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Thursday, April 2, 2015
Maundy Thursday
"Do This In Remembrance Of Me"
The Communion Elements
"Sharing A Precious Faith"
Listen to this
message on
your
audio player.
"Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:1).
Consider particular beliefs, customs or practices of Christians that seem strange to the world. In contrast the world has a lot of strange beliefs, customs and practices from my viewpoint!
Yesterday a Christian employee was sharing with Brooksyne some teachings from Scripture while another employee was working beside her. After their brief interchange the employee shook her head and declared, "You guys are crazy!" The employee professes to be an atheist and lives a hard life, yet through our chaplaincy service, she has become a friend though theologically they have nothing in common.
Most churches, in various ways, practice Communion or "The Lord's Supper". This ceremony seems strange to the world and sadly some churches have minimized the practice for this reason. But it was at this very time during Holy Week that Jesus established it and the Apostle Paul later stated, "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26). We see in the New Testament it was a practice in the early church.
Our
church also practices a similar ceremony not as commonly practiced.
Once a year we hold a "footwashing" service. The denomination I
served during my 25 years of pastoral service did not practice this
regularly in most of their churches, although it might have been done
on
retreats and special occasions. I had done so a few times as
a sermon illustration regarding humility and servanthood.
Each year on Maundy Thursday we enjoy a light meal together, Scripture reading, singing, testimonies and sharing together in communion. The men and women are then dismissed to separate rooms where they gather in a circle and one by one wash the feet of the person sitting next to them. In the photo to the right Brooksyne is washing and praying over a sister. Each group not only prays one with another but sings hymns and choruses with the cross and resurrection theme. Finally we join together again and hear a brief meditation and share testimonies. It's a wonderful evening of fellowship with one another and with our Lord Jesus who suffered on our behalf.
The
first Biblical footwashing was held at the Last Supper and
is recorded in John 13. Earnest Christians differ on the extent this
should be continued which is a matter of interpretation of John
13:14,15 which states, "If I then,
the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one
another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do
as I did to you." Some churches, like ours, see this as a
literal command. Others (actually most) see it as figurative, an
illustration of service, which we also believe it is as well.
Peter, who most certainly was among the most prominent of Christ's disciples, opens his final epistle by first asserting his servanthood even before his apostleship, "Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ". Perhaps the kind rebuke of Jesus at the footwashing had really hit home. "I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him" (John 13:16). Regardless of what positions or titles we may have, like Peter, we must always remember that we are called to serve.
The letter is written "to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." That's
us! The apostle Paul most clearly developed and articulated for
the church the glorious doctrine of imputed righteousness, but Peter
clearly expresses it here.
I find particular blessing in the phrase, "like precious faith." Wow. What a unique advantage of faith Peter had. He had walked and talked with the Lord during His earthly ministry. But in this passage Peter is writing to second-generation believers. He had written in his first epistle: "Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls" (1 Peter 1:8,9).
We have received a faith as "precious" as Peter and the other disciples and apostles! The underlying Greek word for "precious", means "of equal value or honor". The NASV translates the phrase, "a faith of the same kind as ours." Today among the inevitable challenges of life don't forget this great gift!
I wonder if Peter had any possible thought that his words would reach generations some 2000 years after writing about the wonderful truths and experiences God has for us. Only the Scriptures bring about life changing messages that transform lives and prepare us for eternity. Just consider the opportunities we have to speak daily of our "precious faith" and allow the world to see this faith at work in our lives.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father,
we thank You for the many, many precious saints spread throughout the
whole world, who have obtained like precious faith through Your
righteousness and the righteousness that comes through our Saviour
Jesus Christ. Though we have not seen You, we love You, and though we
cannot see You now we are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy
for we are among the redeemed who have an inheritance awaiting us in
heaven, where no moth, rust or decay destroys. No matter the evil that
surrounds us or the temptations that abound we seek to remain
steadfast, immoveable and always abounding in the work of the Lord
walking in the steps of our Saviour. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Prayer for Kenyan believers: Father, we pray for the family and friends of the 70 plus university students of Kenya who have been slaughtered due to their faith in Christ. While they were praying to You, the most holy God, in the pre-dawn hours, the radical terrorists were following the orders of Satan, the ruler of evil. We pray for those who are injured and suffering as well as those who have been captured, over 300 at last count. God, we need a miraculous intervention, a mighty sweeping of Your Holy Spirit of conviction and deliverance from evil that we might see a worldwide revival. Fortify other Kenyan believers so that they are not disheartened or paralyzed by fear or discouragement. Your Word says, "You will call upon me and I will answer you; I will be with you in trouble, I will deliver you and honor you" (Psalm 91:15). We seek Your help here and now, yet we also feel peace in our hearts, that if deliverance is not here, those who perish at the hands of evildoers are transferred into a place where sin does not abide, where rest is eternal, and the Crown of Life is awarded the faithful servant of Christ. Amen.
