At the Communion Table - How HOLY am I?

At the Communion Table ~ How HOLY am I?

 

Growing up, always observant of people and their actions around me like every other child, I had developed among many other notions, the one of HOLY vs. UNHOLY. The formative grounds were the 'holy' confines of traditional churches where everyone alike would stand in piety, a mask that seemed so ready made for Sundays. Though an atheist inside (not having heard about the Gospel of the love of God through Christ), I would copy the motions of my neighbors for fear of my parents. Some Sundays, most of them would queue up to receive the Holy Communion. Not having taken my "First Communion", per the rules I would not join this holy mass (no pun intended!).

 

Fast forward a few years and I am a born-again, high school girl. Yet, to my shock and horror (in retrospect), I partook of the Bread & the Wine for the first time only at the age of 26. What kept me from missing out on remembering my Lord's New Covenant (Matt 26:28, Luke 22:20, 1 Cor 11:25)? It was wrong concepts and wrong teachings that many believers fear to challenge. I spent many years (rejected many blessings for sure) in the wilderness of feeling "unworthy”. Where did the feeling of unworthiness and that “I am not holy enough” come from? It came from my own mind that is "sin-conscious". It is not surprising that when the gospel is preached in the light of the Old Covenant, the mind keeps condemning you for the lack of perfection.

 

No believer ever told me (now I know that they themselves might not have known!) that I have become WORTHY; that HOLINESS has been IMPUTED to me THROUGH CHRIST. Therefore, even when in a born-again fellowship setting I would pass up the Bread & the Wine, thinking that I was not holy enough. At some point I even thought that those born-agains who took communion did so because before they were converted (i.e. when they were in their old traditional church), they went through the "white dress ceremony that made them holy". Then in my mid-twenties, in one particular service in an unknown little village church in North India, the Holy Spirit prompted me to go forward boldly and partake of the Communion, without analyzing too much in my mind. Since that day, I have been partaking of the Lord's body and His New Covenant, whenever offered.

 

At this point of my walk with the Lord, I realize that I have become accustomed to yet another accepted “holy” practice in most believer congregations, where the pastor would ask the people to examine their hearts and confess their sins before taking Communion, per 1 Cor 11:17-33. I have been analyzing and confessing my sins (at least trying to) in obedience but often I have wondered if I could really remember all my intentional sins. Forget about the unintentional! How many should I recollect and from when onwards? Doesn’t the word of God even say that anything that is not done in faith is sin (Romans 14:23)? I have to confess (again, no pun intended!) that I have felt guilt and resurfacing memories of my old concepts of holiness, during certain Communion moments.

 

I know that I am worthy before God and MADE WORTHY BY JESUS alone; yet at the moment of communion am I “adding to my worthiness” through confession and the discerning of my sins? So, to put some logic into this, the instant before I held the bread there was, say, 5% of unworthiness and by my efforts of apologizing, I suddenly become 0% unworthy or 100% worthy. Then what did Jesus accomplish on the Cross? If a man can add to his worthiness by his own confession, the Cross then becomes of no use! There is no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood (Heb 9:22); so confession is not sufficient for the forgiveness of sins. Therefore, that 5% of sins/unworthiness demand my death (the wages of sin is death per Rom 6:23) and as we know no one is righteous and therefore God would have to consider the whole church at par with the unsaved, for fairness sake!

 

The book of Hebrews says that Jesus is able to SAVE COMPLETELY those who come to God through him as he lives as a permanent priest to intercede for us (Heb 7:24-25). Jesus’ blood has CLEANSED our CONSCIENCES from acts that lead to death (Heb 9:14, 10:19-22). Under the Law, annual sacrifices went hand in hand with reminding one of all the sins he committed that year. That had to be so because the blood of goats and bulls could not take away the “guilt-consciousness” of the worshipper (Heb 9:9, 10:3-4). Are we now trying to elevate the Law by instituting a weekly reminder of sins (assuming Communion service is held once every week)?! Perhaps, it is this “sins-focus” that often makes pastors talk about “preparedness” to receive communion? Perhaps, that is also why Communion is not taken every day or every time believers meet, as was the practice during Paul’s time?

 

Let’s elevate God’s word above the Law, which man tries to perfect, even when we know that Jesus came to redeem us from the unattainable standards of the Law (Gal 4:5). Jesus’ blood has sealed a NEW COVENANT between God and His worshippers (Heb 8:6), under which God will remember sins no more (Heb 8:12). Why should we remember what God has forgotten? By calling this covenant “new,” God has made the first covenant obsolete (Heb 8:13, Mark 2:22, Luke 22:20). God sets aside the first to establish the second. WE HAVE BEEN MADE HOLY through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE FOR ALL (Heb 10:9-10).

