Come To the Table

🍞🍷This past Sunday, being the first Sunday of the month, was our communion, or Lord's Supper. As it so happens, it was also World Communion Sunday.  So virtually every Christian Church in the world was observing communion at some point this past Sunday!  What a thought!  The song that was played during our communion time was Come To the Table by Sidewalk Prophets. I have heard it before, it has been played before.  

What struck me was the invitation in the song for people to come to the Lord's Table, and sit beside Him.

I am sure many of us have a thought in our minds of who would be sitting there, and next to Him.

But in reality all are welcome at the table, He calls every sinner to come.

Would we be willing to sit at the table with murderers, thieves, rapists, molesters?  How about with gossips, those who are bitter, resentful, jealous, prideful,.....WHOA  hey...they are not the same!

Oh....but....

📖 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. Galatians 5:13-26

The bible says we are ALL sinners, regardless of our offense, 

📖 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:22-24

and Christ died for all, 

📖The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. Romans 6:10

IF we accept Him..

📖 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, Romans 3:22

and what He has done for us...taking on our sin.

📖“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24

Shedding His blood in place of ours

📖Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Matthew 26:27-28

If we come with humble, repentant hearts

we are all welcome at the Table!

🙏🏼Lord, help me to see all those around Your table as You do, washed in the blood of Christ. Fill me with Your compassion, Your grace, and Your Mercy. Thank you that what You did for me saved me and is my invitation to Your table.❤️

🔗Come To the Table Sidewalk Prophets

Disciples vs. Apostles The Important Difference

 You CAN teach an old dog new tricks!  You have heard the saying "learn something new everyday." Well I did this past Sunday!  It may have been something I did know...but if that is the case I had completely forgotten it!

Actually, I had to make a bit of an alteration to this  log that I posted a couple of years ago.

The difference between disciple and apostle! And when I first wrote this missed an important distinction between the two.

Disciple:

A disciple would literally follow someone in hopes of eventually becoming what they are. A Christian disciple is a believer who follows Christ and then offers his own imitation of Christ as model for others to follow (1 Corinthians 11:1). A disciple is first a believer who has exercised faith (Acts 2:38) (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page)

Jesus called His disciples to come follow Him

📖 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:19-20

He told them He would change them and their purpose. 

They were to follow literally and figuratively. They left their homes, professions, and even families and went with Jesus. Traveled where He went. But they also learned to follow His teachings, His actions, to become more like Him.

📖 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

📖  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35

Then, they became apostles

📖 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Luke 6:13

In the New Testament, twelve disciples were commissioned as Apostles. After Judas’s death, the church replaced the vacancy by selecting Matthias, as Acts records. To this number Jesus added the Apostle Paul as the special Apostle to the gentiles. Paul’s apostleship was a matter of some debate because he did not meet all of the requirements for apostleship set forth in Acts. The criteria for apostleship included being: (1) a disciple of Jesus during His earthly ministry, (2) an eyewitness of the Resurrection, and (3) called and commissioned directly by Christ. Paul was not a former disciple, and his vision of the resurrected Christ occurred after Jesus’ ascension. Paul was not an eyewitness of the Resurrection in the same way the other Apostles were. Nevertheless, Paul was directly called to the office by Christ. His call was confirmed by the other Apostles, whose apostleship was not in doubt and was authenticated by the miracles God performed through him, attesting his authority as an Apostolic agent of revelation.

How I missed this the first time I blogged this I don't know. 

They were not meant to be disciples only...it was training for their actual purpose! They were given a mission, by Jesus Himself,  which is what made them THE apostles.

📖  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

It is important that we become disciples of Christ.  To follow His ways and learn who He is and how we are to be.  We have a mission as well, we are a called to go and tell, to be ambassadors of Christ.

To remain disciples only we are missing an important part of being a Christian. 

📖 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”  Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. James 2:17-18

📖 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:8

We must learn and then take that to others, that is what makes us a Christian. 

But the term apostle was meant for those  first with Christ. 

📖 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as

 though God were making his appeal through

 us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20

The term may be used loosely today. But for me it is important to first learn and know what our mission is about. 

It is important to know who Jesus is and what He teaches before we can go out and tell others how life changing following Him can be.

We need to constantly be in step with Him so we have the resources to take His message to others.

📖 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-25

🙏I pray today Lord, help us to listen and learn from You, to be committed to following Your ways so that we can tell and show others who You are at every opportunity.  Amen❤️