THE POWER OF COMMUNION

The Lord’s Supper
(Matthew 26:26-30; Luke 22:15-20; 1 Cor 11:23-25)
22While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and handed it to them, saying, "Take some. This is my body." 23Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant that is being poured out for many people. 25Truly I tell you, I will never again drink the product of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." 26After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jay and I are living testimonies to the fact. You see we partake of the Lord's Supper often in remembrance of Him. At 51 years old we are typical American's, we are overweight, overworked and definitely overly stressed. Yet, remarkably we are not taking a cabinet full of prescription medications. We do take vitamins and I use an inhaler for asthma. Not too long ago the two of us were sitting and talking with a Nurse Practitioner and she looked us square in the eye and said "Statistically two of the three of us here will die early with coronary disease." She wasn't thrilled when we brought up the fact that even if the Lord decided to take us home early that we knew exactly where we were going, did she? I am not making light of taking care of the earthly temples the Lord has given us, Jay and I work on that daily, but in some respects she was right, we are walking anomalies. We should have high blood pressure, diabetes, clogged arteries, high cholesterol and numerous other ailments. However, we always have enough health and stamina to get through the day no matter how long it is. The only explanation is that we belong to Jesus and we get together nightly for prayer, worship and the partaking of communion. Yes, we do this every day, and no, it is not routine. There is power, power wonder working power in the blood of the Lamb.

THE POWER OF FASTING

About seven years ago my youngest sister Debbie who had been trying to have a child the entire 16 years of her marriage was having a few marital problems. Some of this was due to years of trying to conceive along with failed and costly fertility tests. She was not a believer yet, but she did ask us to pray for her and her husband, Lee. Long story short, we prayed and fasted and she ended up pregnant not once but twice praise God. She had a boy the first time around and a little girl the second time. When her daughter was six months old Jay and I was visiting, and I was holding her. Something within me just sensed that there was something terribly wrong with her. She was very small and pale. I began praying that the Lord would bring the problem to light (I didn't say anything to Debbie at the time). Within a week a nurse was doing a well baby check on her and told Debbie that she thought that the baby had a heart defect. After many tests it was determined that she was born with a hole in her heart and her left artery was attached wrong so it was recirculating bad blood. My sister fell apart. They took the baby to a heart specialist who then referred them to a hospital in Denver. A doctor in Denver told them it was a miracle the baby had lived so long with such a grave problem. In Denver they faced more bad news, all of the pediatric cardiologists had been fired recently because of a too high mortality rate. They were told that the baby had to gain at least five pounds to have surgery (she was only twelve pounds and wasn't thriving because she couldn't suck properly because of the heart defect). Jay and I decided to begin a fast at that time. We went to Colorado and anointed the baby and ask the Lord to heal her. In less than ten days the baby gained four pounds on nothing more than formula, and she turned a rosy pink color! The next miracle occurred when they found a Doctor to do the surgery in Denver, the hospital had just hired him, and wouldn't you know it he was the second most renowned pediatric cardiologist in the Nation. Isn't our God wonderful! All glory to Him. The baby gained two more pounds before surgery. The surgery was scheduled and was a week away, Jay and I had been fasting the entire time (on the fourteenth day we had switched from juice and water to the Daniel Fast). They told Deb and Lee the surgery would take five or six hours and that it was very risky and that the baby may not even survive the surgery. Then they told them that if she survived she probably would be well behind schedule physically and developmentally delayed. Debbie and Lee spent the night before the surgery with Chinh (her name is oriental, her daddy is Vietnamese, and her name means little flower) and for the first time (in her life I think) my sister prayed, she called me crying and saying that she was scared that the baby would die and she couldn't bare that. I told her that day I had prayed many scriptures for healing out loud to the Lord for Chinh. I had pages of scripture I had printed out and I was boldly praying them back to the Lord, (even though it felt awkward to be so bold with the Lord). About half way through the Lord spoke to me and said, "Enough, I have heard you." So, I told Debbie that Chinh would not die, that the Lord would heal her and that her life would be a living testimony to His Power. The next morning we waited by the phone, by now we were going on three weeks of fasting. Debbie called me an hour and a half after the surgery began and said that Chinh was out of surgery and doing well. How, I asked, was that possible since it would take longer than that just to prep her make the incision and crack the chest open? They had said it would be at least five hours! Debbie didn't know how or care for that matter because her little baby girl was fine. Our dear Jesus had made sure of that! When the cardiologist met with them later that morning he was literally crying and telling them what a miracle their baby girl was. He never came right out and said that when he exposed Chinh's heart there was nothing to at all to repair, but all of us knew that was the case. That is when my sister Debbie and her husband gave their lives to Christ, (we had witnessed to them for years) another one of my sisters and one of my brothers we had been witnessing to for years followed suit. There is so much power in fasting we have seen numerous miracles. I just thought I would share just one of them with you. Love you all, Mary

