OVERRUN WITH GARBAGE

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”  (Acts 3:19 NIV)

If the process of repentance is worthy of the name, we engage in the deepest kind of soul-searching, and in the process we rid ourselves of a great deal of garbage. Environmental experts tell us that our nation’s metropolitan areas are in danger of being overrun with rubbish. What is physically true of our cities is still more painfully and eternally true of our souls. Unconfessed sin, whatever its form -- bitter memories, resentments, thoughtless words, moral and ethical betrayals -- will eventually stifle the soul unless it is dealt with. The human soul can endure only so much garbage; repentance consumes it in a merciful conflagration. 

-- J. Ellsworth Kalas in “Longing to Pray: How the Psalms Teach Us to Talk with God “

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DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME

“For I received from the LORD what I also passed on to you: The LORD Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me."  (1 Corinthians 11:23-25 NIV)

I am to show that it is the duty of every Christian to receive the Lord's Supper as often as he can. ... The First reason why it is the duty of every Christian so to do is, because it is a plain command of Christ. That this is His command, appears from the words of the text, "Do this in remembrance of Me:" ... A Second reason why every Christian should do this as often as he can, is, because the benefits of doing it are so great to all that do it in obedience to Him; viz., the forgiveness of our past sins and the present strengthening and refreshing of our souls. ... 

-- John Wesley, from “Sermon 101” 


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