Category: Communion

This category is for episodes that include a Communion celebration and each one begins with a special introduction intended to prepare the listener to celebrate with us.

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Psalm 22 Part 1 with Communion

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Manuscript Leaf With The Crucifixion From a Missal_ca 1270–80 Image in the Public Domain
Manuscript Leaf With The Crucifixion
From a Missal_ca 1270–80
Image in the Public Domain

Psalm 22 Part 1 with Communion

The thing I hear most often from my friends and acquaintances who do not fully agree with my views is that we shouldn’t take the Bible too seriously. I’ve never really heard anyone “denounce” the Bible or call for the end of the use of the Bible in society; at least not anyone most of us would take seriously. With only a few exceptions, perhaps, some lonely, attention-starved Internet trolls, most people are polite in their rejection of what the church still considers (for the time being) its most important document. Most people I encounter…especially those who know what I do with my life are civil, albeit a bit condescending. I often hear things like, “Well, it’s just a bunch of stories” or “It’s not perfect because it’s just a book written by men” or “Society has evolved since it was written. It’s no longer relevant.” The interesting thing about those who make these and similarly dismissive comments is that it is unlikely that any of them have spent more than 5 hours of their lives studying that which they criticize. It’s actually quite unique in the human social experience, I believe. In most other subject areas it would be considered rude to comment on the value or validity of something before having, at least, some knowledge of it. Although, I do admit, with the rise of social media more and more seem to willingly and actively participate in discussions on just about any topic regardless of their fitness to do so.

Despite the fact there is a fairly sizable proportion of Biblical critics who refuse to change their position on the truth of Scripture, I believe there are still quite a few who just need to take a closer look. Today (and next time) we are talking about Psalm 22. This is where staying “on the fence” gets really tough. You see, besides just being one of the finest of the Hebrew worship songs, Psalm 22 is a remarkably accurate prophecy. Perhaps you didn’t know that the Psalms aren’t just a collection of Jewish hymns but that they’re also rich in prophetic imagery especially as it relates to the coming Messiah. In fact, Jesus Himself once said:

(Luk 24:44)  …all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

Jesus said the psalms, along with other Old Testament Scripture, spoke of Him. Join us for this episode as we begin to unpack the remarkably prophetic Psalm 22. I especially encourage those of you who are still not sure if the Bible is sent from God Himself to have a listen. BUT if you are one of those who are not yet convinced that Scripture is “inspired” I’m going to ask you to withhold judgment until you have fully examined this startling example of God’s Holy Spirit working through the pens of men. It may take more than just our little two part series to get you all the information you need on this topic. Like every subject we teach on, I encourage all of you to do your own research. I never want you to solely rely on our teaching as you pursue a better understanding of God through His Word but I believe this is a good place to start. We do our best to strip away the tradition and religion and get to the heart of what the Bible is really saying. Psalm 22 was written for YOU. Psalm 22 was written with a purpose in mind. God is reaching His Hand out to you, grab it and let Him draw you closer through what He has said in Scripture.

In this episode we also celebrate a Communion. If you’ve never done that with us before I would encourage you to pay as close attention as you can to the first 20 minutes or so of the program. It is in that segment where we cover some of the more important aspects of “Going to the Table of the Lord”. (If this is not the first time you’ve celebrated the Communion with us on a podcast then you’ve probably heard that first part already. If you prefer to skip ahead to the message just go to the 22 minute, 27 second mark of the podcast. That’s where the new content begins.)

Just as a reminder, let me suggest that before you start the podcast that you take a few minutes and go to the Lord in prayer. We discuss eternal things on this program and the best way to get the most out of it is to have the Holy Spirit “alongside” assisting your understanding. Jesus is standing by, waiting for your prayers. Go to the Father and ask Him to open your heart and mind so that you can grow ever closer to Him.

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What Time I am Afraid…

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David Strangling the Lion by Claude Mellan This is how we all envision the mighty King David but Psalm 56 gives us another view.
David Strangling the Lion by Claude Mellan
This is how we all envision the mighty King David but Psalm 56 gives us another view.
Image in the Public Domain

What Time I am Afraid…

We’ve all heard stories of men and women who seem to bravely and unhesitatingly face incredible and, sometimes, terrifying situations. We love to say that they’re “fearless”. But is “fearless” even possible? Looking up the word “fearless” in the dictionary yields such expected definitions as “free from fear” or “without fear”. Yes, we will encourage and/or embolden and/or strengthen one another by saying “be not afraid”. Psychologists try to give us “the formula for living without fear”. You may have even read on a church billboard that God promises freedom from fear. Well, God doesn’t actually take away fear but, instead, He prepares you for it. He doesn’t isolate you from fear, He carries you through it.

Scientists love to point out that the numbers of people claiming to be religious or even believing in God are dropping. They get all giddy when survey after survey shows that people have become increasingly uninterested in going to church. Science feels vindicated by these trends. The intelligentsia have claimed that they’ve been saying all along that people only turn to religion when times are bad and that now that science and government have it all figured out, people don’t feel they need God anymore. As long as they have science and government then what could possibly go wrong? “Thanks to us,” they say…”they” being either science or government, take your pick. “Thanks to us,” they say, “people are happy and they don’t need church. The citizens of the world have awoken and don’t go for those religious fables anymore. After all, they don’t need them. They have us. God doesn’t love them. We do. God doesn’t take care of them. We (science and/or government) do.” Karl Marx once famously said “religion is the opiate of the masses.” Nowadays, it’s seems to me, that science and government…and ACTUAL opiates (created by science and permitted by government) are the opiates of the masses. Science and government and chemical dependence have become the favored vehicle of happiness, of late. That’s the new religion that, by the way, Karl Marx would be very proud of. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m no anarchist nor do I advocate ignorance. I believe in order and knowledge but I just believe that neither science nor government (nor chemistry) has as many answers as they think they do…certainly not as much as they say they do. Religious expression may be dropping but it’s not because people are all of the sudden happy and well-adjusted. In fact, quite the opposite. Honest science is actually telling us that depression is on the rise around the world. (Interesting, but somehow related side note, the article linked above cites INCREASED longevity of life, a direct result of more science in our lives, as one of the factors LEADING to higher rates of depression. Remember when science convinced us that we’d be happier if we lived longer? Yeah, that doesn’t seem to check out.)

No, people are not skipping church because they’re happy. They’re skipping church because church stopped making sense to the church goer. The message from the pulpit has drifted away from Truth. God wired us for Truth and when we don’t receive Truth there is a disconnect in our spirits. You see, despite what critics and even churchmen try to tell you, God isn’t a choice of last resort. God isn’t someone to look up only when your stomach is rumbling or your hands are shaking and I honestly believe only people in a real relationship with the Father know that and what’s more, the Bible isn’t some talisman to rub when you’ve missed your last two car payments. The Bible is our guide to getting closer to God. Scripture is what the Holy Spirit uses to reveal to us God’s True Nature and once we know what He is really like, we don’t find ourselves going to Him less often; when we start to see God and His Son in their true roles in our lives we will find ourselves turning to prayer, worship and praise more often! Listen, you can’t blame the drop in church attendance on the Heavenly Subject Matter. Instead blame the earthly, earth-centered, backside protecting, people-pleasing and, too often, greedy teachers who are misrepresenting God. If you think the Bible is irrelevant then I blame you, your teachers (which include your preacher, pastors and priests) and the devil. If you’re taught properly and you want to learn Truth then you’ll find out that God and His Word are your only True Path to eventual, ultimate and eternal joy. I’m not saying you’ll get all of this at once. It takes time to wipe off, shake off and tear off the effects of this hostile world but little by little you will discover that in Scripture are the keys to living and life.

That is why we teach from the Bible and one of our favorite places to teach from is the Book of Psalms. As you’ve heard me exclaim so many times in the past, the Sweet Psalmist never fails to hit directly at the heart of a humble seeker-after-God. We can learn so much about how to love God, fear God, serve God and please God through these gems of the Hebrew Hymnal and the one we teach on in this episode, I believe, is one of the finest examples of this truth. Psalm 56 describes the experiences of a well established, long time child of God and that includes, believe it or not, what it’s like to be gripped by fear. Yes, you can be close to God and still be afraid, at times, and God chose one history’s mightiest warriors to demonstrate that to us. Join us as we take an emotional journey through Psalm 56. In this episode we not only find out about fear but we find out how we should deal with fear. Despite what the critics may say, this portion of Scripture will reach directly into your life and present to you an effective, time-tested, king-approved method of overcoming this most basic of all human emotions: fear.

Let me, however, remind you that the best way to prepare yourself for a study of Scripture is to go to God in prayer beforehand and ask Him for His guidance. He is more than eager to assist you in discovering what He has always wanted: a long-lasting…in fact, eternal relationship with Him. The only real way to fully understand God and His Word is to have His Spirit working with you, opening your heart and mind to eternal things. Go to Him now and He will join you in your journey of discovery.

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Approaching God on My Own Terms (with Communion)

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Johannes Sadeler I (Netherlandish, Brussels 1550–1600 Venice (?)) The sacrifice of Abel (plate 1 from The Story of Cain and Abel), 1576 Netherlandish, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York,
Johannes Sadeler I (Netherlandish, Brussels 1550–1600 Venice (?)) The sacrifice of Abel (plate 1 from The Story of Cain and Abel), 1576 Netherlandish, Engraving; Sheet: 8 1/8 × 11 3/16 in. (20.7 × 28.4 cm) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1953 (53.601.17(62)) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/700567

Approaching God on My Own Terms (with Communion)

What Cain and Abel Can Teach Us

You know, atheism is not the biggest threat to the survival of the church. Actually it’s not even close. In fact, atheism is so innocuous in its effect on the cause of Christ that it’s not even mentioned anywhere in Scripture. Among all the thousands of characters in the Bible there is not ONE atheist. Not even Satan is an atheist. The biggest threat to the church is what theologians call apostasy. Nothing got the ancient Israelites in more trouble than apostasy. Nothing riled Jesus up more than apostasy. In case you don’t know, apostasy means the rejection or renunciation of a religious (and sometimes political) belief.

(Mat 15:6)  …Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

Human attitude toward “religion” is a very funny thing and, frankly, always has been. We are forever changing our view of what is sacred. Of course, there is no doubt that Satan is behind all that changing but, nonetheless, we’re not without blame. A brief history of human religion could be mapped thusly: In the beginning everyone believed in the One True God. Adam and his family, at first, knew of no other worship worthy Being than God Himself. Satan stepped in and convinced them that their kind should share in some of that worship worthiness. Before long some people started putting other people in the place of God. After the expulsion from the Garden nature turned hostile toward us. Some people turned to the One True God for help. They probably didn’t like how and the speed at which He answered their pleas for protection so they turned to those people that other people were now worshiping. Some were satisfied and added to the ranks of people who worshiped other people. Some were not and decided that the best way to quell the hostility of nature was to try and please it. What’s more pleasing than having someone bow down to you? So, some people started worshiping nature and animals. Then mankind started finding shiny metal in the ground and thought, “Hmmm, that’s pretty enough to worship”, so they started making their people gods and animal gods out of gold and silver and since those ended up prettier and less smelly than the real things they started worshiping the shiny people and animal gods. Eventually Jesus comes along and personifies what the world should be worshiping. He does and says some wonderful worship-generating things and many people decide He’s the one to whom all worship should flow. That works out for a little while and, in fact, the number of people agreeing on Jesus as their God actually grows rapidly and significantly but then, slowly, the old pattern returns. This time, however, for the most part, Jesus is the one that is still considered worship-worthy but humans become unsatisfied with HOW to worship the worship-worthy. That’s the mess we’re in now. Yes, you’re right. It’s not a new mess but its damage is nonetheless real. When people decide that they don’t like the current god and that they would prefer a god they can deal with or use or hide from they tend to change the Truth to fit their fancy. There is no more glaring example of this deviation from Truth than at the Table of the Lord.

In this ministry we’ve joined forces, at least in spirit, with other like-minded ministries around the world who are attempting to return the dignity to this simple and lovely ceremony. The church has decided down through the centuries that simple and lovely is not enough. They have come to the conclusion that ornate and spectacular is more to God’s liking. They have decided that God would be more pleased with pomp and circumstance than solemnity and reverence. Let me be clear, I am not impugning anyone’s motive (at least, not here). I believe, in the beginning, most are driven by an enthusiasm for the Glorification of God. However, purity of motivation is no excuse for presuming to have the authority to change the way God wants things done. He clearly wrote down in His Word how we are to celebrate this sweet memorial and any modification of “thus sayeth the Lord” is not acceptable (and actually comes with consequences).

Please join us for this episode as we take some time to discuss how mankind tends to try and change God into something they can approve of. Here we attempt to highlight the danger of the human propensity to redefine The Divine to fit our own agenda. The ultimate purpose of this discussion is to point out how much the Communion has drifted from that simple little celebration that Jesus instituted in the Upper Room.

In this episode, as you may have guessed, we also celebrate a Communion. If you’ve never done that with us before I would encourage you to pay as close attention as you can to the first 20 minutes or so of the program. It is in that segment where we cover some of the more important aspects of “Going to the Table of the Lord”. (If this is not the first time you’ve celebrated with us on a podcast then chances are you’ve heard that first part already since we include it with every Communion podcast. If you prefer to skip ahead to the message just go to the 22 minute, 27 second (22:27) point of the podcast. That’s where the new content begins.

As always, I want to encourage you to go to God in prayer before you begin this podcast. I believe it’s always a good idea to begin any study of God’s Word by acknowledging that without Him your search for Truth will ultimately be unsuccessful. I urge you to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit and ask Him to bless your effort to get to know Him better. Prayer is as vital a research tool as any other.

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Christ Our Offering with Communion

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Moses Consecrates Aaron and His Sons and Offers Their Sin Offering
Moses Consecrates Aaron and His Sons and Offers Their Sin Offering
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0 License.

Christ Our Offering with Communion

You know what I find tragically humorous? Although we humans have been sinning since the beginning, we still don’t know exactly how to define it. Even though there is probably nothing more consistent in the human condition, we still can’t agree on what sin is. We seem to bicker and debate about it. Sometimes the arguments are even with ourselves. Sometimes, in order to dampen a stinging conscience over something we did, we may try to convince ourselves that as long as no one dies, I’m still okay. We try to persuade our critical inner voice that an act or a behavior has to be salacious or violent or oppressing to be labeled sin; everything else can be ignored. The church doesn’t help much. There are places where saying a swear word or looking at a girl’s ankles will get you banished to the sinner’s bench. And, then, there are other places that like to tell you that there is some sort of sin hierarchy. There are “big” sins like murder and rape. No one is allowed to do those but then we also have “little” sins like taking a wee nip of whiskey for a sore tooth or telling little white lies like, “Yes, Pastor, I did get a lot out of that message”. Those aren’t too bad and most of us can get away with them and we wouldn’t be risking hell. It’s all so confusing and not a bit of it is Scriptural.

Now, the Bible has a much simpler (and far more inclusive) definition of sin. The Hebrew and Greek original words that get translated into the English word “sin” are both descriptive and plain. In essence the literal translations are “to fall short” or “to miss the mark”. The sense is not hitting a target, an ideal, a goal. In God’s Book, “a miss is as good as a mile”. There are no such things in the Bible as little sins or big sins. (Interestingly, however, there are big sinners and little sinners. We cover a little of that in this lesson.) God gives no “wiggle room”. God does not allow you or I to define sin. God does not allow you and I or anyone to decide whether or not what we do should be categorized as “mortal” or “venial”, major or minor. Falling short is falling short. You can’t “sort-of” fall short. You can’t “kinda” miss the target. That is precisely why Paul says:

(Rom 3:23)  For all have sinned…

In fact, Paul finishes that statement with a literal rendering of the Greek word. “For all have sinned, AND COME SHORT of the glory of God”.

The point? You and I are sinners and there is nothing we can do to hide our condition. God knows we’re sinners and for that we should be eternally grateful. You see, God not only knows we’re sinners but He has done something about it. Believe it or not, God loves you. You may not love yourself but He does and He has made it abundantly clear He does NOT want you apart from Him. The problem, however, is that darn sin condition. It stands between us and a Holy God. He cannot let a single sin go by; not even those sins you and I don’t seem too worried about. They must ALL be dealt with before we can be with Him forever and the Bible makes it clear (as does our own experience) that we are incapable of making any difference in our sinfulness…except make it worse.

So, then, how do we get reunited with God? We can’t approach Him with the stain of sin on us. Are we and God doomed to be eternally separated? Of course not. Nothing stands in God’s way. That’s what actually makes Him God. Nothing and no one can defeat Him, not even sin. So…and don’t ask me how but God, from the beginning, was prepared. He is our Creator and He knew we would fail so He devised a rescue plan and that rescue plan is His Son. The entire Bible speaks of this plan. The New Testament reveals the plan in Christ and the Old Testament lays it out in type and shadow so when His Son comes to rescue us, we’ll know it’s Him. No other part of Scripture paints a clearer picture of the work of Christ quite like the Book of Leviticus and, more specifically, the Law of the Offerings. Join us in this episode as we go over some of the details of this fascinating portion of God’s Word. God’s instructions to Moses on the offerings, when studied with an open mind, will greatly strengthen your faith in God’s power, mercy and love.

But before you begin, make sure to take a few moments to prepare your heart, mind and spirit by going to God in prayer. Ask Him to help you to make sense of eternal things. Pray that He send His Spirit to open up His Word so that you can apply its treasures to your life and, in the process, grow in your relationship to Him. One final note, this lesson includes a Communion celebration, so, please, pay close attention to the beginning portion for instructions.

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The Violent Cost of Sin (with Communion)

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Lamentation
Jan de Beer
Image in the Public Domain

The Violent Cost of Sin (with Communion)

The Christian world has gotten so tidy; wouldn’t you say? It’s so clean. It’s so refined. No harsh words. Not in the least bit upsetting. “All are welcome.” “Join us for a joyful experience.” “Come be comforted.” Those are just some of the more typical messages we see on the signs outside of our churches nowadays; right? We want people to get the impression that they can come in and get something that will make them feel good. We don’t want to offend. We don’t want to “ruffle any feathers”. You know what you won’t see on the church billboard? “Come get washed in blood.” “Enter here and leave your dead body at the door.” “Join us for today’s sermon: ‘You’re a Lowdown, Hell-bound Sinner'”. Guaranteed you won’t see THAT ONE. In fact, sin is hardly mentioned in most church services except perhaps in some mindless prayer chant written hundreds of years ago…LONG before we got so sophisticated. Fact is, we don’t talk about sin in church, anymore. Sin is not on the agenda. It’s too depressing and, well, no one wants to go to church to feel bad about themselves. Instead we talk about love and fellowship and glory (ours not His). Most church websites are overflowing with images of happy, smiley people hugging, high-fiving and pleasantly sharing a cup of coffee. Most of the “About Us” sections excitedly tell you about their “contemporary” music service, wide-open arms and modern, comfortable atmosphere. There are lots of screen filling photos of what look like rock concerts with the lights and the fog machines and the mood setting backdrops but are, instead, captioned, “Scenes from last Sunday’s Worship Service”. In all of the published literature you’ll struggle to find any mention of Jesus, hardly a picture of any sort of pulpit and nowhere will the word “sin” be found.

