HOLY COMMUNION
THE BREAD
It is worth taking communion even daily, as the disciples used to do, if someone wants to experience healing. Just like when the Jews were healed by looking at the bronze serpent, we too can look at Jesus' cross, resurrection, and finished work every day, for those few minutes.
Jesus: "Take it and eat your fill. It is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me." He did the same with the cup of wine after supper and said, "This cup seals the new covenant with my blood. Drink it—and whenever you drink this, do it to remember me. " 1 Cor 11 , 24-25
The Lord's Supper is a powerful thing. It was given by Jesus to keep us in faith and health, and to experience healing.
But what does the Lord's Supper mean? What does it mean to you? We remember that Jesus gave us Himself, His Spirit and He offered His body for us - when we were born again in faith. We became one, united with Jesus, whose body was so full of divine power that the woman with the issue of blood just touched it, and the outpouring divine power healed her! John 17, 24. When we take communion, we can imagine that His body is merged into ours and it brings health, divine power and strength.
I bless you so that His body and His Word will be sufficient for you for everything. John 6, 51-58.
BREAD & WINE
We have powerful weapons! This is what I understood from the story of Gideon's victory.
"He divided the three hundred men into three groups and gave each man a ram's horn, and a clay jar with a torch in it." Judges 7, 16. NLT
When Gideon and his soldiers won the battle, it was obvious that they could only thank God for it. The enemy outnumbered them and they didn't even have real weapons! But when the trumpet was blown and the jars were broken, the enemy's troops turned against each other.
Perhaps we too often feel that the enemy is too strong when we pray for certain "big" things. But just think how those 300 men must have felt...
Here we are, holding a glass of wine and a piece of bread. We are taking communion... What do we expect from this? When the bread is broken, it is like when the jars are broken. It is like when the power of the curse, sin, and disease was broken on the cross. At that moment, the light shone. Healing, victory, divine power, prosperity emanate...
We have powerful weapons.
When lack and sickness see you thinking about the finished work of Jesus and these truths, their weapons turn against each other. You don't have to be strong, perfect in your faith. Just keep your effective weapons in your hands - and in your heart. Hallelujah.
I bless you to remember the power that broke the power of lack and disease and envision the enemy fleeing. And as the blessing pours forth.
THE WINE
Jesus gave His blood for us.
What is the significance of this?
We know that this is how Jesus washed away our sins and made us righteous and clean. But what does the blood symbolize?
Hebrews 4:12 NLT "For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires."
According to Leviticus 17, 11, the soul of every creature is in the blood. The Hebrew word "nephesh" means life or soul. So Jesus gave his soul and life to save our souls and lives from destruction.
This is similar to when the Jews left Egypt and had to put the blood of the lamb on the doorpost to escape destruction. In the same way, Jesus put his blood on the doorposts of our lives/souls. Why? So that all spiritual beings see the perfect, pure soul and life of Jesus when they look at us. His blood/soul/life covers our blood/soul/life. Therefore, we are blessed as much as Jesus deserves to be blessed.
That is why we can command diseases to leave the body of the sick and why we can pray in any need and achieve results like Jesus.
I bless you to know that Jesus laid his whole life and blood on the altar for you, to be a living sacrifice for your life, your needs, your health, and the lives of your children. His blood and life constantly cry out for victory, mercy and divine intervention.
RESURRECTION POWER
John 6:54 TPT
Eternal life comes to the one who eats my body and drinks my blood, and I will raise him up in the last day.
When Jesus said this, he meant it symbolically. However, the effect of the Lord's Supper is not only spiritual.
I thank God for the body of Jesus. We were given it so that we could have the power that raised Christ from the dead, who restores blind eyes, mutilated body parts, who renews cells, who is the Grace, the Healer, the Savior.
🤔But when Jesus gave us His body to strengthen us, did He only think of His human body, which was broken for us, just as we break bread during the Lord's Supper?
Even this human body was so saturated with the Holy Spirit that healing power emanated from it.
But I believe that the body that Jesus now possesses is also ours - His resurrected body is also strengthening us.
🌟 According to Colossians 3:1, we have risen with Christ (in spirit). So everything that Christ experienced, we also experienced with Him. Everything that He is now is already ours in spirit! 🎉
🌟 Christ is the head, we are the body. Colossians 1:18. We are one with him. Christ is now in His resurrected body. It is clear that we should not primarily be attached to the past body, if Christ also left that old body behind.
🌟As Jesus is (now, in heaven), so are we in this world according to the Word. 1 John 4:17.
I thank God that His Spirit even brings the dead to life. He can create life and people even from dust. This is our God who lives within us.
Romans 8:11 NKJV
"But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."
According to the original Greek, all of this is also true in the present tense, the Holy Spirit is already restoring and flooding our bodies with power.
🤔What does this mean?
That the outcome of the battle is not up to us. This means that Jesus lifted the burden from our shoulders. Healing and the other blessings do not depend on us - as long as we look at Jesus' actions, not ours.
We look to the perfect power of Jesus and do not have to worry about our own physical imperfections. ☝️☝️☝️🎊
Jesus is able to bring life out of a weak body. Where the flesh is weak, there the power of Jesus is revealed. God, how strong we are! Thank you Jesus!
🙌 I bless the Lord for his blessings and the endless life-giving power He has given us.
DECLARING DEATH ☠️ AND LIFE 🧬
We are messengers of life! But why does God ask us to proclaim Jesus' DEATH?
1 Corinthians 11:26 TPT
Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are retelling the story, proclaiming our Lord’s death until he comes.
🍞During the Lord's Supper, we announce that Jesus Christ was scourged and crucified to redeem us.
🖤He suffered on the cross,
🖤endured contempt,
🖤nakedness,
🖤shame,
🖤loneliness,
🖤 unimaginable pain,
🖤all kinds of diseases,
🖤fear
so that we
🔥Can be healed for real
🔥 Gain favour with God and people
🔥 receive restored, good relationships
🔥enjoy God's care in financial and other areas
🔥live in peace - physically and spiritually
🩸Jesus gave his blood
🍷to wash away our sins,
🍷so that we can be righteous before God and
🍷Be sons in His covenant.
When we proclaim the "death of Jesus," we share His finished work.
🤔But can you imagine telling someone that Christ died for them, but not adding that He rose again and so
🎉He gave us a new life
🎉 Holy Spirit can come into our hearts
🎉 We can reign on the Earth together with Christ❓
I think that these should also be announced during the communion, because this is also part of the story. The happy ending. If we do this, the Lord's Supper will not have a somewhat sad atmosphere as it often has at church today, and then it will have a really powerful effect.
🙌 I bless you that when you dine with Jesus, you experience changes: The defeat of sins, sickness, evil and you experience the Power of Resurrection.
Who can take communion?
WORTHY OF JESUS
The atmosphere is often a mixture of joy and remorse, when the time of holy communion comes.
But sharing our meal with the Lord should rather be full of love, intimacy, like in a family.
🧐🫣Instead people start to search their hearts for sins and concentrate on sins - more than on Jesus' love, forgiveness and grace.
Jesus died so that we can go to our Heavenly Father without sin-consciousness. 🩸❤️
He washed away our sins so that we can know that we don't have to stay away from from Him and be punished.
Then why do some of us punish themselves by not taking communion, because of a sin they had committed earlier? Or an addiction that they desire to quit?
⚔️We can run to our Heavenly Father for help, forgiveness. We can remind ourselves during communion that we were given grace to overcome addiction, bad habits.
❓So why does Paul say we should examine ourselves before we take communion?
❤️ Because we need to take communion knowing the importance and effectiveness of Jesus' body and blood - torn and shed for us.
❤️Because communion is also about sharing love at church and about respectful community, where there are no cliques, where the poor are not humiliated. (In the church of Corinth there was a need to warn against these.)
🩸Because in Corinth people got drunk and ate a lot, while others hungered - during holy communion. Paul warns us not to tolerate such distinction.
So I would like to encourage all of you not to fear that you may be unworthy of the communion. After all Jesus made us worthy of being and eating His body- by grace. Colossians 1,12. He gave His blood for us - so He says we are worthy of accepting it. Hallelujah.
WHO CAN TAKE THE LORD'S SUPPER?
We all agree that Jesus gave the Lord's Supper primarily to those who believe in Him, to the church. But why shouldn't everyone who wanted to attend our service be able to participate?
😮It always made me think that Jesus shared the last supper even with Judas. He was given a serious chance to repent in the greatest depth. 🙌 (Luke 22, 19-21)
And in many churches, it is customary not to include
seekers,
stumbling Christians,
or even those who attend other churches
in the communion of the Lord's Supper.
I never understood that and honestly... I think it's impolite. ✝️
During the Lord's Supper, we declare the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. All that He has done for us. It is the seekers, the stumblers, the addicts who most need God's unconditional love, the pure gospel. They need to receive - the body and blood of Christ - even though they do not deserve it. And they need to think over how much they can benefit from this.
It is important that they know that this is not just eating and drinking, not a simple ceremony. 🔥But it is God's invitation to decide to base their lives on Christ's life and love. The purpose is that His life, character, strength, and power permeate our hearts, bodies, and lives.
It should not be the congregation who decides who can take communion, but everyone should decide for themselves - it's a lifelong decision.
But let us tell these people what it cost Christ that we can partake of the Lord's Supper❗🗣️ ✝️🩸
I know, in many churches, they don't allow the less serious believers to take communion because they don't want them to put judgment on themselves. But Paul said this to the Corinthian congregation, who got drunk during the Lord's Supper, who did not understand the symbols and essence of the celebration.
♥️The Lord's Supper is similar to when people are invited to the altar for conversion. 🔥But Christ's sacrifice, body and blood are the real altar. We call seekers to get born again through Him. Let us proclaim the power of grace to the sick, to the afflicted, to the lost.
🙌 I bless you not to be afraid to announce the symbols of the Lord's Supper to everyone and to give the body and blood of Christ to everyone. After all, he gave it for everyone and offers his covenant to everyone. Through His Spirit, His Word, and His grace, sincere faith will arise and they will be able to appreciate these.
🤔Communion for Seekers?
🍞🍷It is not difficult to prove that these people should take part in communion:
🩸believers,
🩸believers fighting addiction,
🩸 believers from another church
Because they believe that Jesus is God, that He is risen. Jesus is Lord in their life, their desire is to please Him, live in Christ a sinless, addiction-free life.
It is clear to most Christians that seekers can be present during communion to look and learn from it and decide on a life with Jesus.
🧐🤔But the question is: whether they can join the communion actively before they „say yes” to Jesus - as the Lord of their life.
📗 To find the answer, we should answer this question: Would our Heavenly Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit like to dine with "sinners" and "unbelievers" and share Jesus' body and blood with them?
If you are still unsure, think about our Heavenly Father's nature. The prodigal son’s father did not ask his son any questions, when the young man returned home. The father just clothed him, celebrated him, placed him back to his position, gave him the ring of authority- right away. This is the father's nature.🔥🙌🙌🙌
God convinces us also with His goodness!!! He overwhelms us with His faith in us and with His welcoming love.
I know that that case is a bit different, as the prodigal son is a SON already. But I believe God sees all people as His sons or sons-to-be. Because He gave His Son not only for some believers, but for ALL people.
So the how could communion go? I can imagine that the whole congregation, and all seekers can be involved in communion. (Those unbelievers who are not ready for it can just look.) The preacher explains in depth what the symbols – the bread and the vine- mean. He invites the seekers into the covenant, offers them the bread and the vine- but can also tell them to take it only, if they want to make Jesus their Lord and Saviour.
This way the preacher can show them how God is ready for them, how willing He is to welcome them into His family, and that Jesus died for them as well.
I think this is a wonderful way to preach the gospel and to show love.
And even if the seekers are still unsure, there is no harm in joining the holy community and giving thanks for Jesus' sacrifice.
THE MYTH
There is a myth around the holy communion and it is surrounded by fear. In my country many people (believers too) are afraid and doubt whether they are worthy of taking communion.
But God doesn't want this fear. (God is love and perfect love casts out fear.)
Jesus instituted communion out of love-
💚 To promote relationships, love in church
🩷 So that people can experience healing through it
🔥 And freedom from sins, addictions and bad habits
♥️ So that we give thanks to Jesus for the finished works and enjoy relationship with Him.
We can be restored- spiritually and physically...
✝️by pointing at the cross, not the circumstances around us.
If some people at church don't appreciate the body, which was torn and flogged and crucified so that we can be healed ➡️ these people can't get healed ➡️the lack of healing means sickness and weakness.
Many people misinterpret this passage:
Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
God doesn't strike people with weakness and sickness if they take communion and there is still some sin in their life or if they don't understand its meaning in depth.
But if we explain communion, people WILL understand it and can be healed, restored.
And I don't think that any sickness can fall on anybody if seekers are moved in their hearts to take communion and get born again only later. The communion bread and wine are not like the ark of covenant in the old covenant, which could cause harm if it was not handled properly. The new covenant and Jesus is about love, giving and joy. Curses were annihilated on the cross!
🙌I bless you all to enjoy all benefits from communion to the full.