Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. Psalm 149:3 KJV
When we meet on Thursday mornings at Sunshine Memory Care, it is a time of worship, renewal and praise. Most of my friends’ memories are disconnected from the everyday life of the outside world. But their hearts are still connected to God by faith and together we have special moments when the joy of Jesus Christ breaks through it all and our hearts dance before Him. I hope you enjoy our rendition of this song written by Roy Turner of the Cameron Family in 1965. When we turn towards Jesus, in spite of all the difficulties surrounding us He will still give us a reason for our hearts to dance!
By which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 2 Peter 1:4 ESV
I hate it when I go to buy a car and just before we close the deal they ask if we want to buy an extra warranty. It feels to me as if they were saying, “Well this car isn’t really very good, but…. if you just pay us another $2,000, then we’ll fix it when it breaks down (Probably, maybe)!” I am so glad that God gives us a far better warranty in Christ. It won’t cost us a dime, but it does require that we trust in Him with all our hearts. Then whenever we find ourselves in the breakdown lane of life, He will come to our rescue…and His warranty never expires! I hope you enjoy our little session this week at Sunshine Memory Care. You will hear the voices of my friends heartily joining in because they know from experience how God is helping them every day and they are still standing on His promises. Of course, today’s song is…big drum roll… “Standing on the Promises of God!” Have a blessed week all.
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 ESV
One of the greatest privileges I have when visiting a senior living facility, is to serve communion. But just what exactly is communion and why do we keep this tradition? Since we do come from a variety of different church backgrounds, I will simply stay with what the Apostle Paul tells us in today’s verse. First, let’s remember that in the Bible this observance is usually called “The Lord’s Supper”. Many of us today use the word, “Communion” which means, “Fellowship.” We call it that because when we take the bread and drink from the cup, we are not only remembering the Lord, as He commanded, but we are recognizing the fact that through the sacrifice of Jesus, He makes us one family by our shared faith in Him.
The second thing I am asked is, “Who can take part in communion?” This is a great question, and the answer is simple. Anyone can receive who has personally put their faith in the Lord Jesus for salvation and the forgiveness of their sins. You don’t have to join my church, send an offering or be extra good this week. We also do not observe the Lord’s Supper to, “Get saved”, but because we have already come to God personally and asked Jesus to forgive our sins and give us a new life. This is a meal of remembering what Jesus has done. When I receive the bread, I remember again the suffering Jesus went through as He was beaten, spit on and nailed to the cross. When I drink the cup, I am thankful that Jesus allowed them to crucify Him in order to pay for my sins. Though the cross was a horrible and bloody scene, during communion, I am not horrified, I am grateful. I remember that as He was dying, Jesus cried out, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” How amazing that Jesus gave His life for me and you! How astonishing it is that the bread and cup which were handed to the disciples by Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago, is still being passed to us today. So, when we come together for the Lord’s Supper, let’s remember Him and all He has done, then worship together as His family. Each of us has been included through the blood He shed because of His amazing love for us all!
This is a busy week, with visits scheduled for three different communities. Please be praying for me, as I have been having some serious issues with my right knee. The specialist can’t find the problem, but it prevents me from standing for very long. On the positive end, I loved working from the piano bench because it put me at eye level with all of my friends at Sunshine Memory Care! I hope you will like our rendition of, “When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder”. Have you asked Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior? If you have then when He calls the roll in Heaven, you will be able to shoot up your hand and shout, “Yes Lord, I’m here!” Have a blessed week all!
Walking With Lambs 