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Revelation 3:17

“John, what’s wrong with love and fellowship and smiling, hugging and high-fivingly sharing coffee?” Nothing, but if you’re gonna invite people to your church, if you’re gonna invite people to Christ the honest invitation will say they must come broken. Jesus said He came to seek and save the LOST! I never met a smiling lost person. Jesus said the poor in spirit are blessed. They that mourn will be comforted. Most modern congregations would probably walk out on Jesus if He dared preach the Sermon on the Mount in their church. Too depressing. Too demanding. Too much sacrifice. Yes, Jesus jumped for joy (Luke 10:21) but He also wept. (John 11:35), He groaned. (John 11:33). He experienced agony (Luke 22:44) and hunger (Matthew 21:18) and thirst (John 19:28).

No, I don’t think we need to focus on the negative all the time. I don’t believe in staying in the shadow of the crucifixion. Joy DID come in the morning, the morning of the Resurrection. It is there that we should live BUT Jesus did purposely ask us to remember His Sacrifice. In that Upper Room, in one of the most touching moments in all the Bible, Jesus looked into the eyes of His friends with the symbols of His Body and Blood in view as tokens of the brutal price He would shortly thereafter pay and simply said, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” He didn’t say slap each other on the back and split a doughnut with your neighbor or tell amusing golf-related anecdotes or jump up and down to earsplitting guitar riffs at praise and worship. Some of those things have their place but that place is NOT up front. His life and violent death should be honored as the most important event that has ever happened TO YOU.

I know this is not a popular view. That’s actually the entire point I’m trying to make, not only here in this intro but throughout the lesson to which it is appended. This is not a message people want to hear and, yet, it must be heard. Jesus was brutally murdered because of you…and me. There is no way around it. You may not want to hear it but you MUST hear it if you are going to properly remember Him. The cost of your sin is violence. The only way you can be liberated from your condition of inborn sin is death and it will either be yours or His. That’s what the Bible says. The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)

This is a powerful theme. I recognize it won’t be new to most of you but it is necessary for us to remind ourselves of the depth and importance of the sacrifice of Our Lord. Not only do we need it for our own spiritual well-being but if we are to fulfill our calling to spread the Gospel we must keep what He did for mankind in the very forefront of our thinking. In today’s episode we go into some detail on the lengths God has gone to in order to make sure we never forget the high cost of redemption.

Two more important points about this lesson. First of all, this lesson contains a communion. If you don’t know what that means I suggest paying very close attention to the first section of the lesson. It is designed to prepare you properly to share communion with us. (If you have heard it before and know what to do then you can skip ahead to 22:26 where the lesson begins.) The second important point is the same for all of our lessons. Before you begin this or any other lesson on Scripture take a moment or two to go to the Lord in prayer and ask for His Spirit to help you properly discern His Word so that you may apply it to your life in order that you will fully realize your purpose in His Plan.

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Discern (with Communion)

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The Institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper with St. Peter and St. Paul.
” The Institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper with St. Peter and St. Paul” Mid-16th century”
Latin Inscription reads, “For this is my body. For this is the chalice of my blood of the new and eternal testament, the mystery of the faith which shall be shed for you and for many for the remission of sins.”
Image in the Public Domain

Discern (with Communion)

One of the most commonly known church rituals is the taking of Communion. In fact, that’s really one of the biggest problems in all of Christianity. We have become so used to the Communion that it’s lost any semblance of sacredness. Most of us could go through the rituals with our eyes closed. Most of us are so familiar with the way the Communion is celebrated we’ve long ago stopped thinking about it. The Table of the Lord has become just another routine in a world of full of routines. We put no more thought into it than we do making our coffee in the morning. AND YET, Paul says not thinking about it when we partake will bring judgment on us. (1 Corinthians 11:29) But the greatest tragedy of this is the fact that Jesus Himself said, “…do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19) The unfortunate truth, however, is that Jesus is the LAST thing most remember when they take communion. The one thing Jesus asked us to do with regard to the Table, we neglect to do. In this ministry, we are trying to regain the dignity of this beautiful, little ceremony. We spend a great deal of time teaching about how important the Table of the Lord is and we try to instill in you a deeper respect for this Jesus-given sacrament. In this lesson we concentrate on Paul’s warning about discernment. We also celebrate the Table of the Lord in this episode so be sure you listen closely to the first section of the podcast so that you can be prepared if you decide to join in. BUT, before you do any of that, before you start to listen to this podcast make sure you take a moment to pray. It is always best to prepare your heart and mind so that God’s Spirit can effectively share with you the Truth of God’s Word.

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Kinsman Redeemer (with Communion)

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Image in the Public Domain

Kinsman Redeemer (with Communion)

The Bible tells us so many comforting things. That is one of the reasons people love it so much. But the Bible ALSO tells us more than a few discomforting things. And, that’s why so many people DON’T love the Bible so much. One of the most persistent discomforting things the Bible says is that the human race is in a very precarious position. We’re in trouble. I’m sure that those of you that are familiar with the Bible will accuse here me of understatement…and you’d be right. I am “soft-pedaling” a bit. One can’t just jump right into these sorts of things. But the Bible does use words like “wrath” and “destruction” and “torment” and phrases like “consuming fire” and “weeping abundantly”. And, by the way, if you’re only being taught the comforting things than you are not being told the whole story and whoever is the one responsible for the abbreviated version of the Bible is not doing you any favors. The Scriptures make clear that the human race is in REAL danger…outside His care. You can hardly turn a page in the Bible without being reminded of that. We were born into this world at a distinct disadvantage. Doesn’t matter if you don’t like to hear it…actually, it doesn’t even matter if you don’t believe it. Adam, the ancestor of us all, sinned and those that have been born of woman since…and that’s everyone of us, are affected. We are all tainted by the sin of Adam and, let me remind you, that we don’t do ourselves any favors either. If you’re honest you’ll admit that you do a pretty good job of being a wretched sinner even WITHOUT the stain of Adam’s rebellion. Now, of course, I’m leaving out quite a few of the details but it is not my intention here to prove any of this first part to you. Suffice it to say, you and I are born in sin and, in ourselves, we are powerless to change that. Paul refers to this condition as “the bondage of corruption” (Romans 8:21) In every sense of the word, we are enslaved to sin; as hopeless as any other slave to throw off our own chains. Now, I don’t want you to think I’m just using poetic imagery here. I’m not that clever. This is precisely how God WANTS you to view your condition. Over and over, in the Bible, God uses the analogy of slavery to get across to us our dire circumstances. You must remember that behind everything presented in Scripture there is God’s description of His Rescue Plan. In fact, that’s the entire purpose of Scripture: to tell us about how He will make things right again. One of the clearest examples of this is found in the Book of Leviticus. It is there that we find what is now called the Law of Kinsman Redeemer. It is a beautiful picture of how Christ will provide a rescue for us. The Law of the Kinsman Redeemer is given to us to show that God will NOT leave us in our bondage to sin; to assure us that we have hope; to prove that He is always in control and His Justice and Righteousness is preserved even when He redeems “that which is lost”. Today we will be talking about the Kinsman Redeemer. ALSO…in this episode we will also be going to the Table of the Lord. Make sure you listen carefully to the first few minutes ESPECIALLY if you want to participate with us which we invite you to do. BUT, as always, before you hit “Play” take a few moments to prepare your heart and mind by going to God in prayer. Ask Him for understanding. Ask Him to guide through His Word. Once you’ve done that, dive right in.