Power In the Blood

Today is Thursday, November 8, 2018. Pre-Friday!

Day 22,155

FOUR days until C’s birthday!!

SIX days until Fallout 76!!

“The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.”
Winston Churchill, British statesman, 1874-1965
BrainyQuote

The word of the day is volute, “a spiral or twisted formation or object.”

I had a nice meeting with a brother in Christ last night, after work. We met at a coffee shop and just had some coffee and conversation. It was very cool, and I think we should all do more things like that. It’s inconvenient, of course, because we all have our routines. But it is a valuable thing to just sit, listen, and talk with people. Especially one-on-one.

I don’t have much else to talk about, so on with the devotional.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS
All Scriptures are from the ESV unless otherwise noted

“Almighty God, Father of all mercies,
we thine unworthy servants
do give thee most humble and hearty thanks
for all thy goodness and loving-kindness
to us and to all men.
We bless thee for our creation, preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for thine inestimable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ,
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we beseech thee,
give us that due sense of all thy mercies,
that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful;
and that we show forth praise,
not only with our lips, but in our lives,
by giving up our selves to thy service,
and by walking before thee
in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost,
be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen.”
(The Book of Common Prayer, emphasis added)

And in reference to that bit about walking in holiness, let us remember the good definition of holiness that I found, a couple days ago. “Holiness is not different action but different being.” (Dallas Willard)

(From Power in Prayer, Andrew Murray)
The Blood of Jesus

And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 
for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
Matthew 26:27-27

Andrew Murray begins this reading with a prayer.

“Dear Jesus, unfold to me the secret of your life in me that you gave when you shed your precious blood on Calvary. Renew afresh this life in me as I partake of the Supper and drink the cup of remembrance of your great sacrifice. My heart thirsts for you. Come to me this day in your full power to cleanse anew and fill me with praise for the privilege that is mine to partake of your life.”

That would be an excellent prayer for right before taking the Supper. Murray then quotes Leviticus 17:11. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.” The life of one, the living spirit, is in the blood. “Therefore atonement is linked with the shedding of blood.” During Old Testament (covenant) days, this was the blood of an “innocent animal.” But “under the new covenant, the shedding of Jesus’ blood meant the surrender of His life for our sins. The worth and power of that blood are the worth and power of the life of Jesus. Every drop of His blood has in it the power of an endless life.” This is most definitely worth some consideration and meditation.

Let us also consider that, when we partake of that blood, we have “a part in the atonement that it established, the forgiveness it secured.” We have “a part in the life of Jesus, surrendered on the cross, raised from the grave, and now glorified in heaven.” The spirit of Jesus’s life becomes the spirit of my life. “How powerful, how heavenly must that life be that is nourished by the new wine of the kingdom and communion with the Son. May I ever be thankful that Jesus shed His blood for me.”

Father, I am almost speechless in the face of these truths. I bow before You in trembling awe of the great salvation that You have given us in Christ. May we consider the great power that is in the blood/life of Christ, most especially as it transfers to us when we partake of that very blood through the Supper each week. There is something mystical about this, and I believe that we must consider that. While we may not adhere to the teaching that the wine literally becomes the blood of Jesus as we consume it, we still, I think, believe that it is more than just a “symbol.” Let us live in the power of the blood of Christ each day, walking in Your kingdom through that power.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood;
Would you o’er evil a victory win?
There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.

Would you be free from your passion and pride?
There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood;
Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide;
There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.

Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow?
There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood;
Sin-stains are lost in its life-giving flow;
There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.

Would you do service for Jesus your King?
There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood;
Would you live daily His praises to sing?
There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.

Refrain
There is pow’r, pow’r, wonder-working pow’r
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is pow’r, pow’r, wonder-working pow’r
In the precious blood of the Lamb.

Grace and peace, friends.