PS: Here is recent picture of little Miss Chinh all dressed up for her preschool program (as a country mouse), she is five now and she hit all of her physical milestones early, just ask her and she will tell you who Jesus is. She talks to Him every night before bedtime, she, her mom, dad and big brother bake Jesus a cake every Christmas and sing "Happy Birthday" to Him. She will gladly show you her scar all the way down the middle of her chest and she will smile and tell you "Look where God fixed me." You see our dearest prayers were answered and her life is a living testimony to Christ. All glory and honor to our dear Jesus. How magnificent He is. What power there is in Fasting.

THE POWER OF LOVE: 

 I want to start this true story by saying that all glory and honor belongs to Jesus Christ. I am forever indebted to Him, His grace and mercy are constantly flowing for all of us. I just want to encourage you to reach out in your own lives and to reach out to 'least of these' for when you do you are serving Jesus.

Here in the book of Matthew Jesus explains this truth:

Jay and I were having breakfast one morning in a local restaurant in Pinedale, the place was very busy. While we were eating an elderly lady came in and set down at the table next to us she was disheveled and unkempt, and looked like she was a homeless person. She began looking at the menu, shortly afterwards an elderly man joined her, his appearance was the same as hers. They had an odor about them and after a few moments several people sitting near them got up and very vocally left the room, saying they would rather sit in the smoking section. We watched the couple counting their change out and when they finally got the waitress's attention they asked if there was a breakfast special. The waitress (one we knew quite well who was always pleasant and cordial to us) snapped at them "Of course we don't have a breakfast special," then she moved away from them just like they were lepers. Jay and I looked at each other, our hearts were overwhelmed with God's love and compassion, we both smiled and called the waitress over. Now we knew the waitress quite well and we told her that we would like to buy those two breakfast, and that she should give their bill to us, and to encourage them to order whatever they liked. Well, suddenly she began to treat them like they were royalty. They thanked us and we started talking to them. They lived in their van and as they related their story they apologized for their appearance saying they had slept outside the night before. The husband asked us after a few moments why most of the world was so cruel, he went on to tell us about a group of homeless people in Arizona that were living under a bridge with nothing more than old mattresses. Apparently the authorities had burned the mattresses and what little belongings the homeless people had and ran them out of town as squatters. I began to tell them what the word of God said about the love of many growing cold. After we talked to them for a while the man looked at us strangely and said "last night I had a dream, I dreamed that there was an angry group of people trying to harm us, suddenly two people came to our rescue and pushed the darkness and anger away, these two people lived in a log cabin, and these two people were you two I believe." Jay and I didn't live in a log cabin, but our ministry office to this day is in a little log cabin. We marveled at that. When we got up to leave they were still eating breakfast, Jay gave them all the money he had in his wallet and we asked if we could pray for them, they said yes. When I went to hold their hands the man said "Oh no you mustn't our hands are dirty." We took their hands in ours and asked the Lord to take care of them and protect them. They thanked us through tear streaked faces and we told them that Jesus loved them. When we went to pay our bill and theirs, the waitress said "I just wanted to thank you guys for buying them breakfast that was such a kind thing to do." Jay told her, "don't thank us, thank Jesus." The waitress hung her head and nodded. Jay told her "You know Linda, that anything we do like that is because we love and serve Jesus and He expects us to love and serve all humanity." Later that day we were driving around town and we saw the same couple with their van at the Tire Store. Since they were from Arizona, they had bought used tires that were defective from the heat. We stopped by the tire store, we know the guys who work there quite well and they have done a lot of work on our vehicles over the years. They were telling Jay that all four tires on the van had to be replaced and they didn't think the two elderly people could afford it. They were going to use the money Jay gave them to get some retread tires put on. Jay told Steve, "Put all new tires on the van and bill me." Steve was flabbergasted and said as much, so Jay was able to glorify Christ to Steve. I relate this story to you not to glorify Jay or I in any way, God forbid, but to illustrate to you the Power of the Love of Jesus Christ. When we show others Jesus through His love, marvelous things will happen. The Love of Jesus is a powerful force and a testimony in and of Itself. Don't miss out on the great privilege of lavishing that love on people who need it the most, whether it is a sweet old homeless couple, an overworked stressed out waitress, or a tire store manager. Everyone needs the love of Jesus. God bless, and go love the world!

In His Love Mary

Part 2:There is truly nothing more powerful than loving people with the love of Christ. Right before Jay and I came to Wyoming to work in the oil field we were both working in a Nursing home in Colorado. I was the activities director in this particular nursing home and I had many opportunities to share Christ's love with others there. One time a fellow worker told me "Mary, I don't know how you can always be so happy when you are dealing with some of these residents, especially Edna, she is just hateful, I don't know how you put up with her." Now Edna was a cantankerous woman, and to make matters worse, years before she had been the head nurse of this same facility, so she loved to tell all the nurses how they should do their jobs. Edna would park her wheelchair right in front of the nurses station and not only watch their every move, but report on them as well. But Jesus loved the unlovable and He expected me to do the same, so I set out to win Edna over.

It was almost impossible for me to pry Edna away from her perch at the front desk to take part in any of the activities. One thing she enjoyed almost as much as spying on the nurses and reporting their 'wrongdoing' was playing word games. So, once a week I was successful in getting her to an activity. None of the other residents enjoyed Edna's participation in the word games because she would never let anyone else answer the trivia questions. You see Edna knew quite a bit about everything except how to love others. Once I got to know her story my heart went out to her. Her only son had brought her to the nursing home and left her there against her will, up until this time he had been her only caretaker and Edna berated him constantly. It was not uncommon for them to have 'loud' discussions whenever he came in for a visit. Another of Edna's peculiarities was that she didn't ever want anyone to go into her room. From her perch at the nurses desk she could look straight down the hallway to watch her room, and anyone who went in there was accosted by her at the door in her wheelchair. I think she must have set some speed records in that chair a few times getting to her room. One day as I was doing room visits on Edna's hallway, I noticed Paul in her room. Paul was a resident who had Alzheimer's disease. I escorted Paul out of Edna's room just as she arrived lickety split in her chair. "Get him out of there" Edna said a little too loudly, while trying to hit him. I stood between Paul and her and took the blow. "Why are you protecting him," she snapped at me. "Well," I said, "because he cannot protect himself." "What are you talking about, look at how big he is, he can protect himself." I explained to her that he really didn't know what he was doing and that she should take that into consideration before hitting him.

Well, she would have none of that, and so she 'reported me.' It seems that I was guilty of keeping some of the residents up too late on two Friday's a month for movie night. Jay and I always brought in popcorn and a video to show on a Friday evening for anyone who wanted to stay up past seven to watch it. So, because of protocol, I had to receive a reprimand concerning movie night. Later that week I went to see if Edna would like to come and play word games. She said, "Don't you know that I turned you in for movie night, why would you even want to talk to me now?" I told her that I did know that she had turned me in, but I had already forgiven her. She looked up at me, "You forgave me," she asked. "Yes, I did, if Jesus can forgive me for all my sins, surely I can forgive you." Edna then did something that I suspect she had not done in a long while, she started crying. I kneeled next to her wheelchair and hugged her, and wonder of wonders she didn't push me away! What a sight we were there in front of that nurses station, both of us crying! I think that Edna had been holding those tears in for a very long time, after a few minutes Edna did something else I don't think she had done in a long time, she told me she was sorry for turning me in. I assured her I wasn't holding any grudges, and then I wheeled her into the dining room for a lively round of word games. I am sure you all know someone like Edna, or you have known someone like her. Keep in mind that Jesus reached out to even those who were unlovable, He forgave, and He loved. Oh, how He loved, and still loves. Let us learn from Him brothers and sisters, because there is no finer teacher than He. Glory to God! What a Savior we serve. Let's go love the world for His Glory!

