Urgent plea to all believers (part 3)

 

 

The church is ordained to offer an offering to the Lord whenever there is an ordained holy convocation for we have been duly instructed saying; “Command the children of Israel, and say to them, 'My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time.” There are specific times when we are to offer to the Lord the food for His offerings: For example, morning and evening as a thanksgiving offering for the Lord’s lovingkindness in the morning and His faithfulness in the evening, on the weekly seventh day Sabbath to commemorate and give thanks to the Lord for His creation, on the New Moon to commemorate the beginning of a new month and on the annual festivals to commemorate what the Lord did for humanity on the particular occasion (Numbers 28:2; 1Chronicles 23:30-31; Psalms 92:1-2).

This offering which should be offered whenever there is an ordained holy convocation is termed a peace or a fellowship offering and it is the medium by which members of the body of Christ have fellowship with one another and with the Father and the Son, because according to the apostle John; “that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1John 1:3).

And what grants us this fellowship is explained by the apostle Paul who wrote; “therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge for your-selves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread” (1Corinthians 10:14-17).

What classifies us as a church is when we come together to partake of the Lord’s Supper at the appointed times. The apostle Paul had to chastise the church in Corinth because of the manner they partook of it, He said to them; “For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you.

Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper. For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you” (1Corinthians 11:18-22).

Please note carefully that, the chastisement was not for partaking of the Lord’s Supper when they came together as a church, which is the protocol and the rationale for having a holy convocation, but the chastisement was due to the manner in which they went about partaking of it and despising the church.

To be continued

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With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph