The New Covenant

Jeremiah 31:31-34

31 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.”

Jeremiah prophesied that with the coming of Christ will come a new covenant.  The old covenant will no longer exist.  Unlike the old covenant which was written on stone, the new covenant will be written on the hearts of all who believe.  

And when they believe, all their sins will be forgiven.  God will dwell in them.

The lives of believers will be different than those who remain under the law.  Within the new covenant, believers live by faith. It is through this faith that we know Christ.  It is through this faith that we know God.  It is through this faith that we know God’s love, God’s mercy, and God’s forgiveness.

It is not the law that saves us.

It is our faith.

“But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law.” (Galatians 5:18)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

A Light in the Darkness

Isaiah 9:2-6

“2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;

those who lived in a land of deep darkness- on them light has shined.

3 You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you

 as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. 4 For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For a child has been born for us, a son given to us, authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah’s prophecy of Christ is that of the light that shines and beckons all who live and walk in darkness to come to Him.  Christ will lift all burdens, all sins that have been oppressing His people. Christ will be born as a child, and this child will be God’s son and He will have God’s authority.

And He will be wonderful, mighty, and everlasting.  He will be the Prince of Peace.

Christ’s birth is a time of great joy and great hope.

The light shines in the darkness.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Born of a Woman

Isaiah 7:14 

“14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.”

Immanuel means God with us. No one expected the messiah to be God incarnate, walking among them, talking to them, serving them, healing them.  

The Jewish authorities thought they had God all figured out.  They thought God existed in all the many rules and regulations they issued and enforced.  They thought God lived in their temple and no one had access except only the most high priest.

They thought only they knew God.

God was about to surprise them.  An unknown, lowly, young woman was going to have a child, a son, God’s son.  And His name would be Immanuel.

And God would dwell with them.  He would walk among them.

Just when we think we have God figured out…He surprises us.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

A Savior Born in Bethlehem

Micah 5:2-5

“2 But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah,

from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. 3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel. 4 And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall live securely, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; 5 and he shall be the one of peace.”

On November 22, 1963, I was ten years old and sitting in a fifth grade classroom when we heard the news over the intercom that President Kennedy had been shot.  Then moments later, the school Principal came to our classroom door and whispered into the ear of our teacher.  With tears in her eyes, our teacher told us that the President was dead.  

For several weeks it seemed that the whole world was dark.  We saw Lee Harvey Oswald killed before our very eyes on TV.  We saw the riderless horse with boots turned backward in the stirrups.  We saw the First Lady in black with her children.  We saw two year old John John saluting his father’s casket as it passed by.  We saw the lighting of the eternal flame on the President's grave.

And we wondered, where is God?  Where is our hope?

The Jews during the time of Micah wondered the same thing.  Everywhere they looked, evil seemed to prosper.  Where was God?  Where was their hope?

Through the prophet Micah, God gave the people hope.  A savior was to be born in Bethlehem and the people of Israel would be his flock, he would feed them God’s words, and he would be the one of peace.

In a dark world, Christ is our hope.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Spiritual Health

2 Corinthians 13:5

“5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless, indeed, you fail to meet the test!”

In Paul’s visits and letters to the Corinthian church, Paul’s primary concern was for the spiritual health of the Christians in Corinth. If they were truly in the faith, then they would know that Jesus Christ lived inside them. The Holy Spirit would be at work within them, transforming them, giving them a thirst for righteousness, and they would be exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit. But if their lives showed no evidence of the Spirit’s activity, then Jesus Christ was not indwelling them. 

Paul asked the Corinthian Christians to examine themselves for the fruits of the spirit.  To ask themselves if they were living lives characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

This is something all Christians should do even today, each year; examine yourself by taking a deep inventory of your spiritual life; 

Start by reading the teachings of Jesus; 

ask yourself if you live a life that is a reflection of those teachings; 

do you live a life that is characterized by the fruits of the spirit; 

are you a reflection of God’s love on earth; 

are you the light that shines in the darkness for others?

Is Christ in you?

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Weakness into Strength

2 Corinthians 12: 7b-10

“7b Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. 8 Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, 9 but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.”

Paul had a thorn in his flesh.  Scholars have debated for years about what this was. There have been those who thought that Paul had some constant temptation that he fought to overcome.  

