Lessons from a Thief

 We can learn alot from the 2 thieves that hung with Jesus Christ on the Cross...One thief had doubting faith, saying "IF thou be the Christ" the other said "Lord, Remember me..." not doubting Jesus and admitting fault to why they were being executed, while testifying that Jesus did not deserve to be hung with them.  It reminds me of two different kinds of people, those who believe in Jesus and those who doubt that He is Lord.

The doubting thief wanted to be freed, but to what? The Lord knows which one's of us would return to what we were doing in life if given a second chance or were to become young again and be able to go back and do it all again, then there's the other kind of people that know if they could have a second chance to make things right with the opportunity to correct their wrongs they would. 

The Lord knows which ones of us if given the chance to start-over, would truly start with Serving the Lord with all we've got, or would we use that opportunity to repeat the same ungodliness that we once enjoyed.  Many who are caught in wrongdoing only sorrow because they have to pay for what they've done, and others sorrow because they are truly sorry, and wish they had the chance to go back and make it right. 

If the believing thief could return to talk to us, he would tell us to "turn around, don't do it, don't do the things that can cause you to miss the glory, and treasure that the Lord has blessed me to leave the cross to go straight into Paradise with Him. 
 If you only knew the joy and peace, and great glory of this place you would not repeat the same things that The Lord is not pleased with, you would stop and not risk being in this heavenly place with The Lord, it's so worth just doing all The Lord says, the sacrifice, the submission, the obedience, the commandments, and loving everyone no matter what is so worth all this glory that I enjoy.  Oh but if I could live my life over again, I would've lived it All for Christ, never to have stolen, sinned, or wasted precious time that could've been devoted to so Great a King who has such great mercy on so sinful a man." Luke 23:42

INTERESTING "DID YOU KNOW"S? IN THE BIBLE

 1. JESUS WAS HERE AS IF IT WERE ONLY 2 DAYS AGO              2 PETER 3:8
     (What Jesus said to the Church through the Apostles is still new.
      it's still for me and you til kingdom come)

2.   ONE CHURCH IN THE BIBLE HAD 42,360 MEMBERS               EZRA 2:64
     (for those who only like small Churches... Heaven has millions)

3.   THERE WERE  3,896 YEARS BETWEEN ADAM                           MATTHEW 19:8
      AND JESUS, BUT THE WILL OF GOD HAS NOT CHANGED
      (Jesus said even since the beginning, man shall not divorce...)

4.   ABRAHAM WAS HEBREW DWELT IN CHALDEAN LAND                                                        GENESIS 14:13                                                                                  NEHEMIAH 9:7

5.   ISAIAH WALKED NAKED TO PROVE A POINT                            ISAIAH 20:3

6.   THE LORD LAUGHS                                                                          Psalm 2:4, Psalm 37:13                                                                                              
7.   DEBATE YOUR CASE PRIVATELY FIRST                                      PROVERBS 25:9 
      (let's not put another on blast, on social media etc.)

8.   BETTER A FRIEND HIT YOU, THAN ENEMY KISS YOU            PROVERBS 27:6  

9.   PAUL SPOKE WITH JESUS 3 TIMES                                               ACTS 23:11, 22:17, 9:5

10.  NEW TESTAMENT FORBIDS SAME S-E-X  RELATIONS               Romans 1:24-27
                                                                                                                                 Jude 1:7  
                                                                                                                                 2Peter 2:6

(and many more brow-raising events such as Nebuchadnezzar
being changed to a 4-footed beast-Daniel ch4, Fingers of a man's
hand appeared writing on a wall-Daniel 5:5, Two she-bears attacked
children for mocking Prophet Elisha-2Kings 2:24 ...and so much 
more astonishing accounts of mysteries, miracles, and mayhem.
Who needs reality TV when these historic real accounts are in the
Bible?)

... ... ...

Importance of Observing Communion

 The 1st communion was performed at passover...

In the Old Testament the blood on the doorposts of the lamb slain was to cover the firstborn when the death angel passed over those who applied the blood; It is directly symbolic (related to) the Lord who is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,  His blood covers the house (the bodily temple) causing the wages of sins which is death to PASS OVER all those who APPLY the Blood of the Lord Jesus in faith and obedience, although those who believe but will not COME IN under the covering of the Blood of Jesus nor partake of the "feast of the passover lamb",  remain outside of the covering and will be lost.

The same as they were commanded to eat all the parts of the lamb for the passover, we are commanded that if we "eat not His Flesh, and Drink not His Blood, you have no life in you". St. John 6:55 
The firstborn were the only concerned parties with the death angel passing thru the first time and thereafter the passover was still observed annually for all whether firstborn or not, But for those of us under the new testament observance, the firstborn who escaped death for all of us is Jesus Christ, (firstborn from the grave, and the dead, first resurrected from the dead) Just as not only the firstborn observed passover, all of us should observe the Lord's body at Communion til The Lord comes. Too often I've seen Christians leave, walk out of the sanctuary a minute before Communion is served, this is dishonor to the Lord's Precious Blood sacrifice! Perhaps they have not made a commitment to the Lord yet or they feel guilty that they still cling to one of the things that clung Christ to the Cross.  Jesus bore our sins, truly His Love kept Him Hanging there for us, but it was our sins that nailed Him there.

There are healing benefits to formally observing the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, but the focus is on why we need healing in the first place, and that the healer took our sins upon Himself. There is controversy on how often we should partake; it appears the Word of the Lord only says "as often as you do it, do it unto me...". It could have read "whenever you do it" but it says "as often"; (As long as we do not partake of the Lord's supper/communion for Any Other Reason than "Discerning The Lord's Body", we will not drink damnation to ourselves, but consider this....Can I really be discerning the Lord's Body if I practice what nailed Him to the Cross?

(I believe communion should be observed as often as we would like to formally, as a Body of Believers, remember Jesus Sacrifice, Show/Observe the Lord's death, and Examine ourselves. stir up the Life within us; Certainly sounds like with all the benefits it provides that His sacrifice should be formally observed more than once per year.) 

Scripture reference:

1st Cor 11:25-32

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1. Do it in Remembrance of The Lord

2. To show the Lord's Death, till He come

3. We are to Examine ourselves (why we participate?) & to  reflect on the purpose of partaking/and the     Lord's Suffering