FRIDAY, December 5th, 2008

Hello Everyone... can I just tell you that when you trust God and follow Him (even if you mess up as often as I do) He Blesses you more than I can share in this blog!!! And it is not just because He provides "stuff" for me, it is all about the peace, the joy, and the fact that I have to worry about Nothing because everything I have is in His hands! And he will take care of me!

Well, yesterday God provided us with our new vehicle... We were able to purchase a 2003 Ford Expedition! I Love It!!! If you want a ride in it then give me a call and schedule an appointment!! :) J/K!

Ok, well on to the devotions!

I must say this today:
One of the greatest blessings in my ministry here at Suncoast is the few faithful teenagers that are in the Word of God so consistently! Rachel Mace and Michael Stratton and a few others... THANK YOU!!

I Corinthians 11:

16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.
17 Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.
18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.
21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? what shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.
23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.
34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

Wow! This passage is unbelievable! Paul is telling the Corinthian church that they should be ashamed! They were going to church for the "Lord's Supper" and getting drunk off the wine!! They were obeying God by partaking in the Lords supper, but they were doing for the wrong reason!!! They were looking at the Lords supper as if it were some kind of party or something! It was a way for them all to eat and drink wine and GET DRUNK!!!

God created that to be a time of reflection as we saw last week! NOT a time to fellowship and certainly not a time to get drunk! Think about it... What if you had a memorial service for you or someone you loved and everyone came and acted like it was some kind of party!! What if everyone came to your memorial service to get drunk and party!!! That is not what I would want, if it were one of my loved ones memorial services!!!!

Well, here is the application for us... (besides taking the Lords supper serious!! Which is pretty obvious!) I think just as the corinthians did, there are many people today who come to church for the wrong reasons!!! I know some people and they come because we are going to play a funny game, or maybe some of them come to hear Pastor Lee's Jokes... ok maybe not... but there are many people who come for the fellowship, they come for the good music, or maybe they come just to feel good about themselves... God makes it clear that we need to come for the right reason! We need to be here at church so that we can grow closer to the Lord and so that we can worship our Savior for all of the wonderful things He has done for us!!!