Others have suggested that he had a physical ailment, possibly with his eyes, since he suffered blindness on the Damascus Road.  Still others suggest that the thorn referred to Paul’s opponents who always seemed to surround him.

Paul gained strength whenever the thorn bothered him or made him weak.  Whatever this thorn was, Paul used it to remind him of Christ’s suffering; to remind him of God’s presence; and to remind him of his God-given mission and purpose.  

We all suffer hardships, weaknesses, injustices, and calamities (as Paul wrote).  Do we let them defeat us and tear us down or ,with God’s grace and the power of Christ, do we turn our suffering into strength, and weakness into power made perfect?

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Joy of Giving

2 Corinthians 9:6-7

“6 The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Giving, a spiritual discipline in which the Holy Spirit can move us to a closer, deeper relationship with God, is a responsibility for all Christians.  We are to give faithfully, generously, sacrificially, and with a glad heart.  

We are to give of our time, our talents, our money,  our presence, and our witness, all with a glad and grateful heart.  The joy that we find in giving is given to us by God and it is truly a blessing, for those who receive and for those who give. 

Giving done in faith is accompanied by the joy of heaven. 

“For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

A Glad Heart

2 Corinthians 8:1-5

“1 We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia; 2 for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, 4 begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints— 5 and this, not merely as we expected; they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us,”

The ministry to the saints that Paul referred to in this scripture was money that he was collecting for the church in Jerusalem.  Apparently, the churches of Macedonia, despite their severe poverty, participated in this collection and gave “beyond their means” with “abundant joy”.  Paul held these churches up as examples of generosity.

Money is often used as the modern yardstick for measuring the generosity of churches.  But Paul used an additional metric.  The Macedonian churches gave with “abundant joy”.   

Giving means nothing if it is not done with a glad heart.  And this is true in every aspect of giving, whether we give of our money, our time, our talents, our presence or our witness, they all mean nothing if not done with gladness.  

Christian gladness is the result of  our deep and abiding awareness of the presence of God in all aspects of our involvement with the church.  When we serve and give with this awareness, it changes our attitude to one of  “abundant joy”.

“And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.” (2 Cor. 9:8)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Godly Grief

2 Corinthians 7:9-10

“9 Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance; for you felt a godly grief, so that you were not harmed in any way by us. 10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death.”

Has someone ever spoken a hard truth to you, not out of anger or judgement but because they cared for you and wanted the best for you?  Our parents did this all the time.  Our spouses probably do this.  We do, or did, this with our children as they matured and grew up.

Paul viewed the people of the churches he founded as his flock, maybe even as his children.  He was concerned for their spiritual well being and wanted the best for them, which was salvation. So, Paul’s letter to the Corinthians was a hard letter; a letter that spoke of their sins and shortcomings. He wrote of these things in the hope that they would become better Christians, not to hurt them or cause them pain.

Paul was informed by one of his assistants, Titus, that the letter had resulted in godly grief and repentance, which was the exact reaction Paul desired.  Godly grief  is rooted in love for God, and would produce true repentance and change in the Corinthians.  Worldly grief is rooted in anger and resentment and would cause division and rebellion.

The Holy Spirit confronts believers each day with their sins.  Will we react with worldly grief that will quench the Holy Spirit…or with the grief that will change us and move us closer to the image of Christ?

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Journey

2 Corinthians 6:2

“For he says, “At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.” See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!”

Paul, referring to Isaiah 49:8, wrote that now is the time for the Corinthians to follow Christ.  There may not be a tomorrow.  If they were waiting for the right time, Paul wrote that now is the right time, now is the day to be saved, now, at this moment, before the Lord returns.

Everyone has an urgent need for salvation, but for most people, salvation is not an instantaneous event as it was for Paul.  Salvation is dependent on faith, and faith is not a quick, instantaneous decision.  It is a slow series of revelations that reveal Christ to us as the Son of God and the savior of the world.  

We cannot just decide one day to be saved.  True faith cannot be rushed.  

Now, however, is the time to begin to seek, to dig, to study, to ask questions, to begin to walk the path that leads to salvation.  

And at the end of that path is Christ.  

Once you find Him, the real journey begins.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Made New

2 Corinthians 5:16-17

“16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view;even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view,we know him no longer in that way. 17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”

Once Christians come to faith, we are indwelled by God’s Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit begins to recreate us into the image of Christ.  This is known as the process of sanctification.  This process is never complete and occurs over the course of our lifetime.  

If we allow the Holy Spirit to work within us Christians are always in the process of becoming new.  As a result, we are not the same Christian today as we were twenty years ago, and we will not be the same Christian that we are today twenty years from now.

Because of this transformation, our lives change, the way we view other people changes, even the way we know Christ changes.

In God everything old has passed away. 

And we are made new.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Glory Beyond All Measure

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

“16 So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. 17 For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, 18 because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.”

Christians, despite our faith, are still affected by the material world.  We grow old, we catch viruses, we suffer hardships and sadness.  We grieve and we cry.  Our faith does not protect us against these things.  

But, because we believe, the Holy Spirit of God is with us in our affliction.  The Holy Spirit comforts us when we pray, and gives us the promise of the eternal life ahead.

We may live in the material world, but our hope is in the things we cannot see; the eternal, everlasting glory beyond all measure.

 May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Let Light Shine Out of Darkness

2 Corinthians 4:5-9

“5 For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;”

The love, mercy and forgiveness of God is a gift given to us by God.   We carry this gift in our hearts so that we can shine it out into the dark world for all to see and to guide others to Christ.

God’s gift of salvation to the world is contained in us, clay jars as Paul called us.  Even though we have been given this great gift, we are still subject to the temptations, circumstances, whims, evils, and sufferings of the world.  Faith does not make us immune from these things.

But because we have God’s eternal gift, the world cannot destroy us.  We may be persecuted, afflicted, struck down and driven to despair… 

but we can never be separated from God’s love.

“Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” (Romans 8:38)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Fragrance of Life

2 Corinthians 2: 14-17

“14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; 16 to the one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not peddlers of God’s word like so many; but in Christ we speak as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God and standing in his presence.”

The fragrance that Paul refers to is the knowledge of Christ that he and those with him spread about like incense as they traveled from place to place.   

Paul saw many people who believed and many who did not.  For Paul, a believer had the fragrance of spiritual life about them and a non-believer had the fragrance of spiritual death.

As Christians, we offer others the knowledge, teachings, and example of Christ. Paul wrote that we should do this as persons sent from God, standing in God’s presence.  If we do this, then we will always be humble, and always sincere.

And our faith will be the fragrance of life in this world.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Hope

2 Corinthians 1:8-11

“8 We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again, 11 as you also join in helping us by your prayers, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.”

Other than this passage, there is no other information in the New Testament about the experience in Asia that Paul is referring to.  It was obviously a terrible experience, one in which he and those with him feared for their lives.  In the end, it was not through their own power and actions that they were rescued, but the power of God through the prayers of many.

Paul’s suffering had served to show others the power of prayer and their dependence on God.

Our prosperity today causes us to think that we can handle anything that comes our way.  It has given us a false sense of security.  We feel we are capable of handling life without God.   Abraham Lincoln once said “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.”

It is important that we recognize our need for God and the power of prayer, not just as a last resort, but as our hope in all of life.

“O God, our help in ages past,  our hope for years to come, our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home”. (O God, Our Help in Ages Past, UMH p. 117)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Suffering

2 Corinthians 1: 3-7

“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, 4 who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ. 6 If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation.”

People want to avoid suffering.  It is something we dread.  But, if we live long enough, we will all  know suffering of some kind.  Suffering is part of life.  

God is present in our suffering and is a great consolation to those who believe.  God’s presence strengthens us and enables us and gives us the endurance we need to persevere.

The result of our suffering is that we gain insight into the suffering of others and we are able to empathize with, comfort, and console those who are hurting.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” (Isaiah 43:2)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Work of the Lord

1 Corinthians 15:50-58

“50 What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. “Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

The work Christians do is vastly important.  Eternal lives depend upon it.  It is the work of Christ, the work of salvation.  Through the work of Christians, people come to the faith and are saved; people know that they will live an eternal life, that death has no sting.

So, Paul told the Corinthians never to give up; to strive always to be strong in their faith no matter what the world threw at them.  They were to use their talents and gifts that God had given them for the glory and service of God and they were to do God’s work above all things.

Many times we may want to give up.  We may think that we are not making a difference in the world, that evil seems to flourish and good seems to be defeated. 

But in these times, remember Paul’s words, “Be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord.”

And always remember that “the work of the Lord is never in vain.”

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Building Up

1 Corinthians 14:26

“26 What should be done then, my friends?  When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.”

All of our spiritual gifts should be used for building up; for the building up of Christians in the faith, for the building up of people who are not in the faith, for the building up and strengthening of our communities, and for the building up of our Church.

We are to use our spiritual gifts that have been given to us by God only in positive ways, not in tearing people down, or for the sole purpose of gaining fame, power or wealth.  Our motives in using our gifts should be spiritual, not worldly, and grounded in love.

It is easy to lose our way in this world.  The temptations are great, the distractions are plenty.

But if we remember that the giver of our gifts is God, and that He gave us these gifts to use for His glory and for building up the Kingdom of God, then all worldly things pale in comparison and significance.

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”  (Ephesians 4:1)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Greatest of These

1 Corinthians 13:11-13

“11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”

Paul’s great, poetic chapter on love ends with Paul declaring that no matter what spiritual gift you have or how great and special you think that gift is, it is nothing if it is not coupled with the gift of love.

Many people have practiced their “faith” all of their lives only to find it was meaningless because it was practiced without love.  People who have never missed a Sunday worship service have never experienced God because they have worshiped without love.

Without love, all teaching and sermons fall flat.  Without love, all acts of charity are meaningless.  Without love, there is no hope.  Without love, the Christian faith will cease to exist.  

Twelve disciples changed the world…

because of their faith, because of their hope 

and because of their love.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Humility

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

“4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.”

God gives all believers gifts of the Spirit.  There are a variety of gifts and Paul listed a few, such as knowledge, wisdom, healing, prophecy, discernment, and speaking in tongues.  Some members of the Corinthian church believed that the more visible spiritual gifts (like tongues and teaching) were greater gifts than gifts that were not so visible and public (like discernment and wisdom).

The Corinthians were so prideful that instead of being thankful, they assigned a rank to the gifts of God.

Paul informed the Corinthians that all gifts were given and activated by the same Spirit for the glory of God and good of the community and the world.  No gift was to be frowned upon or looked down upon.  

All gifts of God are holy and sacred, given to us not as we deserve them… but as the sovereign God chooses.

“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself or herself more highly than he or she ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” (Romans 12:3-8)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Living Our Faith

1 Corinthians 12:1-3

“1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.”

Jews who were cursing Jesus and calling him a criminal also claimed to be speaking by the spirit of God.  This worried the Christian Jews of Corinth.  How could the same spirit that indwells Christians curse Jesus Christ?

Paul’s reply was that no one who is truly speaking by the spirit of God will ever curse Christ, the Son of God.  Likewise, only those indwelled by the Holy Spirit can truthfully and sincerely say that Jesus is their Lord.  Others may lie and say that Jesus is their Lord, but only those who, because of their faith were given God’s Holy Spirit, can honestly say this.

Simply put, a person of faith will live their faith…

and their lives and words will tell us all we need to know.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Reverence

1 Corinthians 11: 21-22

“20 When you come together, it is not really to eat the Lord’s supper. 21 For when the time comes to eat, each of you goes ahead with your own supper, and one goes hungry and another becomes drunk. 22 What! Do you not have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you show contempt for the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I commend you? In this matter I do not commend you!”

In the early Church, Christians would come together for a meal called a “Love Feast” as well as the Lord’s supper.  Apparently, in the Corinthian church, the Love feast had become corrupted and changed in such a way that it was taking precedence over the and in some cases taking the place of the Lord’s supper.

The wealthy members of the church would bring elaborate meals and wine, while the poor members came with less or nothing to eat.  Instead of sharing their meal as a proper Love Feast dictated, the wealthy would sit among themselves and eat their meal and drink their wine while the poorer members went hungry.  In some cases, some people over indulged in wine and became drunk.

The Love Feast, in which there should have been sharing and unselfishness, which should have been a preparatory ritual leading into the Lord’s supper, had become a selfish, drunken meal of overindulgence.  

How do we approach our rituals and sacraments today?  Do we remember their purpose and significance?

Do we participate with humility and reverence? 

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)