Ezekiel 31:7 "Thus it was beautiful in greatness and in the length of it branches, Because its roots reached to abundant waters" Romans 11:13 "For if the first fruit is holy, the lump Is also holy; and if the root is holy, so Are the branches" Ephesians 3:17 "that Christ my dwell in your hearts through Faith; that you, being Rooted and grounded in love" By the Grace of God I have recently, with the passing of my father, been able to realize and understand my roots through the tribe of Aaron. As a result of this blessing I have been inspired by my church and family to write this devotional of Communion Messages. Hopefully, this devotional will be a blessing to anyone that can use it for Communion in Church, or at home. With this blessing I sign my name; Bruce Allyn Cohen
"Devotional of Communion Messages"
By Bruce Allyn CohenAuthorHouse
Copyright © 2012 Bruce Allyn Cohen
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4685-4581-4Contents
Dedication....................................................................ixCommunion.....................................................................xThe Bread.....................................................................xiThe Wine......................................................................xiiForeword......................................................................xiii4—Keys to make our lives more faithful and fruitful.....................1A step to Holiness............................................................4After Three Days He Rose......................................................7Agapao Love...................................................................11Apostleship...................................................................14Blood of the Lamb.............................................................16Boldness of Prayer............................................................19Bond of Perfection............................................................22Brief Communion...............................................................24Building a Strong Foundation..................................................26By His Spirit.................................................................29Channels of Spiritual Refreshment.............................................32Children's Praises............................................................34Christ Bore Our Sins..........................................................37Christmas Communion...........................................................39Christ's Sacrifice............................................................43Communion John 6:53...........................................................46Daily Communion Prayer........................................................49Desire the Word...............................................................51Developing a Dynamic Discipleship.............................................53Dry Times.....................................................................56Dynamic Devotion..............................................................59Faith Above All...............................................................62Faith Without Works...........................................................64Faithful Obediance............................................................66For Great is the Glory of the Lord............................................69Freed by the Blood............................................................72Glory.........................................................................74God's Kingdom.................................................................76God's Message for Love........................................................79God's Order...................................................................82God's Saving Grace............................................................84Great is the Lord.............................................................86Growing in Godliness..........................................................89Happy is the Man..............................................................91Healing Power.................................................................93Heir of All Things............................................................96Holy Spirit...................................................................98Integrity.....................................................................100Interests of the Kingdom......................................................103Key Lessons in Faith..........................................................107Keys to Wise Living...........................................................110Knowing God and God's Ways....................................................112Lean on Him...................................................................115Love and Joy Perfected........................................................117"Love"........................................................................120Not to Worry..................................................................123Passing God's Knowledge.......................................................125Peace, Place and Promise......................................................127Perfecting the Sanctified.....................................................130Pouring out the Spirit........................................................132Praise the Lord...............................................................135Praise........................................................................137Return from God's Word........................................................140Road to Salvation.............................................................143Seed Of Faith.................................................................146Short Daily Communion Prayer..................................................149Shout to the Lord.............................................................151Sound of the Trumpet..........................................................154Sound Wisdom..................................................................156Spiritual Rest................................................................159Stretch Out Your Hand.........................................................161The Atonement.................................................................163The Companion.................................................................166Communion Prayer, The Daily Bread.............................................169The Family of God.............................................................172The Foundation of Spiritual Growth............................................174The Harvest...................................................................176The Little Child..............................................................179The Lord's Supper.............................................................181The New Covenant..............................................................183The Priestly Blessing.........................................................186The Redemption................................................................188The Salt......................................................................191The Vine......................................................................194The Word......................................................................197Trust and Believe.............................................................200Truth in Life.................................................................203Wisdom II.....................................................................205Wrath of a Swift Tongue.......................................................208Your Presence.................................................................210About the Author..............................................................213
Chapter One
4—Keys to make our lives more faithful and fruitful 1. Ex 3:14-15
Understand that God is "I Am Who I Am." Rest, in this foundation. Be grounded and established in Him.
2. Ex 15: 25-26
Receive, God as "The Lord Who Heals You". To heal is His nature; His will is to make us whole.
3. Ex 17: 15
Rely upon God, who is the banner; As you surrender to Him, you will have victory. There will be miracles, and there will be Protection, and your battle against the flesh will succeed.
4. Ex 31:13
Pursue God who is "The Lord who Makes You Holy." His life in us makes our holiness possible. His life gives us peace within ourselves. His life gives us love and understanding.
Through the existence of these 4 Keys we can except our Lord Jesus as our Savior. For the Lord is our strength and our salvation. He is our God and we will praise Him.
Lets take this bread in remembrance of His broken body and His suffering. And to remember the personal relationship we have with him.
Lets take the cup to remember His shed blood that we would be forgiven of our sins and receive salvation.
Now Father, we thank you for this day and for your mercy that endures forever. We pray that you will bless everyone in this church today, and for those that could not make it today. We ask that you grace us with good health and discernment in our lives. We pray that you will help us be stronger in your word and to be examples that you approve.
And Father, we come together today and pray that you will watch over our Pastor and his family. That you will give them peace and prosperity. We also pray that you will give them good health and guidance in our church.
Amen
A step to Holiness
Habakuk 2:9, 2:18, 3:18
2:9—"Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house"
2:18—" What profit is the image, that it's maker should carve it."
3:17—" Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no fruit. Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no head in the stalls."
3:18—Yet, I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in the God of my salvation."
When our daily life paints a negative picture and your down and feeling beat up, it is time to put your faith in God and His Word. Don't turn to idols that distract you from your walk with our Lord Jesus. Though some people only think of idols as material images, what truly defines an idol is the place it occupies in a person's life.
We must stay devoted to God's Word. Our relationship with God should be our highest priority.
Examine yourself. If anything in your life blocks your walk with our Lord Jesus Christ, it has to go. There is no room for it. Jesus should occupy all of your heart.
Stay focused on our Lord Jesus. A wise and truly fruitful person defines success in the light of God's plan for his life. The study and understanding of the "Word" brings success to our lives. Plan your life by the wisdom of God. Build your house and your life on a solid foundation. That is, of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Lets take the time to celebrate the mere fact that all we have to do is simply love and praise our Lord Jesus, and that He is all we need in our lives.
Lets take the bread in remembrance of His broken body for our healing.
Lets take the cup in remembrance of His shed blood for our sins and salvation.
Now, Father we praise your Holy Name and thank you for all you have done for us. We thank you for being that firm foundation when we most need it. We appreciate You for being the center of our personal power.
Father, we ask that you Bless our pastor and his family. Continue to give them health, good will and strength to walk in your word. Give them the knowledge and means to teach us to strengthen our walk as well.
In Your Name, Amen.
After Three Days He Rose
And He spoke to His disciples;
"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
"I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Jesus told His disciples to preach everywhere. He asks us to think, live, and pray that His Kingdom overflows to our entire planet.
Now.—We are His disciples. It is our duty to Walk, Talk, and live His word.
Remember, Love is one of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. And we of Covenant church just didn't fall too far from that old tree.
MATT. 5:16
"Let the light so shine before men, that they, see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."
I want to use the Lord's prayer;
1. "Our Father in Heaven: Is the paternal need. When we pray all needs are met by the benevolence of a loving Father
2. Hallowed be Your name: Enter His presence through praise and call Him Father
3. Your Kingdom come: Declare God's priorities be established in yourself, your loved ones, your church and your nation.
4. Give us this day our daily bread: God's provision. Jesus told us to pray daily, asking Him to supply all our needs.
5. And forgive us our debts: You need God's forgiveness, and you need to forgive others. Daily, set your will to walk in love and forgiveness.
6. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil: Power over satan. Pray a hedge of protection about yourself and your loved ones. Verbally put on the armor of God.
7. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever: Divine Partnership. Praise God for sharing His kingdom, power, and glory with us."
We need to praise our God for the blessings He has given us. When we are down and out about something, Praise Him, don't blame Him,
We are redeemed by the blood of Christ and our names are in the Lamb's Book of Life.
Jesus used the Passover meal to inaugurate the New Covenant. The symbolism of the Passover meal under the Old Covenant was fully satisfied through Christ's crucifixion.
The bread now represents His body which was broken for our healing.
SHALL WE TAKE THE BREAD
The cup, is His blood, which was shed for the forgiveness of our sins.
SHALL WE TAKE THE CUP
Father, we praise your Holy name and ask that you search our hearts and spirit and remove any trace of sin or disobedience from our lives.
We ask you to bring strength and health to us spiritually, emotionally, and physically because of that new Covenant that was sealed through your suffering.
Father, we have received this communion by faith and give you all the glory and honor.
In your name, Amen.
Agapao Love
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, That whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting live."
God has a love that is unconditional.
His motivation for giving was love. Ours must be also.
His love is all about an act of giving.
He gave His very best! "God gave His only begotten Son" So shouldn't we also give our very best. In everything that we do; our jobs, our friends, helping others—everything.
God's purpose is to free man from power of Satan. God's deepest desire is to have man restored to Himself. Our giving—as a act of our deepest love and strongest faith—is the key to our having our needs met.
Our salvation cost Jesus His life. This gave us our full repentance and the giving of our lives to God. In return is eternal life.
God gave His best, His Son Jesus, so that the world through Him might be saved.
Jesus states, in John 3:21,—"But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God".
We must practice instant obedience to whatever Jesus tells you to do.
We should do only what you see Jesus doing, just as He did only what He saw the Father do.
We must align our will with His will and receive understanding of His Word.
Speak as the Lord commands, Know you will be judged by the words of our Lord and Savior.
We should also keep God's word so His presence will live in you.
Lets celebrate our gracious Lord Jesus Christ.
Lets take the bread in remembrance of His broken body for our healing.
Lets take the cup as His blood was shed for our sins and salvation.
Father we thank You for Your love and grace. We pray that Your Holy Spirit will touch each and every person here today. We ask for strength and wisdom in our lives. We pray that we can be examples of Your love and reach out to those in need of peace and salvation.
Father we pray You will continue to watch over our Pastor and His family. That you give them peace and understanding in their lives. That You give them strength and power from the Holy Spirit to handle the day to day occurrences before them.
In Jesus name, Amen.
Apostleship
Romans 1: 5-6;
"Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name."
"Among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ."
We as God's children are called and commissioned, by grace, to be Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is our duty, as christains, to increase our faith and to be familiar with the Word of God. It is our duty to minister to believers and non-believers. Our walk in the Word is the most important testimony we can give to unbelievers. Live by example.
The gospel is the power of God. Salvation is received through God's grace and through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. The only avenue to God is through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.
Let's celebrate our Lord Jesus and the work we can do for Him.
Let's take the bread in remembrance of His broken body, for our healing.
Let's take the cup in remembrance of His shed blood, for our sins and salvation.
Father we praise You and thank You for this day. We ask that You bless each person here today. That You touch every person in need of healing. We ask that You release the Holy Spirit to us to minister and guide us in the path of Your Word.
Father we pray that you bless our Pastor's and their families. That You provide them with comfort, love and grace. Give them peace and guidance to strengthen us in our walk with You.
Amen
Blood of the Lamb
Ephesians 1:7;
"In Him we have redemption through His blood, The forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace."
John 6:54;
"Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day."
Our Lord Jesus died on the cross for all of mankind. By taking the New Covenant blood of Jesus Christ you come closer, and grow stronger, in God's Word.
At the Last Supper Jesus took all the elements from the Old Testament Passover meal and turned them into a New Covenant meaning. The bread represents His body and the wine represents His blood. This established a new corridor directly to God, Through our Lord Jesus Christ.
As Jesus states in John 14-6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, No one comes to the Father except through Me." For He is the Lamb of God.
The sacrifice made for us to enter the Heavenly Kingdom.
Let's celebrate our Lord Jesus Christ for His sacrifice that through His blood a corridor to God has been created.
Let's take the bread in remembrance of His broken body, for our healing.
Let's take the cup in remembrance of His shed blood, for our sins and salvation.
Father, we thank You for this day and for Your mercy that endures forever. We pray the Your Holy Spirit will touch each and every person here today. We ask for strength and wisdom I our lives. We pray that we can be examples of Your love and reach out to those in need of peace and salvation.
Father, we pray You will continue to watch over our Pastor's and their families. That You give them peace and understanding in their lives. That You give them strength and power from the Holy Spirit to handle the day to day occurrences before them.
Amen
Boldness of Prayer
1 John 3 & 4;
No one who lives God's law—continues to sin, practices sin, or keeps on sinning. Sin is a "present active infinitive" and implies continued action.
John states that one truly born of God cannot make sin his way of life because the life with God, and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, cannot exist in someone who practices sin.
The new birth produces spiritual life resulting in an everlasting relationship with God. For someone to have God's life in him and to go on sinning is a spiritual impossibility. A believer in our Lord Jesus Christ may occasionally lapse from God's high standard, but he will not continue to sin.
That which keeps the faithful from sinning is God's "seed" in him. The seed is God's very life, spirit and nature dwelling within the believer.
1 John 3: 21-23
"Assurance of our standing before God gives boldness in prayer. Our prayers are not answered as a reward for obedience, but when we keep His commandments we give evidence that we are in harmony with God's will."
1 John 4: 1 &2;
"Beloved ones, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God. By this you know the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, is of God."
Remember, He that is in you is greater than He that is in the world.
Let's celebrate that eternal relationship to come with our Lord Jesus Christ
Lets take the bread in remembrance of His broken body, for our healing.
Let's take the cup in remembrance of His shed blood for our sins and salvation.
Father we thank You for Your love and grace. We pray that Your Holy Spirit will touch each and every person here today. We ask for strength and wisdom in our lives. We pray that we can be examples of You love and reach out to those in need.
Father, we pray You will continue to watch over our Pastor's and their families. That You give them peace and understanding in their lives. That You give them strength and power from the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Bond of Perfection
Colossians 3:14-17;
"But above all these things put on love which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful."
"Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
Submit yourselves to our Lord Jesus Christ. Prepare yourselves to reap the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Do not covet things of this earth, set your minds on Heavenly things.
Believe in the Lord your God. Accept that Jesus is the New Covenant and the way to eternal and everlasting life.
Let's celebrate our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let's take the bread in remembrance of His broken body, for our healing.
Let's take the cup in remembrance of His shed blood, for our sins and salvation.
Father we pray that You will send Your Holy Spirit to us and open our hearts to Your understanding, patience, love and faith. That we will be strengthened in our walk with You. We ask for Your blessings upon each and every person here today. We ask for good health for all.
Father, we pray that you will continue to bless our pastor's and their families. That You provide them with good health and prosperity. That You strengthen their hearts in Your Word and continue to light their paths.
In Your precious Name, Amen.
Brief Communion
By the Grace experienced through Jesus we know the Love of God, and our communion with God and God's people is given by the Holy Spirit.
With this communion we refuse to enter any covenant, or partnership with unbelievers. Holiness requires that we live according to God's standards. Live as a holy person.
Father, as you have forgiven us, so we forgive those who have sinned against us. We ask that you help them spiritually and bless them as well.
We ask you to search our spirit and remove any trace of sin or disobedience from our lives.
So, we take this bread in remembrance of His body as it was broken for our healing.
We take this fruit of the vine that represents His sinless, incorruptible blood as it was shed for our sins and salvation.
Father, we pray that you will send Your Holy Spirit to us to open our hearts to Your understanding, patience, love and faith. That we will be strengthened in our walk with You. We ask for Your blessings upon each and every person here today. We ask for good health for all.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from "Devotional of Communion Messages"by Bruce Allyn Cohen Copyright © 2012 by Bruce Allyn Cohen. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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