The Christian Church has practiced closed Communion from the very beginning. Mt. Zion practices closed Communion. That means that our church communes only those who will take Communion for their spiritual benefit and those who confess the same doctrine that we confess. If we were to commune the unworthy, such as the un-instructed, the un-repentant, those who don’t believe the words of Institution, then we commune them for their spiritual harm and judgment (1 Corinthians 11). And, if we commune those of a different confession of faith, we deny our doctrine and give a wavering witness of the truth to the world.
So, the church has a duty to use great care when determining who is to take Communion with us.
At the same time, individual members of this church have a Christian duty to use great care when determining if they should take Communion at other churches or from pastors of other churches. Sadly, most churches practice some variation of open Communion, which means the responsibility falls on the individual. It is a serious responsibility.
Here are the basic guidelines for determining if you should take Communion:
Continue reading about Your Summer Travel Guide for Communing at other Churches
The most common excuse that people give for not obeying a particular commandment of God? “I can’t”
Let us say, for example, that the commandment is “Pray.” In fact, this is included in the second commandment, “You shall not misuse God’s name.” In other words, you must use God’s name rightly. You must pray. It is what He wants you to do, and it is what He commands. So, if I were to ask, “Why do you not pray?” the most common excuse I am likely to hear is “I can’t.”
“Why can’t you?”
“I am too busy. I don’t know what to say. There is no place quiet enough. I just can’t concentrate.” That list could go on and on. I am not so much concerned with the list, though, as I am with the two words, “I can’t.” The same is true for any sort of disobedience:
The worst suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross was not physical. After all, as horrific as was the flogging, the beating, and the nails, crucifixion was not uncommon in the Roman Empire. Even as Jesus suffered physically, two other men suffered in the same way on either side of Him. If His physical suffering were the worst part of it, then we would have to conclude that His suffering was not unique.
The true horror of the cross is revealed in those haunting words of Jesus, spoken roughly midway through the six hours, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?” Jesus was being punished for sins, and the just punishment for sins is rejection by God. In fact, it was at just that point that Jesus was suffering Hell. Remember, Hell is not a place, it is the state of being cast away from God, just as much as Heaven is the state of being accepted by and brought near to God.
So, let us be clear. Strictly speaking, no one, not David or Job or you or I, can ever pray the prayer that Jesus prayed then. In this life, God has forsaken no one – ever! – except His Son Jesus on the cross. He has never forsaken you. The words, “why have you forsaken me?” belong in the mouth of our Savior alone.
