Dear church, I have two pieces of encouragement to share today:
A Quote:
“How many seem to think that forgiveness and acceptance with God are things which we cannot attain in this life, – that they are things which are to be earned by a long course of repentance and faith and holiness, – things which we may receive at the bar of God at last, but must never pretend to touch while we are in this world! It is a complete mistake to think so. The very moment a sinner believes on Christ he is justified and accepted. There is no condemnation for him. He has peace with God, and that immediately and without delay. His name is in the book of life, however little he may be aware of it. He has a title to heaven, which death and hell and Satan cannot overthrow. Happy are they that know this truth! It is an essential part of the good news of the gospel.” (J. C. Ryle, John Vol 1, p.268 – bold added)
Communion:
I praise the Lord for His people – and all the more so when He uses them to give me just the right idea at the right time. With thanks to Gary Martin for his input, we will have a “virtual” communion this coming Sunday. Recorded with the announcements portion of the service, I will walk us through communion like normal, as closely as possible to how I would do it if we were all here in person.
Here’s your part: prepare – in your grocery shopping this week, add grape juice and some sort of bread to your list. It doesn’t need to be anything special or elaborate – remember, these elements represent Christ’s body and blood – they themselves are not transformed. Participate – have a small amount of juice ready in a cup and a bit of bread at hand for each person who will take communion. Then, watch the announcements and communion video that will be available on Sunday morning, and we’ll walk through taking communion in a way that is as together as possible. What a joy that we can share even in this remembrance together during times like these!