 

Jesus said, "remember ME" (Luke 22:19); he did not say “remember your sins”! We are to “discern the Lord’s body" (Luke 22:19, 1 Cor 11:29) and not “discern our sins". When we examine ourselves based on our guilt-consciousness we are falling back into the Old Covenant and making Jesus’ blood ( which is a class apart or holy) equal to the blood of goats and bulls (a common thing or unholy). We should rather examine if we identify with Jesus’ once and for all work on the Cross (Heb 10:10) rather than trusting in our own futile efforts to please God (Rom 7:14-24).

 

Communion is remembering the perfection and worthiness that Jesus obtained for us believers, when we cannot be perfect or worthy through our own merit.  Let us remind ourselves every time we come to the Communion table that we have been MADE HOLY ONCE FOR ALL, through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ (Heb 10:10) and that there is NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1).

 

Dream about South Korea

Had a strange dream. Had this been about North Korea there would have been nothing surprising or new about it. But I saw South Korea - America's ally - all of a sudden South Korea nationalises everything. All foreign workers are asked to go back to their respective countries. In the dream 1/3 of all produce - GDP perhaps - came from these foreign factories and workers. They are all shutdown now and there is a crisis. Everyone is shocked.

A Personal God - updated version

You birthed the measure of time
Before You birthed me into MY time.
When You created the whole world
You also created for me MY world.

Though in You exists the world
You seek existence in MY world.
You are the King of the universe
Who loves to step into MY verse.

Creation beholds You in holy fear
Yet Your love casts out all MY fear.
In every dimension love so perfect
That touched MY life so imperfect.

On the Cross You shed many tears
That You may wipe away MY tears.
By your stripes You always repair
MY heart when found in despair.

I know You are Compassion limitless
When MY heart melts defenseless.
In the Garden, You felt companionless
Yet You died to sever MY loneliness.

You crushed the Serpent’s head
To become the lifter of MY head.
I am a clayey work of Your hands
Yet You prepare works for MY hands.

Though the Father of heavenly lights
In me MY heavenly Father delights.
As You go forth in mighty feats
Choosing MY hands and MY feet.

The created are unto Your praise;
You sit enthroned upon MY praise.
Planets and time turn at Your behest
But You delay sunset at MY request.

Majestically You sustain waterfalls;
Also from MY belly living water flows.
All of creation whispers Jesus’ name
But Jesus loves to whisper MY name!

Of the world You are the true light;
Of MY path Your word is the light.
My life is hidden in Your first born
But You live inside MY heart reborn.

You are the author of immortality
Yet You identified with MY mortality.
When You stooped down in humility
You silenced MY pride’s infallibility.

You restrain everything in authority
Yet You free me from MY captivity.
You left Temples of man’s making
For ME, the temple of Your making.

You hold the universe in one palm
MY name carved on the other palm.
Can GOD become ‘more personal’?
Yet do I hold MY life as MY-ine?

The deeper walk with Christ

My 2nd article for Truth Alive Magazine :)

The deeper walk with Christ

‎"Some think that the benefits of this world are the reason for our faith; they are wrong and must abandon superficial living if the deep life of Christ is to reshape them for eternity." Quoted

The goal of the Christian walk, the Word of God says, is to become a “perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Eph 4:13)”. Christ, the exact representation and image of God (Heb 1:3, Col 1:15), displayed many characteristics that a charisma chasing believer might want to only gloss over. Healings, miracles, and attendant gifts of the Holy Spirit are undeniable and may happen all around us and all over us. Our eyes might have got opened up to the reality of the living God through an impossible miracle from God. However, that is only a key-hole to peep into the panorama of God’s Kingdom.
If we want to be modeled after Christ, we cannot expect to be led through primrose paths all the days of our life. Think about the character of Christ. He operated in perfect love. Perfect love, as described in 1 Corinthians 13, sounds too lofty to attain, sounds too good to be humanly possible; but Christ demonstrated perfect love in His character to the dot of i and the cross of the t. He was greatly compassionate. Remember, “Jesus wept” when Mary told him that Lazarus had died (John 11:35). Just as the prophet Isaiah foretold, Christ was so meek that “a bruised reed he never broke (Isa 42:3)”. He never talked back to His accusers when He was being crucified.
Think about his nature of ‘servanthood’. Think about his ‘humility’. Think about his ‘obedience towards God’. Phil 2:6-11 records, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross”. Jesus Christ yielded Himself to the will of His Father. Paul says in 1 Cor 11:1, “Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ”.
God sits as a refiner of gold and silver, burning away the dross (Mal 3:3). It’s through seasons of suffering that man acquires many of the Christ-like characteristics. It might be a season when the world may take pity on a weak and worthless, supposed child of God. It might be a season when we tear our robes and cover ourselves in ashes like Job and ask God, “Why”? From my personal experience, I can say that every time I experienced a season of suffering, I got drawn closer to God. Whether I like it or not, every such season, the Potter shapes my character to be more Christ-like. And of course, when I am in the valley I get cornered into spending time on things of eternal value, which otherwise I am not inclined to when on the mountain tops! I am led to recall that many a great men of God have penned down the most beautiful of hymns in the bedrock of suffering. “It is well with my soul” by Horatio Spafford, one of the greatest hymns of all times, was birthed when things in his personal life were inconsolably tragic.
I am not advocating that we should specifically ask God to send suffering our way. We need to yield to the will of God and be ready for the plunge – a deeper walk with God – into where He wants to takes us rather than where we want to go. Remember, Jesus told Peter the exact same thing (John 21:18-19).
“Let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity (Heb 6:1).” I close with this prayer, “Lord, enable me to love you for who You are. May I delight in the fact that You yourself are my very great reward. (Gen 15:1). Christ, you gave up everything for me, to seek me and save me. Enable me for a deeper walk with you and shape me for eternity. Though the fig tree may not blossom, may I rejoice in God my Savior (Hab 3:17-18).”

Gifts

An article I wrote for Truth Alive magazine. My first attempt. Hoping that my flow will get better as I write more.

GIFTS

Every child likes to receive gifts from his Daddy. Every earthly Dad likes to give gifts to his children. Our Heavenly Father loves us more than our earthly Dad does. God loves us ‘lavishly’. He has lavished such great love on us that we are called His ‘children’ (1 John 3:1). Daddy God gives His children good and perfect gifts (James 1:17). As believers, the most precious gift we could have ever received is the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:23). Gifts are called gifts by its very nature that we cannot claim or boast that we earned them (Eph 2:8-9).
The word ‘gift’ appears 158 times in the NIV Bible. There is a myriad of gifts mentioned – gifts from God, gift of the Holy Spirit, gifts of the Holy Spirit, earthly gifts and blessings, etc. Some gifts are like those extra ‘toppings’. God moves away from being just a provider to a lavish bestower of awesome blessings. He gives and gives. Daddy God loves to surprise and delight His children with unexpected gifts in unexpected measures – more than what we could have asked for or imagined (Eph 3:20).
God’s idea of giving His children everything as a gift is to prove a point that stands in stark contrast to the principles of world, where it’s all about self-centeredness. “Everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ (Phil 2:21)”. We need to imitate God and follow the pattern He has set. As we are being transformed into the image of Christ day by day, we need to ask Him for an extravagant heart that is lavish in the way it loves others, the way it serves others and the way it gives for the Kingdom. Generosity comes from surpassing grace and is called an ‘indescribable’ gift (2 Cor 9:15). God’s word says that our gifts are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God (Phil 4:18). Our gifts to the poor are remembered by God (Acts 10:31).
If we open our eyes to the fact that everything in our life (not just spiritual gifts) is a gift from God, we would never cease to be amazed. We would never cease to thank Him. We would start to recognize the intrinsic worth of our families, friends, our abilities, even our very breath – every little and big thing we have been blessed with. My Dad and Mom are a gift from God. So are my siblings. My inborn talents are a gift from God. So are my education and every other ladder God has enabled me to climb. From that vantage point, where I sit on a mountain of gifts from Daddy God, I pause and ask, “ Daddy, what little gift can I give you in return?”
The Holy Spirit reminds me, “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me (Matt 25:37-40).”

May each of us use “whatever GIFT WE HAVE RECIEVED to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms (1 Peter 4:9-11).”

Faith is based on?

When logic seems illogical
When common sense seems dull
But nothing seems impossible
I know I am not a probability
I know I am made by Almighty
I know that my faith rests
Not on the wisdom of men
But on the POWER of GOD!

A slow afternoon in New York City

Seconds drag by in delightful anxiety
Though often in unproductive doodling
I plan I pray I plan I pray then
I leave it all alone for a while
Until I get back to the Lord praying
I am energized to see purpose again
Once again I plan I pray I plan then...