THE TRUE PURPOSE OF THE COMMUNION SERVICE

THE TRUE MEANING OF COMMUNION 

from The Prophet

In our communion service God took us to St. John, chapter six.  In that chapter Jesus challenged and offended his hearers by telling them that unless they ate his flesh and drank his blood, they had no life in then.  That's a huge statement.

Now let us examine this great revelation from the Lord:

"Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead."

Note the wording!  Jesus did not say that they ate manna and died, but "they are dead."  Now notice the contrast further in the following verse:

"This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die."

In the communion service I noted with you that a person may partake of the bread and wine and still die and go to hell.  Communion is a ceremony, better known as a sacrament.  Like any ceremony, it cannot save the one who partakes of it.  Further, to partake of it without fully understanding its full significance is a vain exercise.

Now, let us probe the text further.

"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.

Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

There can be no doubt that THE LIFE of the believer is partaking of the body and blood of Jesus.  Now, again, let's see exactly what the flesh and blood is:

"It is the Spirit that quickeneth…"

Let me interrupt right here.  That word "quickeneth" should trigger another similar word in your brain: "quick."  That word belongs to another passage where it says that the word of God is "quick."  The word does not mean fast, but alive.  In the verse above Jesus says, "The spirit quickeneth."  But quickeneth what?  Two things, actually: It quickens the word itself and also the individual who continually hears the word.  That leads us to the passage that has become the golden text for this assembly:

"If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples, indeed."

Now for some commentary!  Jesus is saying that the life force surging through his very being was not the blood and blood cells that feed the tissues of the flesh; it was the word of God, itself!  For the believer, the same is true.  Our very life force is no longer residing in our blood veins, it is God's word!  That is why Jesus said of those in the wilderness that they ate manna but are dead; but he that eateth of the blood and flesh of Jesus shall never die.  Such individuals are as eternal as the word itself!

Now let's consider another great, familiar passage.

Did you catch it?  He said "every word." How many times has the Holy Ghost resurrected the words Jesus spoke to his disciples, "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."  After his resurrection when he upbraided his disciples calling them fools and slow of heart to believe "all" that the prophets have spoken concerning him.  Selective hearing is deadly.  Selective attendance is deadlier.  In the coming conflict, it is essential that we hear and give heed to every single word of every single message that proceeds out of the mouth of God through his prophet.

Hitting and missing messages makes one so spiritually weak that all you can do when you finally make it to church is just sit in your seat and keep your mouth shut.  You come in on Sunday after missing weekly bible class as if nothing has changed.  Let me tell you, you're barely able to walk up the steps.

Now, let's go back to the scripture fragment on the previous page.

"It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing;" (no wonder Paul said bodily exercise profiteth little,)

"The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you that believe not."

Now that we know that the word of God answers to the flesh and blood, Jesus ends that dialog with the above statement.  What are the implications? 

That those who either miss the word or don't believe ALL of the word are those who will deny him at the end.