HOLY COMMUNION

Holy Communion for the Christian is the ceremony where the believer eats an element representing the Broken Body of Jesus and drinks something representing the Shed Blood of Jesus. This practice was ordained by Jesus Christ in Matthew 26:26-30

26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.
30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. KJV

We can not improve upon the teachings of Jesus all we can hope to do is show the many references to enhance your understanding of this topic. Jesus stated very plainly that the bread He gave to His disciples at the Last Supper represented His body. Jesus also stated very clearly that whatever they were drinking represented His own blood of the New Testament which was shed for the remission of sins.

Remission – noun

  1. The act of remitting, or the state of being remitted.
  2. Discharge from penalty; pardon; deliverance, as from a debt or obligation.
  3. Abatement, as of a fine erroneously imposed.
  4. Relaxation, as from work of study.
Funk & Wagnalls Standard College Dictionary copyright 1963

Definition number 2 best suites what the Lord Jesus did for all of mankind. Jesus discharged all mankind from the penalty of eternal judgement. Jesus was our substitute for God’s Judgement upon sin, therefore we received a divine pardon through the Blood of Jesus. Jesus is known as our Deliverer because He personally delivered us from the consequences of eternal death, spiritual separation from God and a life of bondage here on the earth. He paid the debt of sin so we don’t have to. God can not ignore sin, but He can look upon Jesus who paid the ultimate price of God’s punishment for the debt of sin. Since our Heavenly Father is just and holy He can not look upon sin nor can He overlook judgement for the practice of sin. Thus Jesus was, is and forever shall be our Savior and Substitute. We started with the Gospel of Matthew to read what Jesus had to say about His Holy Communion now let us examine the Gospel of Mark.

Mark 14:22-26
22 And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.
23 And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it.
24 And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.
25 Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.
26 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. KJV

Jesus did not add anything new to the definition He gave in the Gospel of Matthew, so we will continue on to the Gospel of Luke searching for any more details.

Luke 22:14-20
14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.
15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:
18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.
19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. KJV

In this account we pick up a few nice details, for one this was the Passover and Jesus was with His twelve apostles. With the reference made to Passover we can make the association with the Lord’s Passover which included a specific meal and the shed blood of a specific animal recorded in Exodus 12.

Exodus 12:1-7
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.
5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. KJV

The specific meal was a male lamb (without spot or blemish) and the specific blood was from that same male lamb (without spot or blemish). This lets us know that Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.

John 1:29
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. KJV

Jesus is our Passover Lamb. The original Passover during the History of the Children of Israel was after they had been in bondage for over four hundred (400) years to the Egyptians. The Lord’s Passover was the night of God’s Divine Protection from the death angel of God’s Judgement upon the nation of Egypt.

Exodus 12:11-14
11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD's passover.
12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. KJV

In the New Testament Jesus alone represents our Great Deliverer from the eternal death of permanent separation from our Heavenly Father and the penalties that come from living a life of sin. Judgement will always come, it is far better to be protected by the Blood of God then to be an open target for the Destroyer. Thank God for Jesus and what He did for us. As part of the Lord’s Passover an innocent male lamb was slain for the protection of a people. This lamb had to be eaten completely none could be left until the morning.

Exodus 12:8-10
8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.
10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. KJV

This is a clue to us as Believers that we need to observe all the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We must be willing to be doers of the whole counsel of God, not just the scriptures we like best. When this event happened for the Children of Israel we see that the meat of the lamb was for strength to endure the long journey ahead of them and the blood of the lamb was specifically for divine protection. Likewise, we read, study, ponder, meditate upon the Word’s of God for strength for our walk with Christ Jesus while His Blood protects us from divine judgement. There is nothing that can wash away our sins but the Blood of Jesus.

Revelation 1:5
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, KJV

The revelation of His Body being our bread and His Blood being our drink for life is explained by Jesus in the Gospel of John.

John 6:47-58
47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
48 I am that bread of life.
49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. KJV

In these verses Jesus makes it very clear that a discipline of Christ must choose to eat His flesh. It only sounds scary if you don’t understand what the flesh of Jesus really is according to John 1:14

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. KJV

This verse declares that it is the Word of God that was made the flesh of Jesus. So when Jesus spoke of eating His flesh what He was stating is to eat the Word of God. This diet of God’s Word should be consistent and continuous to sustain a spiritual walk with God on a successful level. In a John 6:62-63 the Lord reiterates this point.

62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. KJV

Notice in verse 63 that Jesus specifically states that He is not talking about cannibalism, but rather receiving and digesting His Holy Word because His Word are spirit and His Words are our life. Remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 4:4

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. KJV

This gives us a very clear picture of what Jesus was teaching in reference to His body being the Bread of Life given to the world for their salvation. His Words are given to His Children, all Christians, for their sustenance. For without Him (His Word) we can do nothing. Since we are pretty clear on the spiritual application of the Bread of God which is the Body of Jesus or we could say the Word of God made flesh. Let us now look at the Blood of Jesus.

We all can agree that the Blood of Jesus washed away our sins. Hold that thought and we will refer back to it in a moment. We can also conclude that the Blood of the Lamb protected us from the destroyer. We would like to add it protected them (and us) from the fear of destruction and death, also. I know of something mentioned in the Holy Bible that removes fear, it is the Love of God according to 1 John 4:18-19

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19 We love him, because he first loved us. KJV

We can see that Love satisfies the condition of removing fear I wonder what other condition does love satisfy that is similar or equal to the blood of the Lamb. Examine Proverbs 10:12

Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins. KJV

And Proverbs 17:9

He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends. KJV

We can see from these two verses that Love is a covering agent for sin, just like the Blood of Jesus. This brings us back to the place where we asked you to hold that thought about the Blood of Jesus washing away our sins because now I could also state that the Love of God covers all our sins. This leads us to believe that the Blood of Jesus is synonymous with the Love of Jesus. We have a lot of other biblical references that would convince us to think about the Love of God when considering the Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

John 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. KJV

We can see that the reason (motive) for God sending His Beloved Son was for love. If you receive God’s Son you are also receiving God’s Love. The Love of God was embodied in the Personal of Jesus, spiritually His Heart and naturally His Blood. This would agree with the Love of God being God according to 1 John 4:16

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. KJV

This could be restated using Jesus as a substitution for love in the latter part of the verse. Notice the accuracy and truth of the statement is still valid.

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is Jesus; and he that dwelleth in Jesus dwelleth in God, and God in him.

This lets us see that Jesus and Love are inseparable. Jesus sacrificed His complete body for our sins, none of His origins or bodily fluids were wasted in the atoning work at Calvary. When the lamb was roasted in the fire during the original Passover it was symbolic for the Lord Jesus being placed in the fires of hell for us. We will note that two bodily fluids were emphasized by God in John 19:33-34 that have special significance for this teaching:

33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. KJV

The special emphasis given to the blood of Jesus pouring out with the water of Jesus pouring out to touch the earth makes us remember the water of God’s Word and the Message of God’s Love. The main message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s Will (His Word) given to mankind in the Heart of God’s Love. Some have taught the Blood of Jesus to be the Spirit of Christ which if you are conformable with believing that Jesus Spirit is love we are on the same page. Angela and I have no problem with that doctrine. We like to substitute the Love of God for the Blood of Jesus because we are a love ministry and it helps to keep people focused on the simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus. We are identified with Jesus not by our knowledge of God’s Word but rather of measurement of God’s Love according to John 13:34-35

34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. KJV

These verses clearly give us the picture of what Jesus wanted us to look like. God’s purpose for sending Jesus to this earth was for us to develop into pictures of God’s Love. A living picture for all the world to see, not of judgement like in the Old Testament but rather a new message of Love. I know there are still others who like to think of the Blood of Jesus as the Holy Spirit, while this does not bother me I think it is a little harder to prove according to the scriptures. For one, the Holy Spirit is constantly here with us all the time and He is God in His own right, so I am not comfortable drawing a conclusion that Jesus sacrificed the Holy Spirit. Notice in 1 John 5:6-8