In His Love, MaryPart 3:

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell!

How I want to learn to love like that, don't you? You know the Love of Christ will shine out of every one who belongs to Him. Others will notice that love and sometimes they will even ask about it. When Pastor Jay and I were still living in Colorado and he was offered a job as a consulting geologist we prayed for God's will and was led to take the job. We were both working at a Nursing Home at this time and while he went to Utah for training I worked my two weeks notice at the Nursing Home. A few days into my last two weeks I had to start training someone to be my replacement. I interviewed several people before hiring Kelsey. Kelsey was in her early twenties and a vibrant happy woman. She assured me that she was up to the challenge of being an Activity's Director and I had no reason to doubt that she was. For three days I asked her to come in and just observe me doing the job, she was to follow me through each day and just to ask questions or make notes. She was such a pleasant upbeat person to be around that I really enjoyed her company.

On the morning of the second day we were doing room visits. Some of the residents there could not or would not come out of their rooms for activities, so I made it a part of my routine every morning to visit with them in their rooms. During these room visits I would make shopping lists, write letters, rub feet with lotion, fetch fresh cold water and other things like this. On this day Kelsey and I were in visiting Ted, Ted was determined to die alone. He stayed to himself and really didn't like company, however he always put up with me. I would spend about twenty minutes in his room five days a week, I would listen to him complain about everything, from the world news to his general care. Sometimes I would read the paper to him and sometimes I would get him cold water. This day I informed him that I was leaving and that Kelsey would be taking my place. Ted didn't like this idea and said so in front of Kelsey. I took his water pitcher and her and I went to fill it. I could see that something was upsetting her and so I asked her what it was. "Well, Mary, I don't see why we have to do the Nurse's Aids jobs. Aren't they supposed to get water for the residents and rub their feet?" I said that yes that was normally in their job description, but that by the time we were able to track one of them down to do that we could easily go get the water ourselves. Then I explained to her that the Nurse's Aids were already overworked and that this helped them out as well. She said, "So why do we rub their feet, that isn't an activity?" I told her that I do that because sometimes that is the best way to serve someone like Ted. She said, "Well, he is just mean and I know already he doesn't like me, all of these people love you and don't want you to leave, I just want them to love me too." I told her that I had to win them over with the love of Christ from the beginning and that they didn't love me back automatically that this took some time. Then I told her "Kelsey, I serve Jesus, and when I am fetching someone some cold water, rubbing their old tired feet or hands, reading them the same book over and over, listening to them complain about everything from their care to their children never coming to visit I do it just like I was doing it to Jesus. Most of the time no one else notices, but I know that He does. Now, I can guarantee that these people will love you if you show them love, it will take some time and effort, but if you want them to love you that is what it will take." When we got back to Ted's room with the water Kelsey poured him a glass and handed it to him with a smile. Ted took it and thanked her, and that was the beginning for Kelsey. She was beaming when she left that room. I told her that even though there was a lot to the job she would have to learn such as keeping records and attending staff meetings, that she was learning the most important part of that job that morning. When Jesus says in the word: "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'

So I ask you how much effort does it take to give someone who is hungry something to eat, someone who is thirsty a cold drink of water, to invite a stranger in, to clothe someone who is naked, to visit someone who is sick, or to go to the imprisoned? Not much effort at all. Especially if you are doing it as if it were Jesus. I encourage you saints to look around you, you will find someone in need and when you do, love them just as you do Jesus, serve them, just as you do Him. Don't do it for the accolades, do it because it pleases Him. There are lonely, hurting, and abandoned people all around you, love them and love them like He does. In His Love, Mary

G. Campbell Morgan said: