Previously: scriptural authority for sunday, acts 20:7
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psa 16:11
Today is Friday, in our house that means try to finish up work by noon, so that the afternoon can be spent cooking and cleaning for our Sabbath dinner Friday evenings, and our day of rest on Saturday. When I started celebrating Sabbath, it was just me. Then my sweet dh joined me. Then one by one, the kids started coming over for dinner on Friday nights. For the past several weeks, all of the kids and grandkids have been here, and a few times a month it has even been the extended family. We have our dinner, followed by a shared loaf and cup of communion together.
We started doing communion because we read in the Torah that the grain offering (which was a loaf of bread) and a drink offering (which was wine) was to accompany the Lord’s sacrifice on all the Sabbaths, New Moons, and feast days. (Lev 23:37) And then we realized that Jesus taught us to acknowledge His sacrifice as often as we drink the wine and break the bread of communion (Luk 22:19-20). We put two and two together and came up with four, and we acknowledge the sacrifice of Jesus every Sabbath, New Moon, and feast day when we share the loaf and cup together.
The time of communion becomes intertwined with a time of family corporate prayer, as we would share needs and together ask God to meet them. It has become a time of rededication of our hearts and lives in love to God, to serve Him as living olahs.
Our experience has been that the sun goes down usually as we are breaking bread and praying over the cup, and the Lord’s presence descends upon everyone gathered around the table. Words cannot describe it! He is so wonderful, and more and more people are coming every week, I think because people are just so hungry for Him in their lives, don’t you think so?
Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Isa 55:6
When the Lord’s presence comes among men, bondages are broken, hearts and bodies are healed, blind eyes are opened, captives are set free. On the last new moon day, when we were breaking bread and passing the cup and the Lord’s presence descended, my son, whom some of you know has gone through a very rough time ever since his betrothed was killed in a traffic accident several years ago, was completely healed of a broken heart! He has been a changed man ever since! The Lord did another huge miracle for one of my daughters, that she had been crying out to Him about, just last week! Now this afternoon as I am preparing the Sabbath dinner, I heard of another incredible answer to prayer in the life of a family member who attended last week’s Sabbath, who is on their way for this evening’s.
All I can say is, thank you, Jesus; You are so faithful to Your word.
Her [wisdom’s] ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. Pro 3:17
When we walk in His paths, instead of our own or the world’s, then that is what we will begin to experience – pleasantness, and peace – and it is true!
Shabbat Shalom to you and yours — Christine
Continued: digging deeper into acts 20:7
What a surprise and blessing to read of your preparations and testimonies as you walk in obedience to our LORD! Thank you! In our home…our children are still all here…We usually do the communion before our dinner. My husband looks around and asks if anyone has anything to make right before we start. Sometimes we are still 'confessing' and making things right up to 30-40 minutes later…then we go ahead. I can't begin to tell you what a peace descends and Sabbath can truly begin! I am not usually on the computer on Sabbath, but I walked down (about 1/2 mile) to our business to have my quiet time and wanted to check on little Noah Estes's condition when I finished. We have a gathering on Sat. evening in the upstairs of our barn…another story, another time, we begin with prayer, singing, message, and end with a fellowhsip meal.
Grace and Peace,
Ruth