...in the multitude of Your mercy.

This coming Sunday is communion service.  To be honest, I was unaware of it until someone texted me and ask about it.  Yes, I have an excuse:  I have been having some serious technical issues with my computer and my ‘smart phone’ (which, it turns out, isn’t so smart!). All of my calendar events were wiped out, including my reminder of Communion this Sunday.

But then as I started reviewing the latter part of 1 Samuel 14, something really jumped out at me.  See I was reading about how Saul, once he saw that the Philistine army was in chaos, made the men of the army take an oath that they would not eat anything until the Philistine army was defeated. His exact words were “Cursed is the man who eats any food until evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies” (1 Sam 14:24).

What Saul did was wrong on so many level’s (which we will get into later!), but there was one specific way that stood out to me:  Saul took something that was good and spiritual, a fast, and forced it on his men.

As I read that, and contemplated on our upcoming communion service, I had to ask:  Are we doing it just because it’s on our calendar, and we always do it the second Sunday of the month?  Or are we coming to communion with hearts ready to fellowship with the Lord, and with one another?

I don’t know about you, but I never want to approach something as holy and spiritual as the Lord’s Supper with an attitude of “well, it’s communion Sunday again!”  For me, I am going to take time this week to reflect on who Jesus Christ is to me, what He has done for me, and how I can be closer to Him.  I encourage you to do the same, and then on Sunday let’s come together, the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in our presence, and worship our Lord and our King!

But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.  Ps 5:7

 

… till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

...and God gave him a new heart. 1 Sam 10:9

So it was, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, that God gave him another heart. – 1 Sam 10:9

In 1 Samuel chapter 11 Saul is going to encounter the first test of his kingship, when Nahash the Ammonite comes to Jabesh Gilead, which was on the east side of the Jordan river.  (This area was where the tribe of Reuben and Gad had settled, sort of “the other side of the river”)

Now, some 400 years later, they need help – Nahash is telling them “hey, you submit to me, and by the way I’m gonna gouge out your right eye just for good measure!” So, yea these guys need some help, and so they send messengers out to find Saul. Saul better be ready for action.

Which is why I go back to 1 Sam 10:9, because as we noted last week:  before we can fulfill the call of God on our life, God has to give us a new heart! See, if this part of us does not belong to God, then God is hindered from being able to move powerfully in our life.  Sure, He can guide us to the right place at the right time through circumstances and lost donkeys, but that is not the same as having His power in our lives. 

…but if we will surrender our heart to God, allow Him to give us a new heart, then we are able to be powerfully moved by His Spirit.

…and if we are submitted to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives, God is then able to work in a powerful and meaningful way in our lives.

…calling us to tasks that are beyond our comfort zone. 

…empowering us to do things that are beyond our ability. 

And that is where Saul is on this day, he is about to be called upon to do something he’s never done before, something he would not be able to do on his own, and as preparation, what does God do? God gave him another heart.

And what happens after that? He has an encounter with a two groups of men…

One group are carrying some interesting supplies: a sacrifice, some bread, and some wine.  (hmm what does that sound like?)

And another group is doing something also interesting: they are playing music, worshiping God, and prophesying, or speaking the things of the Lord.

Hmmm, a sacrifice, bread, wine, worship, moving of the Holy Spirit, what does that make me think of?

It makes me think of our communion service, coming up this Sunday at Calvary of Wilmington.  Don’t miss it!

...till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay