CHRISTIANS GIVING TO THE LORD WHAT HE DOESN'T ASK FOR AND NOT GIVING TO HIM WHAT HE DOES ASK

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 broken for you. Do this in reremembrance of me."  In the same way also 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."  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes (I Corinthians 11:23-26).

As much as Helen and I enjoyed our trip to Kansas on Easter weekend, we left disappointed even though we were blessed by our visit.  The reason we were disappointed was the fact that we did not receive communion.  I thought it would be a certainty that communion would be offered in the Abbyville Community Church, but it was not.  They did do some special things for Easter, and there was a gospel message, but there was no communion.

Services were over in Abbyville early enough so that we could go to another church where friends of our worship.  They were having a rousing testimony time, but there was no communion.  It is interesting to me that we are willing to give to the Lord what He hasn't ask for, and we do not give to Him what He has specifically asked for.  He hasn't asked us to celebrate Easter--every Lord's day is to be "Easter" to the Christian--but we do not celebrate the Lord's Supper, which He has specifically asked us to celebrate.  The Lord never asked us to go and lead people to repeat the "Sinner's Prayer," but He has specifically asked us to go and baptize sinners into Jesus Christ.  It is twisted theology that has led to all of this, and I do not know how the Lord is going to deal with it in judgment, but we need to ask ourselves once in a while, "Am I giving to God something He has not asked for in place of something that He has asked?"

Celebrating communion is a Good Friday through Easter message like no other, and certainly, a testimony like no other.  Without communion we left Abbyville a little empty.

Our Father's Love,
Tom