HOLY COMMUNION

As humans, we have a spirit and a soul and we live in a physical body.

The food we eat benefits our physical body by nourishing it. The Holy Spirit gives us spiritual life and the word of GOD nourishes our soul.

At the LORD’S table as we call it, or the Eucharist or the Holy Communion, we eat a tiny piece of bread and a tiny cup of wine. This feeds our body a little, but more importantly, it is food to our soul, because we do it in remembrance of the new covenant in the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.

1 Corinthians 10:14-17

The Jews ate the passover meal as families. The LORD shared the meal with His disciples, His spiritual family. So today we acknowledge that we are one family in CHRIST under the new covenant. If we are taking part in this meal, we should be willing to obey the LORD’S command to “Love one another as I have loved you.” Therefore let us make sure we have put right our relationships before we partake of this, because, together we represent CHRIST in this world. As He is, so are we in this world. So it is very important to release and receive forgiveness and have clean hearts towards each other if we are to participate in this meal. Then, it will be a blessing to our soul. He poured out His soul unto death in grief and sorrow so that our souls may be saved and healed. The well being of our soul is a reflection of healthy relationships. Let us be blessed with good mental health - healthy emotions and a sound mind.

We must also understand that there is a spiritual aspect to this institution and that is our connection with the Almighty GOD through our LORD JESUS CHRIST. We are made alive spiritually through the death and resurrection of Him. He took the punishment of our sin on His body.

 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

Matthew 10:38-39

Therefore those who partake of this should be those who have decided to follow JESUS, willing to die to self and to live for Him.

Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:53-54

This speaks of our life in CHRIST. This further shows us the seriousness of this commitment. It is a life and death matter. When we do this with such a heart, it is a blessing and brings healing and wholeness to us. On the other hand when we do this carelessly, it will bring GOD’S judgment upon us.

 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. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.

1 Corinthians 11:27-31

I had this impression of a father working with an electric saw. When his disobedient rebellious son wanted to use it, he hastened to put the switch off and unplug the saw. On this Fathers’ day, it is even more pertinent to remember our Heavenly Father Who deals so wisely with us. No obedience, no power so that there is no judgment , but sadly, there is no blessing as well!

So let us examine our own hearts. Let parents take the responsibility to decide whether their children understand and have the fear of the LORD to partake in this.

 The victorious Christian Life

The relationship between God and man has been broken because man has turned away from God in disobedience. Yet God, in His great love, took the first step to reconcile us to Himself and has done everything on His part to enable us to live a victorious life in Him. Now it is upto each one of us to follow His instructions and be overcomers throughout our life on earth.

Because Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden of Eden, all of us are born with a nature that is sinful and rebellious against God. We may be nice people and we may be doing good and helping others, but we cannot by ourselves attain God's standard of holiness. When we stand before God’s judgment throne at our death, all of us will be found deserving of eternal damnation in hell. The only way of escape is the Lord Jesus Who is the Savior of the world.

 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

The first step towards this victory is to be born again by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, repenting of our sins, receiving forgiveness granted to us through the blood He shed, receiving Him into our hearts and surrendering our life completely to Him. This we do by faith because spiritual things are not seen by the physical eye.

 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 10:17

God’s amazing love that drew this plan of salvation to justify unworthy sinners, is called grace. Grace is extended to undeserving mankind through God’s Son, Jesus.

 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

When we are born again, we become a child of the Most High God and enter the Kingdom of God. We become a part of the worldwide family of born again believers!

You may call yourself a Christian because your parents are Christians or because you go to Church or because you hang around with Christians. You need to believe in the Lord Jesus and be born again spiritually to be a true Christian.

 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

1 Peter 2:1-3

Just as a newborn baby has to feed and grow and develop, we must study and obey the word of God that is the Bible. Our spiritual breath is the Holy Spirit in us. We must learn to listen to His voice and obey His promptings. Every day we should set aside time to spend in the presence of God alone, quietly, to study the Bible, praise God, worship Him and pray to Him.

 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

Psalm 100:4

 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

John 14:13

Jesus is the only door and the only way through Which we may come to Father God.

 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 14:6

The Christian life is a constant decision to deny the rule of our sinful nature so that the Lord Jesus may rule in our lives. We must bring our soul and body under the control of the Holy Spirit.

 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:1-2

As we grow spiritually, the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit become evident in our lives.

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

The Lord Jesus said that we cannot bear fruit unless we abide in the vine. He is the plant and we are the branches that bear the fruit. The changes in attitude and behaviour are the signs of a true Christian who is growing spiritually.

 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

John 15:1-5

The Christian life is a life of love.

 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

1 John 4:7-8

All of God’s commandments are summarised into two main commandments.

 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

Matthew 22:37-40

 We love Him because He first loved us.

1 John 4:19

Having received God’s love in our hearts, we let that pure love flow to others. This is how we progress in our Christian walk. So it is necessary to be a part of a Church assembly and be blessed and learn from the leaders and also be a blessing.

 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

John 13:35

As followers of the Lord, we will be witnesses in the world through our love. We are commissioned to make known the good news of the Gospel so that people will know the love of God and be saved.

 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "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, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

Matthew 28:18-20