Ester looked down the hall last year into the men's gathering where we held our footwashing and snapped this photo of the younger serving the older.
Jesse
and Jim, two of our retired pastor friends washing one another's feet
following the example of Christ, who washed the disciple's feet.
Following
the footwashing the elder brothers pronounced blessing upon each other
as, in the words of Paul, they also "greeted each other heartily in the
Lord". Jesse, age 92, will share the devotional in our service this evening.
"A Strange Way To Save The World" Video 4HIM Video Mark Harris This actually a Christmas-themed song but the message is also appropriate during this season.
"As I Have Done For You" Video Dan Schutte
"As I Have Done For You" Video Alexander Barut
"It Is Finished!" Video Gaither Vocal Band Later this month (April 24) we will be going to hear the Gaither Vocal Band and other Homecoming Singers at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA. Readers in central PA who may be interested see here.
Footwashing scene from "Second Chance" Video Powerful! Interesting in light of point made early in today's message a comment states "this is crazy stuff!"
A brief teaching on footwashing and example Video
Concerning the photo posted yesterday of our friend Rick with his tie tucked in Jim, a thoughtful reader from New Braunfels, Texas wrote, "When I was in the Air Force from 1952-1972, when we wore our tan uniform, the blue necktie was always tucked in to the shirt, as in the picture you posted. It was not just to keep it out of machinery, but was regulation, to make everyone look neat, and uniform, with no tie flapping in the wind. If you look at some WW2 pictures, you will see the same thing.
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
To receive the "Daily Encouragement" each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe to our email list. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or through a Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.)
Are
our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? We ask you to
consider making a donation to Daily Encouragement Net so that we can
continue to prepare and provide this daily resource which is
accessed by believers and seekers all over the world. Daily
Encouragement Net relies solely on the generosity and financial support
of its readers and podcast listeners. See here
for more information on supporting this
ministry. Gifts are tax deductible.
Permissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. I do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.
Text only version for printing: To make a text only version for printing (without photos or any of the supplemental materials)
1) Open the basic text editor that comes with all computers (known as wordpad, textpad, etc.) You can also use a program like Word and select paste text only.
2) Select and copy the text from the portion of the message you want to print.
3) Paste into the text pad. (The photos won't show up but you will have a brief text description of the photo which you can delete or just ignore.)
4) Format if you desire (change font, increase or decrease size, etc.)
5) Print!
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
© Copyright 2015 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA
<Previous Message Next Message>
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Maundy Thursday
"Do This In Remembrance Of Me"
The Communion Elements
"Sharing A Precious Faith"
Listen to this
message on
your
audio player."Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:1).
Consider particular beliefs, customs or practices of Christians that seem strange to the world. In contrast the world has a lot of strange beliefs, customs and practices from my viewpoint!
Yesterday a Christian employee was sharing with Brooksyne some teachings from Scripture while another employee was working beside her. After their brief interchange the employee shook her head and declared, "You guys are crazy!" The employee professes to be an atheist and lives a hard life, yet through our chaplaincy service, she has become a friend though theologically they have nothing in common.
Most churches, in various ways, practice Communion or "The Lord's Supper". This ceremony seems strange to the world and sadly some churches have minimized the practice for this reason. But it was at this very time during Holy Week that Jesus established it and the Apostle Paul later stated, "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26). We see in the New Testament it was a practice in the early church.
Our
church also practices a similar ceremony not as commonly practiced.
Once a year we hold a "footwashing" service. The denomination I
served during my 25 years of pastoral service did not practice this
regularly in most of their churches, although it might have been done
on
retreats and special occasions. I had done so a few times as
a sermon illustration regarding humility and servanthood.Each year on Maundy Thursday we enjoy a light meal together, Scripture reading, singing, testimonies and sharing together in communion. The men and women are then dismissed to separate rooms where they gather in a circle and one by one wash the feet of the person sitting next to them. In the photo to the right Brooksyne is washing and praying over a sister. Each group not only prays one with another but sings hymns and choruses with the cross and resurrection theme. Finally we join together again and hear a brief meditation and share testimonies. It's a wonderful evening of fellowship with one another and with our Lord Jesus who suffered on our behalf.
The
first Biblical footwashing was held at the Last Supper and
is recorded in John 13. Earnest Christians differ on the extent this
should be continued which is a matter of interpretation of John
13:14,15 which states, "If I then,
the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one
another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do
as I did to you." Some churches, like ours, see this as a
literal command. Others (actually most) see it as figurative, an
illustration of service, which we also believe it is as well.Peter, who most certainly was among the most prominent of Christ's disciples, opens his final epistle by first asserting his servanthood even before his apostleship, "Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ". Perhaps the kind rebuke of Jesus at the footwashing had really hit home. "I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him" (John 13:16). Regardless of what positions or titles we may have, like Peter, we must always remember that we are called to serve.