6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. KJV

Verse 6 preaches that Jesus Christ came by water and blood which the previous scripture in John 19:34 confirms. This verse adds the purpose of the Spirit was to bear witness (record) of that truth. Verse 7 speaks of three that are one, the three are the Father, the Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. These three are distinct and yet very similar, they three are God as one and each one is God alone. This is fascinating and true we, as Believers, are given grace by God to except this as divine truth even though we may not understand all the intricate details. As a fact today, the Heavenly Father stands as a witness in Heaven, as does Jesus Christ because He is Risen from the dead seated at the right hand of the Father and the Holy Spirit still has a place in Heaven where He communicates with the Father and Jesus. This is exactly what verse 6 proclaims. Now let us examine verse 8 the three witnesses upon the earth that agree. Notice that in verse 8 the spirit is not capitalized, so it is not referring to the Holy Spirit, it is however referring to the spirit of Jesus, or we could say our reborn spirit which we have from God crying, “Abba, Father” according to Romans 8:15-16

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: KJV

And Galatians 4:6
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. KJV

We can see Jesus spoke the exact same words in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed to Our Father before going to the cross in Mark 14:36

And he (Jesus) said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. KJV

Therefore we can be pretty confident that the spiritual witness upon the earth today is our spirits speaking loudly that Jesus is Lord and we are loved by Our Heavenly Father. This brings us to the witness of the water, which we have already concluded is the Holy Word of God. Specifically the Written Word of God, which we refer to as the Holy Bible speaks a consistent message of God’s Plan of Salvation. The Holy Bible is the truth of God for all to receive and learn from. This witness is speaking right now in multiple languages over multiple nations all over the earth the proclamation that, “God Loves You”. The witness of the Water is the Witness of God’s Word. That brings us to the witness of the blood which must speak the same message as the spirit and the water to have complete agreement. The scripture in 1 John 5:8 stated that the three agree. The message of love is consistent with the message of Jesus. Jesus told some of the Jewish unbelievers in John 5:42 if you don’t have the Love of God inside of you, you are not from the Father God.

John 5:37-42
37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
41 I receive not honour from men.
42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. KJV

Jesus also told us that we should bear much fruit (singular) and the singular fruit God is looking for from His Beloved Children is love according to John 15:8-10

8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. KJV

Quite often when thinking of the fruit of the spirit, we think of the nine fruit described in Galatians 5:22-23

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. KJV

This is OK and we have taught that also, but to be exact the word "fruit" is still singular and we should read it as “The fruit of the Spirit is love”. The other eight components of love are joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. This is consistent with 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 where the Apostle Paul expounds upon the many aspects (characteristics) of love.

4 Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.
5 It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
6 It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.
7 Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. AMP

This understanding of the fruit of love blends in perfectly with reference to the Blood of Jesus as the Wine of Christ. Love definitely has a voice and God’s love certainly has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit according to Romans 5:5

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. KJV

We can also see that the Love of Jesus keeps us inline with His Message and His Will for our life according to 2 Corinthians 5:14

For the love of Christ controls and urges and impels us, because we are of the opinion and conviction that [if] one died for all, then all died; AMP

Angela and I believe that all Christians should simplify their lives if they would consider what would God’s do. It is that reason alone that God spoke to our hearts about ministry, with the convicting statement, “Eric and Angela if you go to the ministry to love people what other reason do I need to give you?”. The message of Jesus is the message of Love. We believe this witness is consistent with the Gospel of Jesus and it is the witness of blood. The shedding of Jesus Blood as the Lamb of God must be tied to God’s Love for all mankind to be effective in this earth. The witness of a new heart, the Holy Bible and the Love of Christ Jesus all agree. If you have one you must have all, and if you lack just one by design you lack all three.

Matthew 12:25
And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: KJV

If a person can not see God’s Love inside of you, they can not see God from you. Likewise, if a person can not hear the Word’s of God spoken from your lips they can not hear God from you. If you have neither you will not cry, “Abba, Father” with a new heart from God. Amen!

So we have shown the Holy Communion being directly tied to the Lord’s Passover spoken of in the Old Testament as far back as Exodus. We can see symbols about the Communion of God dating back the Book of Genesis.

Genesis 14:18-19
18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: KJV

The ceremony of Holy Communion in remembrance of God started with the beginning of the Holy Bible from the Old Testament and carried pass the Gospels and into the epistles as shown in 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

16 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?
17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. KJV

This gives us proven confirmation that we should be practicing this ceremony today. It is important to note it is not OK to just have Holy Communion but it should be done a certain way observe the following verses in 1 Corinthians 10:20-26

21 You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons, too. You cannot eat at the Lord's Table and at the table of demons, too. 22 What? Do you dare to rouse the Lord's jealousy as Israel did? Do you think we are stronger than he is?
23 You say, "I am allowed to do anything" — but not everything is helpful. You say, "I am allowed to do anything" — but not everything is beneficial. 24 Don't think only of your own good. Think of other Christians and what is best for them.
25 Here's what you should do. You may eat any meat that is sold in the marketplace. Don't ask whether or not it was offered to idols, and then your conscience won't be bothered. 26 For "the earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." NLT

You can not mix Holy Communion with unholy things. It is not wise to take the food from a bar and use it for Holy Communion. We should not use food designated for other purposes to be used in Holy Communion this would show a disrespect for Jesus, our Wonderful Lord and Savior. In the Old Testament we read that the Lamb should be perfect (without blemish), therefore to partake of Holy Communion with elements that are despised (lightly esteemed) is dangerous. We see more cautions about Holy Communion in 1 Corinthians 11:20-34

20 When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, 21 for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. 22 Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

27 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 32 When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. 34 If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. NIV

These verses teach us not to take lightly the Holy Communion of God. We are not to partake of this Holy Ceremony with wrong motives or sin present in our heart. This is why we should examine ourselves before we partake of Holy Communion. We are instructed in verse 28 to examine our self, not our neighbor. We must keep a clear consciences before God that we are honoring His Beloved Son by our present actions and our lifestyle as a whole. If you are not thinking about the sacrifice of Jesus in a respectful manner you should not partake of Communion. The first example spoke about using unholy elements for communion and second example spoke about improper behavior during communion. We must also mention unconfessed sin during communion is unhealthy for a believer, and especially dangerous for an unbeliever. Speaking about the believer first we must walk in love to fully appreciate the Love of God. Those who choose to hold unto grudges, unforgiveness, anger, offenses and such sins are not applying the Blood of Jesus to their everyday life. Remember we discussed early that the Blood of Jesus represents the Love of God when one chooses to be offended at another they are refusing to walk in Love, this refusal makes you unworthy to partake of Holy Communion. Recognizing the Body of the Lord is understanding that every member in the Body of Christ is special and they are deeply loved by God.

Matthew 5:22-25
22 But I say, if you are angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the high council. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.
23 "So if you are standing before the altar in the Temple, offering a sacrifice to God, and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there beside the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God. NLT

We do this by forgiving everyone in our heart for the wrongs they have done against us. If we freely forgive everyone that has ever done us harm or injustice or offended us we can partake of Holy Communion with a clear conscious. Notice Matthew 18:32-35

32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. KJV

Forgiveness is big in God’s heart because whenever you forgive someone you are applying the Blood of Jesus. You are making a conscious decision to love one another in the Name of Jesus showing you are truly a child of God.

Matthew 6:9-15
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. KJV

Since Our Heavenly Father Loves them greatly and Jesus died for them personally the very least you could do is love them unconditionally. I am not telling you to be nice and sweet to them, what I am saying is that you are required to love others like God’s Loves Us. The Lord may not always agree with our actions and motives but He certainly never stops loving us. There are many people in the world today that are mean and ungodly but purpose to love them any way to keep your heart right with God. Loving those who do not show love toward you is not easy and for that reason we have the love of God shed abroad in our heart. The Love of God with the understanding of His Word (His Ways) makes this possible for every Christian to love their enemies, but we have to purpose to be perfect as our Father in Heaven.

Matthew 5:44-48
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. KJV

Now we will mention that no unbeliever should partake of the Lord’s Passover. In the Old Testament in Exodus 12:21-23 God implied if He did not see the blood of the lamb on the door post and lintel that household was subject to death. This is not one of those things people should play around with. Angela and I as Christians hope for all mankind to be saved however we know according to the scriptures there will be ungodly mockers in these last days. We beg of anyone who does not believe on Jesus to not partake of the Lord’s Communion because the penalty of understanding exactly what you are doing could be sickness or death. We know of children and young adults partaking of Holy Communion without a full appreciation for Jesus sacrifice and the Lord did not allow judgement to come upon them due to His mercy. However, we should not tempt God, if one is ignorant about the consequences for being unworthy when you partake of Holy Communion there is God’s Mercy, but if you know better you must do better or be open for punishment. We can see from the Old Testament an example of a nonbeliever partaking of the Holy Elements with disrespect for God and it is not a pretty picture.

Daniel 5:2-7 and 13-25
2 Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.
3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.
4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
6 Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
7 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. KJV

13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?
14 I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.
15 And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing:
16 And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
18 O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:
19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.
20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
21 And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.
22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;
23 But hast lifted up thyself against the LORD of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
24 Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
25 And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN
26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
29 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. KJV

The moral of this story is do not, we repeat, do not partake of Lord’s Communion as an unbeliever. The Jews will partake of their Passover and they do not partake of the Lord’s Holy Communion if they do not believe on Jesus. This Holy Communion is by invitation only, you must be Born Again. If you believe that Jesus died for your sins and God raised Him from the dead and you have confessed Jesus as your Lord according to Romans 10:6-13 you are invited by God to partake of Holy Communion. If your church or the church you are visiting holds open Communion please by all means partake, just do it the right way. You are washed by the Blood of God’s Love and you are sanctified by the Word of God through your prayer (confession of Jesus) therefore you are worthy to partake in Jesus Name. Amen! Refer to Revelation 1:5 and 1 Timothy 4:4,5

So when you consider taking Holy Communion remember there are at least three things you must always do.

Examine yourself for pureness
In spirit by checking your heart to be sure you are motivated by God’s Love
In soul by being certain you are not harboring a known sins in rebellion to God’s Ways.
In body by being respectful to the ceremony of Holy Communion displaying proper behavior, being reverent to the things of God.
Consider the Body of Christ individually as your Savior
Mediate upon the work that Jesus did at Calvary as your Savior and Substitute.
Jesus is still your present day Intercessor according to Romans 8:34
His Blood (Love) is still cleansing our sins
His Love (Blood) removes all guilt of sin and shame
His Body (the Broken Bread) is still teaching exactly what we need to know.
His Body (the Broken Bread) took physical stripes for your physical healing.
His Blood (His Love) and His Body (His Word) is our life and Deliverance
His Divine judgement provided us with an entrance into God’s Heaven.
Etc...
Etc...
Etc...
Consider the Body of Christ Corporately
Know that bring an offense involving someone else in the Body of Christ, or for that matter, anyone in the earth defiles you in the eyes of God and can lead to your sickness or death because you are partaking of Holy Communion unworthily. God first loved us, that we may love one another.

Holy Communion is a sacrament of the New Testament that has it’s roots way back in Genesis. Since the Lord always had this ceremony in His Mind because He did it in remembrance of you, we should reciprocate His Love by partaking of Holy Communion in remember of Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior, our Deliverer. Amen!

In closing, we know that sometimes the question comes up about the frequency of Holy Communion Jesus left it open by the statement in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. KJV

So the key is when you do it, do it the right way. A word of wisdom is sufficient to the wise. It is better to have quality over quantity. The ceremony of Holy Communion should always be done reverently, this can include joy and singing because even Jesus himself in all three accounts in the Gospel gave thanks to God during the Holy Communion. In the account recorded by the Gospels of Matthew and Mark they also sang a hymn right after the Holy Communion. What the Lord did for us is Good News so rejoicing is appropriate but it is improper to let our freedoms of liberty be a stumbling block for another believer. A common practice for many church today is to have Holy Communion one a month, this is acceptable. It is also acceptable to have it only once a quarter. I suppose that even only once a year could be acceptable but I would pray and follow God’s Peace on the number of times you will serve Holy Communion during a year because it involves all the people in the church. There will always be some that will desire Communion more and others that will cleanse themselves every time you serve Communion so you must know the congregation to find the proper balance of peace for your church. Our only caution is to never serve Holy Communion so often that your people grow weary of it and at the same time never serve Holy Communion so infrequently that your people feel you don’t have a heart for it. Be wise and realize if you are not sure how many times to serve Holy Communion once a month is a good start because twelve (12) in the divine number for government and Holy Communion should government our lives at least twelve times a year. The Lord give you peace as you operate everything decently and in order, for so God ordained in all the churches. Amen!

Let all things be done decently and in order. - 1 Corinthians 14:40 KJV

In His Love, Eric & Angela Foster

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