This observance does not just knit believers together in the great koinonia—although it certainly does that. It also deals with obstacles to us being knit together, and if we keep coming to the Table in faith, it overcomes those obstacles. We are partaking of Christ as we eat and drink here. But we are partaking …
Cannot Be Outfoxed
Heavenly Father, we are so grateful for Your kindness in watching over us. This last week has seen many enemies trying to do their worst, and we praise Your name for the fact that they did nothing but advance Your kingdom. We thank You, sovereign God, and we rejoice that we serve the one who …
Ezra Nehemiah 9
Introduction: Integrity in leaders is not something that makes safeguards unnecessary. Integrity in leaders is manifested in the first place by their insistence on safeguards. This desire for manifest integrity and accountability is seen clearly in how Ezra behaves in this chapter. The people of Israel are under the law of God, all of them. …
A Table of Groveling?
The disciples, Jesus said, were those who continued with Him in his temptations. And closely associated with this, He said that He appointed to them a kingdom, just as the Father had appointed unto Him. Confession of sin is certainly appropriate in the worship of God, but it belongs in our first approach to Him, …
Take Off Your Shoes
As we are given the enormous privilege, again, of ascending into the heavenly places to worship God in the name of Jesus Christ, take special care. We are walking into the throne room of God, and so we must take off our shoes — we are entering into a most holy place. If we walk …
Do Not Forake Your Servant
Minister: Lift up your hearts!Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord! And blessed are those who undefiled    Walk in the ways of God,Who walk according to His laws,Who keep His testimonies sure,    And seek their God with all their heart. Iniquity they will not do,    They walk in holy ways.For You command obedience,That we …
Junipers and Streets
Once there was a boy who had just learned to ride his bicycle. He had never had training wheels, but the previous Saturday his father had spent a good portion of the morning trotting behind the bike and holding the seat, letting go of it for a few seconds from time to time. After much …
Practicing More
This Table is the culmination point of all that we have done in assembled worship. Here all the hymns, psalms, prayers, amens, confessions, and heedings converge. This is the place where it all comes down. As we never tire of reminding you, it does not do this because it is a magic table, or because …
Lavished Grace
Gracious God and Lord, we thank You for all the provision that You have lavished upon us. We are very grateful, and we would like to thank You now for the food, for the wine, for the hands that prepared all that we see before us, and for the fellowship that we will enjoy around …
Ezra Nehemiah 8
Introduction: God moves in history through His appointed means. But although some of His means are inscrutable to us (Dt. 29:29), in many other cases, He describes for us what it is like when He is working. In this instance, we see how God determined to give favor to the Jews by placing favor upon …