Category: Church

And so – dear brothers and sisters – we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By His death – Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house – let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting Him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, but encourage one another – especially now that the day of His return is drawing near. (Hebrews 10:19-25 NLT)

All rights reserved (c) 2019 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

I am back in the U.S.A., back in South Florida, back at home, back with my church family this morning, and back on social media. My regularly-scheduled Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday blogs are back in business. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, so let’s blog together.

It was a quick turnaround from vacation time for me. Upon receiving a cell phone signal for the first time in 7 days I received a message via Messenger early on Saturday morning (4 AM) asking if I could preach this Sunday. Of course I can !

Preach the Word of God. Be prepared – whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. (2 Timothy 4:2 NLT)

Today I preached a brand new sermon that I wrote in the days and weeks leading-up to my vacation. It’s a sermon all about Communion – its importance, and why we do it.

In remembrance of Him.

I preached mostly from Romans (3:25-26, 5:6-11, 6:11).

We are dead to the power of sin, and alive to God through Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:11),

and because of this connection – this Communion with Christ – we will be spared from God’s wrath on the last day.

When Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world – we will share in all His glory. (Colossians 3:4)

The early church observed and celebrated Jesus by taking Communion – often. They realized that every time they gathered around a table to eat and drink in fellowship – in Communion with each other – it was a time to recognize Jesus, and thank God for all that He has done.

The same is true 2,000 years later. We observe and celebrate Jesus by taking Communion. It’s a time set aside – once a month – for us to pause, reflect, and recognize Jesus corporately – as a connected and united church body in fellowship – and thank God for all that He has done for us.

It’s a glorious and intimate moment in Communion with God. This must never become mundane, or a ritual, or an obligation. This is a celebration of death becoming life – forever.

In remembrance of Him.

We observed and celebrated Communion towards the end of my message.

All rights reserved (c) 2019 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

Today I celebrate 12 years as part of a church family. It was a full dozen years ago on this Sunday of January of 2007 (the 21ST that year) that I anxiously and nervously walked in to a movie theatre less than 3 miles from home to attend a church service for a church I had been hearing about on the radio and reading about on the World Wide Web (before Myspace, WordPress, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, etc.).

Life Pointe Church in Homestead Florida was my first church family. I was immediately welcomed with love, hugs, and opened arms on that morning. Within 15 minutes I realized that I had a new home on Sunday mornings.

That was my church family for a little over 8 years from January 2007 to March 2015. I left Life Pointe to join another church family a mile down the road, and to resurrect my fantastic journey which had stalled at that point.

I am now a leader at Living Waters Full Gospel Church, a Reverend, and a Licensed Minister. I am a Pastor-In-Training. I am preparing myself for bigger and better things in my not-too-distant future. God’s plans.

But let’s go back to 2006. My salvation began unexpectedly late that summer during the latter part of August of that year. I wasn’t planning it. It just happened. That’s how God works. He had a plan for me, and it was executed magnificently. I was saved for about a month or two before I realized it. I didn’t even know what salvation was all about until He led me to His Word via His music and Scripture on a local Christian radio station.

I’m a firm believer that you can’t fully and effectively believe and follow God unless you are an integral part of a church family. I figured that out during my first 3 months on this fantastic journey. I used the next 2 months after that to find a church family online.

Just as our bodies have many parts, and each part has a special function – so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In His grace – God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy – speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others – serve them well. If you are a teacher – teach well. If your gift is to encourage others – be encouraging. If it is giving – give generously. If God has given you leadership ability – take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others – do it gladly. (Romans 12:4-8 NLT)

Don’t be an orphan on your fantastic journey. Find a church family that will help you grow in Christ. Find a church family that you can walk with, as you move forward at a steady pace towards eternity with God in Heaven.

All rights reserved (c) 2019 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries