Jesus’ Journey to the Upper Room

Are you willing to remember Jesus’ sacrifice for sins by regularly taking communion?

Jesus’ Journey to the Upper Room is about the practice of the Lord’s Supper (also called communion or the Eucharist); which began at a Passover meal in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. Jesus gathered His twelve disciples, celebrated the Passover meal, and explained how the bread and the juice represented His body and blood which would be broken and spilled that very weekend.

Jesus instructed, “Do this in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:24) Since then, Christians have been doing just that—celebrating communion regularly to remember Him. Nowadays, what began with Jesus and the Twelve, is practiced regularly by billions of Christians around the world!

This article is coauthored by Mark Alan Williams and Beth Harris. Beth is a wife, mother, Bible study leader and volunteer writer and editor for markalanwilliams.net. 

Jesus’ Journey to the Upper Room teaches us about taking Communion and includes two videos from the Upper Room location in Jerusalem

Recently, due to the COVID-19 Crisis, our family celebrated communion in our kitchen. We would rather have done it in our church, but with the current quarantining, we did the next best thing. It was still very meaningful.

Do you remember your first communion? Was it powerful? Was it contemplative? Was it strange? Did you really understand it?

As a child growing up in church, communion was special for me (Mark) because we got a snack in church! Sometimes after church when running around in the building, we would go into the church supply room, find the communion crackers and enjoy another snack. We didn’t really understand it.

Nowadays communion is much more meaningful to me. I appreciate the amazing work Jesus did for us, the incomprehensible sacrifice He made, and the eternal glory gained for all who are saved.

• The crunch of the matzo bread reminds me of the Scripture, “He was crushed for our iniquities….” (Isaiah 53:5)

• Drinking the cup reminds me of the Scripture, “He saved us through the washing of rebirth…” (Titus 3:5). Salvation is an internal cleansing from sin by the blood of Jesus.

Mark 14:10-31 tells us about that first communion and in the Discipleship Journeys with Jesus study of Jesus’ Journey to the Upper Room, we read, reflect on and interact with that passage and the events recorded there. We commit to remember Jesus’ sacrifice for sins by regularly taking communion.

CONCLUSION:

Jesus’ final Great Commission was to “make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19) I invite you to study the free Discipleship Journeys with Jesus materials and make disciples, as Jesus commanded. They’re completely free and easy to access on the internet. Just go to djjministry.org and sign up for the free materials.

Each study is accompanied by two short videos recorded on location in the lands of the Bible, so you can see where the events happened! The photo above is from the videos of Journey 9.

DJJ is a discipleship ministry that helps fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission to “make disciples” by providing free Bible-based lessons and videos which guide people worldwide in becoming followers of Jesus as they interact with Scripture.

Journey 9 of DJJ, tells us about communion and how to practice it. In this Discipleship Journeys with Jesus study of Jesus’ Journey to the Upper Room, we read, reflect on and interact with that passage and the events recorded there. We commit to regularly take communion.

Uncertain if you’re saved? Click HERE to learn how to be sure of your eternal salvation.

Help Spread the Word! If you found this article helpful, we’d love for you to share it with others on social media or otherwise. This will help get the Word in front of more people who need biblical guidance. Thanks for your help!

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NOTE: Social media is random. Email is reliable. Subscribe via email and you won't miss any of my articles, podcasts or videos. You'll also get my eBook: 10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth

Why Now is the Perfect Time for Discipleship

We can make great spiritual progress during this quarantine time.

Now is the perfect time for discipleship! The COVID-19 crisis is providing unique opportunities, as I wrote about in my recent article “How the COVID-19 Crisis Can Help Us.” There are many tragedies in this crisis, but there are also opportunities. One of them is spiritual growth through discipleship.

Photo by @NeONBRAND

Let me explain.

3 reasons why now is the perfect time for discipleship:

1. Many have more free time during this stay at home period.

Some have less free time. But others who do have more time than usual; have a wonderful opportunity during this period of sequestering to do good things, such as growing as a Jesus-follower and helping others to do the same. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Have you ever felt stagnant in your faith, like you’ve reached a dead end spiritually? You’re not alone. Many Christians have never been fully grounded in their faith; thus, they flounder spiritually and may end up leaving their church or even their faith. But it doesn’t have to be this way. We can obey Jesus and make disciples; we just need a plan to do so!

Discipleship Journeys with Jesus (DJJ) is that plan for many. It is a comprehensive, trustworthy, Biblical, reliable and actionable resource that helps people become mature disciples of Christ. It provides a tool to make disciples as Jesus commanded in His Great Commission.

The studies are simple, yet profound. They can be used by people 10 years of age and up, yet they will also challenge seasoned Christians.

What do you need to travel these journeys?

1. The ability to read the Bible and the journeys (or be read to)

2. A willingness to follow Jesus and apply the lessons learned

That’s it!

Many thousands in dozens of countries are utilizing these studies to grow closer to Jesus and reporting testimonies of transformed lives. They are also reproducing countless disciples at astounding rates!

You can do the same—they are all available without charge online. To get all the free discipleship lessons from Discipleship Journeys with Jesus, go to djjministry.org and click where it says “START YOUR JOURNEYS HERE.”

2. We have the technology.

Now is the perfect time for discipleship because we have the technology available to work on spiritual growth from the comfort of our own homes.

The Six Million Dollar Man, was a television show in the 1970’s, that made this line famous: “Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to make the world's first bionic man.” 

So, they rebuilt Steve Austin with supernatural abilities, since he was the first “bionic man.”

Well, we can’t all be bionic physically, but we can be bionic spiritually. By that I mean we can grow to spiritual maturity, if we follow the right path and journey with Jesus.

Discipleship Journeys with Jesus is an online ministry that can take people on journeys to maturity in Christ anywhere in the world totally online on any electronic device (computer, tablet or smart phone). Due to the technological wonders of our day, it is available:

• Anywhere there is an internet connection (borders are not an issue!)

• 24 hours a day

• Without charge

• In multiple languages through electronic translation and translations we’re creating to make available on our website

Again, anyone who has an internet connection can take these journeys. To get all the discipleship lessons from Discipleship Journeys with Jesus, go to www.djjministry.org and click where it says “START YOUR JOURNEYS HERE.”

By the way, while we offer them without charge, there are many expenses, and if you are led to, you can help us via our Donate page.

3. We can mature spiritually during social quarantine with family and friends.

Discipleship cannot be done alone. Disciples and mentors are required. God determined that we are to mature in fellowship with others. “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another.” (Hebrews 10:25)

Now is the perfect time for discipleship even during this time of social isolation:

• If we have family, and we are all well, we can mature together. Instead of filling our minds with junk and perhaps immoral entertainment, we can grow in Christ, if we put in the effort.

• Second, even if we are not seeing each other face-to-face, wonderful modern technologies can be used to fellowship. These include phones and internet conferencing technologies such as Zoom, WhatsApp, FaceTime, Skype and others. Again, it’s amazing the technological wonders we have available in our day.
  

So, what are you waiting for? Now is the perfect time for discipleship. Give yourself and others a major blessing during this shelter-in-place time and do discipleship! Allow us to help you. To get all the discipleship studies from Discipleship Journeys with Jesus, go to www.djjministry.org and click where it says “START YOUR JOURNEYS HERE.”

Help Spread the Word! If you found this article helpful, we’d love for you to share it with others on social media or otherwise. This will help get the Word in front of more people who need biblical guidance. Thanks for your help!

Uncertain if you’re saved? Click HERE to learn how to be sure of your eternal salvation.

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NOTE: Social media is random. Email is reliable. Subscribe via email and you won't miss any of my articles, podcasts or videos. You'll also get my eBook: 10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth

Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations. –Unknown

Difficult roads are not as appealing as the possibility that they will lead to beautiful destinations. If only we could reach the beautiful destinations without the difficult roads. But, spiritually speaking, choosing the road to follow has important, eternal consequences for every human being.

This is a guest post by Beth Harris. She is a wife, mother, Bible study leader and volunteer editor for markalanwilliams.net. 

The most difficult thing for me since becoming a Christian has been to watch some people wander away from the Christian faith. The challenge has been to continue to follow Christ, in spite of other people’s decisions. Although there have been other family members who have accepted Christ and are now following Him; my heart breaks for those who no longer do.

In addition, it has been difficult to share the Gospel with people close to me, only to have them resist or reject Christ. Yet, though none go with me, by His grace, I will still follow Him.

I am reminded of the song:

I Have Decided to Follow Jesus

“I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; No turning back, no turning back.”

“Though none go with me, still I will follow; Though none go with me, still I will follow; Though none go with me, still I will follow; No turning back, no turning back.”

Most people naturally hope to avoid difficult roads. We want the beautiful destinations without the difficult roads. It is human nature to avoid pain and suffering. Challenges, trials, problems and difficult roads are undesirable. We’ll just take the beautiful destinations, please.

But, what does the Bible have to say about the road on which we travel? God has given us all free will, which means we can either choose to travel on the narrow road or the broad highway. But we need to choose now while we are still alive, because after we die, it will be too late.

Deciding which road to travel on is a very important decision, because the choice leads to one of two possible destinations; either heaven or hell.

You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14 NLT)

According to the Bible there is only one road that leads to a beautiful destination and that is the narrow road which leads to heaven. That means it is exclusive and only available through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone, and by grace alone. In other words, salvation is a gift that we can’t earn (Ephesians 2:8-9).

There are not multiple roads that lead to heaven, but only one way and that is through Christ. John 14:6 says, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (ESV)

Salvation is open to all who will receive it, but the road to heaven is difficult, though it leads to a beautiful destination.

Yes, Jesus paid the price for our sins through His death on the cross and salvation is a free gift but there is a cost to discipleship or following Jesus, and we are told to count the cost (Luke 14:25-34).

You may wonder how to count the cost, when you don’t know what difficult times are ahead. That may be true, we don’t know, but Jesus is looking for disciples who will commit to follow Him,despite the uncertainties. He is looking for people who are willing to say, “Lord, whatever the cost, I will follow You.”

The road to heaven is difficult in that we will encounter trials that will cost us something to continue to follow Christ. We may be the only person in our family who is following the Lord, or we may have to give up a favorite sin, relationship or even our life in order to continue to follow the Lord.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? (Matthew 16:24-26 NLT)

But, Christians can know that whatever we lose in this life or have to give up, it will be well worth the sacrifice that we make.

Mark 10:29-30 says, “‘Yes,’ Jesus replied, ‘and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life.’”

Which road are you on?

Please click here if you would like to accept Christ as your personal Lord and Savior now.

Your thoughts are welcome! You can leave a comment below.

Help Spread the Word!

If you found this article helpful, we’d love for you to share it with others on social media or otherwise. This will help get the Word in front of more people who need biblical guidance. Thanks for your help!

Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations. -Unknown | Click To Tweet

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NOTE: Facebook is random. Email is reliable. Subscribe via email and you won't miss any of my articles, podcasts or videos. You'll also get my eBook: 10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth