His body was broken so that our bodies can be made well. And when we discern it that way, we are partaking of the Lord's Table worthily.
Ah - time has gotten away from me. Perhaps I can continue this line of thinking in the morning. Or not. Let's see what God gives me to share.
Blessings!
