MY BODY, MY BLOOD
Suggested Reading: 1 Corinthians 11
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
Golgotha was, according to the Gospels, a site immediately outside of Jerusalem’s walls where Jesus was crucified. Golgotha is the Greek transcription in the New Testament of an Aramaic term. The Bible translates the term to mean “place of the skull.” A modern-day bus terminal is located next to the hill many believe to be the site of “Golgotha.”
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 11:26
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Partaking of the emblems of the body and blood of Christ is not an option which we may or may not exercise. It’s an order! Paul says, “Do this!” (11:24b). Remembering Christ’s death and resurrection is of vital importance. (11:25). This daily blog helps us remember Truth as revealed in God’s Word.
Let’s look at the positive aspects of Paul’s teaching regarding “hair.” Women in the Corinthian Church were taking advantage of their new-found freedom in Christ and they were praying and prophesying in public gatherings. Good! But some appeared to be flaunting social convention by what would’ve been considered in the culture of that time and place as inappropriate and distracting. We are informed by cultural historians that at that time in Greece, only the prostitutes were seen in public with their hair uncovered. For Christian women to disregard this would have hurt their testimony. However, Paul was not making this an order as he did with remembering the Lord’s Supper. He assures those of us who live in other cultures and at other times that we are not bound to these social practices of Corinth (11:16). “Contentious” people will make a big issue of hair styles even today. “We have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.”
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord Jesus, I thank You for Your death and resurrection which I remember daily in my personal devotions, and also, without fail, together with my local congregation. Help me, I pray, that I will discern (understand fully) the depth of Your love and provision for me in Your Cross. I ask for health, physical strength, and length of days which come to me as a result. In Your strong Name I pray. Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
As a boy I heard a certain man called a “clothesline” preacher. His special interest seemed to be the way women dressed. I was not impressed. It seemed to be a superfluous, relatively unimportant issue. Nevertheless, this still seems to be an issue with some. The prohibitions of the religion of Islam are a case in point (the burka). That’s the ridiculous extreme. This story I’m about to share may be fictitious, but here goes. A preacher titled his message, “Top Knot Come Down.” He wanted the women to take the bun in which their hair was gathered on top of their heads, which he saw as an evidence of worldly pride, and move the bun down to the back of their heads. His text was taken from Jesus’ words as recorded in Matthew 24:17, “Let him who is on the housetop not come down.” This story illustrates for me how unwise it is to take temporary cultural expressions and insist that they be followed always. I’ve asked my sons to find a photo of a very religious Jew in Jerusalem who rigidly follows a dress code which originated in a remote village sometime in the middle ages in a remote area of eastern Europe. I think about these things and want to make sure I don’t get caught in such a trap.
Yours for a fuller understanding of God’s Word in a constantly shifting culture,
David
Perpetuating traditional Jewish customs from a remote area of Eastern Europe.
In an early Church document entitled the Didache (a document written around 70 A.D. which has historically been respected by the Church in it’s teaching, however not inspired like the Bible) teaches the following “But on the Lord’s day, after that ye have assembled together, break bread and give thanks, having in addition confessed your sins, that your sacrifice may be pure”. This gives us a sense of what was held as being most important to 1st Century Christians as they gathered to worship on the Lord’s day. In our reading today, Paul also speaks of not partaking of the body and blood of our Lord in any unworthy manner. It’s a helpful task to once in a while examine ourselves and to think on what is central and meaningful to our worship. I think that Paul helps to put this into perspective for us today. Once in a while it’s good to take stock and to ask ourselves, how much of our own time in worship is central to our Lord and how much of it has been influenced by the culture around us?
Ceremonies have always been such a struggle for me, raised in a Catholic family where both parents were so strongwilled (but I don’t think that either one actually read the bible) (they just always trusted what the priest said…never questioning what the priest did…) always made my choices very difficult, especially with my siblings and trying to guide my 38 yr. old son, to this day is exhausting, and now I have 2 grandchildren ages 8 and 12 who ‘put up with me’ but….how do I convince them that ‘in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God’?, or is it all about ceremonies, customs, rituals? To this day, I am still confused and bewildered, I love the Jewish people and support them whichever way I can, I pray that I do not go to the extreme and that The Holy Spirit will show me how to make HIS light shine. You are always in my prayers David for complete healing. Bless you.
Pray, Claudette, that God will open the right doors for your son and grandchildren to be guided, bringing the Holy Spirit into their lives; and stay centered in Christ, yourself. Trust in Him and He will make it happen. My prayers are with you to be lifted up, by the love of Christ, Claudette. And I will certainly be praying for your son and grandchildren. God bless you!
My prayer is the same as yours David and I agree Scott we need to ask ourselves these questions.
Lianne Hogg
We all are subject to forming judgements based on our concepts and expectations. Even the Ten Commandments are likely perceived by some radically different than others. I hesitate to use the title of a book here which aptly applies, fifty shades of grey. This is why we don’t need “clothes hanger” preachers and followers in our world when sharing the gospel message. If we judge others first, we leave no room for love (Mother Theresa). I pray that through this vehicle you have chosen David, we may discern truth and wisdom born of God and revealed and actioned by the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Really love that last photo, Reynold! Would you be able to offer a bit more information?
Wishing everyone a great day! Blessings to you, David Mainse, and family!
Hi Beverlee, I did not take the photo with the men in the fur hats. Once in a while Ron will add a photo from the internet that is appropriate for dad’s blog. Therefore, I don’t have information on the taking of this image. I suppose though that you could do a good search and come up with the answer you are looking for.
Here is what I found on the net:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shtreimel
Thanks, Reynold. Very interesting reading–always great to learn something new.
Your photos are all amazing. I have one of those fur hat photos in my collection after a visit to Jerusalem a couple of years ago. I really enjoy the different perspectives you bring with your photos. My absolute favorite so far is the photo with the Bible in front of the ancient ruins. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us, Reynold! Blessings to you and yours. You and your family really compliment each other as an example of how the body of Christ should work.
thank ,thankyou.God is with us.
It was great to see you on Huntley St. Yesterday and I continue to pray for your strength and healing David. Blessings to you and Norma-Jean today.
Thank you for today’s blog and let us always examine ourselves and seek to do what The Holy Spirit shows us. Claudette like Beverlee I pray God will give you wisdom and discernment in reaching your family. Have a wonderful day in THE LORD everyone.
I attended a strict church as a child/young person. I was taught – “no lipstick/make-up at all”. We enrolled our children in the first year @ Peoples Christian school in Toronto and we started attending church there. Paul Smith spoke on “make-up”. He said, “if the barn needs painting, paint it”. After that I felt a little more connected to the community! I do apprciate that strict upbringing which guided me through the future choices that I made.
Thank you David Mainse!
Doreen, I love that ( when the barn needs painting paint it). I wear make-up and don’t feel guilty about it if I check the motive of my heart as to why I wear it. Claudette hang in there for your family, pray, it is the Holy Spirit that speaks truth into people’s hearts. I was a Catholic so I am aware of the rituals. They did not lead me into a personal relationship with Christ, what did was the love the family in Christ showed me. Love conquers all. Be blessed. So good to see you on 100 Huntley David. You are prayed for and loved.
Yes, was good to see you yesterday, David. Praying for a miracle and length of days for you. Wrote a long blog earlier but lost it. Hang in there, Claudette. God will answer when we are faithful with our love and prayers. Your blog is still the best part of my day, David and keeps me stedfast in the Word and getting new insights, such as the Apostle Paul saying, “Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty.” (9:26) to name one. God bless all today.
Dear Claudette, Lynne, Doreen
How blessed we are to be able to support,encourage each other in times of trials. I also was raised as a catholic and only through daily praying, repenting, giving the Lord thanks and letting the Holy Spirit guide me every step of the way am I able to finally surrender all my love ones in his precious hands, those same hands that took the nails on the cross for our sins Jesus, Wonderful Savior,Wonderful God!!!
It was so nice to see you on 100 Huntley yesterday with Ron and Moira. To my daily prayers for God sustaining you ,healing you i’m adding a virtual hug to you,Norma-Jean ,you’re family,100 Huntley gang and precious fellow bloggers.
God bless you
Great blog as usual. Regarding our loved one’s salvation, my husband and I were the first ones in our family to become Christians, years after we got married. From the beginning we shared the love of Jesus with family members, but they got angry and turned against us – all of us were brought up in religious homes but did not know the Truth. We did a lot of praying for them, and over many years they did accept Christ. – some just before they died. It’s so sad that many years were wasted when they could have enjoyed the freedom that only Christ can give. I’m so very thankful that God does hear our prayers and has His own way of drawing our loved ones to Himself – only He can change hearts. One of God’s promises I use as a prayer is Mark 11:24 “Whatsoever you desire, when you pray, believe you will receive them and you shall have them”. I also appreciate all the bloggers and their comments.
Hello David.
I was so happy to see you on 100 Huntley Street yesterday.
I laughed when Ron was showing you how you could get
the same information from the internet as you could get from
your paper concordance. The internet is amazing but for
some things I still prefer my paper sources…my old friends in print.
Todays reading reminded me of Sunday when I was a child. Girls
wore hats and gloves to church. Although, it may seem silly now, it did teach us that church was a special place. Traditions keep changing. The important thing is love for God and others. And humility.
Maureen
Hi David
I Continue to enjoy Your Blogs and also the great pictures Reynold has taken .
Brings back memories when we went to the holy land .great to see you and will continue to pray for healing .God has given us all talents lets not bury them .
We need to step out of our comfort zone and to reach the lost.
Arnold
Hi David, l agree wholeheartedly that our Christian walk is all about the heart. There was a time when l was a little critical when l saw someone looking like they were all decked out to go to the local dance hall. When l was young that was sometimes me!
Hi David, l hope you are having a good day. l agree with you that our walk with our precious Lord is all about our hearts. When we connect with his heart our hearts naturally supernaturally follow suit. We must try not to judge a book by it’s cover, but pray for some discernment to understand what’s going on. Fashions come and go and young people love to be trendy. When it’s totally over the top we have to address it,if it has become a distraction, and that is so hard for the leadership to do,but it must be done with great sensitivity. Personally l had quite an experience when l boarded a crowded bus.l was about 8months pregnant and there was no seat for me. To my surprise a long haired,tattooed scruffy young man,stood up and offered me his seat, not the respectable looking businessmen sitting on that bus, but someone who unexpectantly had such a big heart.Wow did l ever learn not to quickly misjudge someone!