My ignorance cost me. It costs others too. When we deliberately choose to give up Scripture reading, we are in trouble.

Lifeway Research reports that less than 25 percent of believers in the United States have a “systematic method of reading the Christian Scriptures each day.” (2017)

The Bible is alive. It is the direction of God, not just for morality, but living guidance by Holy Spirit to help avoid sin. Without it, without the knowledge of God, which is the power of God, our ignorance leads us like sheep, like the blind, into unbelief, blindness, danger and sickness. (Hebrews 4:12)

Ignorance before the Lord regarding sanctification or holiness in the life of the believer at Communion leads to illness.

When the time of Communion, the remembrance of Lord Jesus with bread and wine or juice, arrives in the church service, “a man must examine himself.”

“Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.”

“For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgement to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.” (1Corinthians 11:27-30)

Many believers both old and new are unsanctified or partially sanctified. They, in ignorance of what is sin, eat and drink judgment on themselves during Communion. Our churches are sick. They are weak.

Dangerous sins are often not preached about, leaving the sheep weakened, and the Scriptures are not read and applied individually as is necessary.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, just prior to His arrest, Lord Jesus prayed to God the Father for the church, “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word.”

Twice the Lord prayed about our sanctification: “That we might be sanctified in truth.”

“Your Word is truth.” (John 17:17-21)

The Word of God washes us, sanctifies us.(Ephesians 5:28)

The Word, The Truth, hidden in the heart, warns us of sin. (Psalm 119:11)

The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)

Ignorance of sin still leads to death.

The Word cleanses us. Purifies us as we follow Divine direction. Making us to be His holy bride. This is sanctification. The Lord prayed for you and me, for our sanctification, 2,000 years ago, knowing that we needed it. The Lord’s prayers are heard by God the Father and are within His will.

The Savior is preparing us to be clean, only needing to wash our feet at the end of the day. (John 13:12)

Lord Jesus Himself is our example of sanctification. (John 17:19) (Hebrews 10:10)

We are sanctified by His Blood. (Hebrews 13:12)

The Savior is God. He carries God’s Blood. Only this Blood sanctifies us.

The Blood of Jesus is a free gift to those who receive Him. Lord Jesus has done His work at the cross. The duty of studying Scripture and applying it to our lives is our work, the bride’s work. (Revelation 19:7) Together with God we labor toward the common goal of sanctification or holiness of ourselves.

During the time of Hezekiah, King of Judah, the Temple was cleaned out of idols and the Passover reinstituted. Hezekiah sent messengers to the tribes, calling them to come to Jerusalem for the feast, though having been delayed by the Temple renovation. Those who would normally sanctify themselves before the feast had no time to prepare. Those who had lived in Israel had fallen into generations of idolatry. They were ignorant of sanctification. Yet they ate the Passover sacrifice meal, eating and drinking judgment upon themselves.

Hezekiah saw this and with prayed for them, “‘May the good Lord pardon everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though not according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.’ So the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.” (2Chronicles 30:17-20)

The tribes became sick without purification, but the prayer of the king caused God to pardon them.

When we celebrate Communion, we remember Lord Jesus and how He instituted the Communion table and the New Covenant of His Body, the bread and His Blood, the wine, on Passover.

Pastors, are you praying for forgiveness for your congregations at Communion as Hezekiah did at Passover?

Pastors, are you teaching about the hidden dangers in today’s society?

Believers, your life depends upon you reading and applying Scripture each day. Are you doing this?

None of us is without sin. (Romans 3:23)

Survival. There is much to be learned from Christians in the Middle East, who have existed there for the last 2,000 years. Up until the recent years, there were tribes of believers that lived on the land and traveled together. One was the Ghassani tribe, from which my spouse’s father’s family descends.

As they moved across camel trails, over mountains and through deserts, the Gospel of Jesus went with them and was shared. They were known as people of the Book.

Other settlements of Christians lived together in villages, like Acco, on the Mediterranean Sea, not far from Nazareth.

Christians in the Middle East today still live together, for safety, in their own villages or near to relatives. They support each other’s businesses and services. Together, with God’s help, they have kept the churches in the Holy Lands open and vital for 2,000 years. This has not been easy. They have endured poverty, famine, occupation, empires, and numerous wars. But they are still standing and many refuse to leave.

The Word of God says that it is good and pleasant for brothers to dwell together in unity. (Psalm 133:1-3) The psalmist, David, likens the oneness of brotherhood to the dew which comes down upon Mount Hermon in northern Israel. Refreshing.

Lord Jesus had a large following of believers and disciples during His three-year ministry on Earth. There were squabbles about who would be first and where bread could be purchased, but the men and women lived as a community, following The Lord. He kept them safe. (John 17:12)

After The Lord’s ascension, the Acts church developed and boomed to thousands from 120 on Pentecost because of the baptism of Holy Spirit. Under persecution from the Jewish and later Roman societies, these believers learned to listen to Holy Spirit and live together in community. Even land was sold to provide for others; no went in need. (Acts 4:32-37)

Once again, there were squabbles about eating meat first sacrificed to idols or meats previously considered unclean, but division was overcome.

They lived in the world, but were not of the world. They were separate from the world. And they lived together and were of one mind. (Acts 2:41-47; John 17:11)

Believers are to meet regularly, eat together, pray together, study Scripture together, even daily and be of one mind, living in unity with each other. (Romans 15:5; 1Corinthians 1:10; Philippians 1:27) There will be squabbles, just as there were in the beginning, but they too can be overcome with God’s help, counsel and direction.

Do you rely upon the fellowship of community?

If a great crisis came, would you have a network of believers to go to for help?

We are called to love each other. This is a command of Lord Jesus. Do not isolate yourself. You matter and you are needed by The Lord as a vital part of the body of Christ. (Romans 12:5)

Unity of the body of Christ is necessary for survival just as it always has been.

LOOK UP!