The letter is written "to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." That's
us! The apostle Paul most clearly developed and articulated for
the church the glorious doctrine of imputed righteousness, but Peter
clearly expresses it here. I find particular blessing in the phrase, "like precious faith." Wow. What a unique advantage of faith Peter had. He had walked and talked with the Lord during His earthly ministry. But in this passage Peter is writing to second-generation believers. He had written in his first epistle: "Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls" (1 Peter 1:8,9).
We have received a faith as "precious" as Peter and the other disciples and apostles! The underlying Greek word for "precious", means "of equal value or honor". The NASV translates the phrase, "a faith of the same kind as ours." Today among the inevitable challenges of life don't forget this great gift!
I wonder if Peter had any possible thought that his words would reach generations some 2000 years after writing about the wonderful truths and experiences God has for us. Only the Scriptures bring about life changing messages that transform lives and prepare us for eternity. Just consider the opportunities we have to speak daily of our "precious faith" and allow the world to see this faith at work in our lives.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father,
we thank You for the many, many precious saints spread throughout the
whole world, who have obtained like precious faith through Your
righteousness and the righteousness that comes through our Saviour
Jesus Christ. Though we have not seen You, we love You, and though we
cannot see You now we are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy
for we are among the redeemed who have an inheritance awaiting us in
heaven, where no moth, rust or decay destroys. No matter the evil that
surrounds us or the temptations that abound we seek to remain
steadfast, immoveable and always abounding in the work of the Lord
walking in the steps of our Saviour. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.Prayer for Kenyan believers: Father, we pray for the family and friends of the 70 plus university students of Kenya who have been slaughtered due to their faith in Christ. While they were praying to You, the most holy God, in the pre-dawn hours, the radical terrorists were following the orders of Satan, the ruler of evil. We pray for those who are injured and suffering as well as those who have been captured, over 300 at last count. God, we need a miraculous intervention, a mighty sweeping of Your Holy Spirit of conviction and deliverance from evil that we might see a worldwide revival. Fortify other Kenyan believers so that they are not disheartened or paralyzed by fear or discouragement. Your Word says, "You will call upon me and I will answer you; I will be with you in trouble, I will deliver you and honor you" (Psalm 91:15). We seek Your help here and now, yet we also feel peace in our hearts, that if deliverance is not here, those who perish at the hands of evildoers are transferred into a place where sin does not abide, where rest is eternal, and the Crown of Life is awarded the faithful servant of Christ. Amen.
Ester looked down the hall last year into the men's gathering where we held our footwashing and snapped this photo of the younger serving the older.
Today's
Suggested
Music and Supplemental Resources
"A Strange Way To Save The World" Video 4HIM Video Mark Harris This actually a Christmas-themed song but the message is also appropriate during this season.
"As I Have Done For You" Video Dan Schutte
"As I Have Done For You" Video Alexander Barut
"It Is Finished!" Video Gaither Vocal Band Later this month (April 24) we will be going to hear the Gaither Vocal Band and other Homecoming Singers at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA. Readers in central PA who may be interested see here.
Footwashing scene from "Second Chance" Video Powerful! Interesting in light of point made early in today's message a comment states "this is crazy stuff!"
A brief teaching on footwashing and example Video
Concerning the photo posted yesterday of our friend Rick with his tie tucked in Jim, a thoughtful reader from New Braunfels, Texas wrote, "When I was in the Air Force from 1952-1972, when we wore our tan uniform, the blue necktie was always tucked in to the shirt, as in the picture you posted. It was not just to keep it out of machinery, but was regulation, to make everyone look neat, and uniform, with no tie flapping in the wind. If you look at some WW2 pictures, you will see the same thing.
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
To receive the "Daily Encouragement" each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe to our email list. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or through a Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.)
Are
our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? We ask you to
consider making a donation to Daily Encouragement Net so that we can
continue to prepare and provide this daily resource which is
accessed by believers and seekers all over the world. Daily
Encouragement Net relies solely on the generosity and financial support
of its readers and podcast listeners. See here
for more information on supporting this
ministry. Gifts are tax deductible.Permissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. I do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.
Text only version for printing: To make a text only version for printing (without photos or any of the supplemental materials)
1) Open the basic text editor that comes with all computers (known as wordpad, textpad, etc.) You can also use a program like Word and select paste text only.
2) Select and copy the text from the portion of the message you want to print.
3) Paste into the text pad. (The photos won't show up but you will have a brief text description of the photo which you can delete or just ignore.)
4) Format if you desire (change font, increase or decrease size, etc.)
5) Print!
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
© Copyright 2015 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA