"For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,
that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
2 Corinthians 5:21
__________________________________________________________________________
Holy Brethren,
You and I were born for this season.
We are in a glorious time for The Church. As the end of the age approaches our excitement and our purpose for living will become more evident accompanied with an increase of power.
With that in mind, our lesson for this week is:
The Mystery of Communion
Jesus said, “… it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance…” Mt. 13:11-12
Jesus
“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’
“Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom.’" Matthew 26:26-29
The Holy Spirit
Eating bread and drinking wine is a physical act that is done in the natural. If the Holy Spirit does not reveal to us the supernatural side of Communion it is of no value and a mere tradition of man. That makes Communion void of Christ’s benefits.
When Kingdom mysteries are revealed, and acted on, they will always produce the fruit of life.
Communion is a spiritual action that pulls the natural man into the inward man to celebrate the victory that Jesus Christ has already accomplished for us.
“Christ has redeemed us from the curse … that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles…” See Galatians 3:13-14
Only the Holy Spirit can pull back the curtain to reveal the hidden mysteries of Jesus’ birth, ministry, death, resurrection, ascension into Heaven, and His present day ministry as High Priest.
If only the outward man participates in Communion, it will not have supernatural benefits and accomplish what it was designed to do. Why? Because the inward man was left out.
The inward man of the heart, (1 Peter 3:4) is the Holy Reservoir of God. Communion must begin there and work outward as a holy unification of the whole man, affecting spirit, soul, and body.
“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23
The New Creation—Christ in You
“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” 2 Corinthians 4:6-7
“… the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:5
“… by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:4
Communion embraces the fullness of the cross, as God’s child partakes spiritually of New Covenant benefits. The Holy Spirit within the Believer unfolds the divine nature of the transaction that is taking place in Communion.
It can be new and wonderful every time.
Daily Communion--Daily Benefits
There are benefits to partaking of Holy Communion in your personal time with the Lord every day. Many Christians may feel uncomfortable at first taking Communion at home because they were raised in churches where this is not taught. Many years ago, I remember being very surprised to hear a charismatic priest say this was perfectly fine to do.
Celebrating the Cross
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation…” Romans 1:16
“… the message of the cross … to us who are being saved is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18
These verses exhort us to share the gospel with the lost.
They can also be used as we take Communion because we are going back to the very root of our new birth, the gospel of our salvation! The gospel is our very foundation and it is loaded with power from God’s Kingdom. As we take Communion we have blood-bought rights that take us directly to the source of the power of the gospel ... the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Read Ephesians 1:19-23.
COMMUNION: A PERSONAL EMBRACE OF THE CROSS
800 years before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah prophesied the gospel message:
“Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
"The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:4-5
In the New Covenant, the Apostle Peter declares what was accomplished 2000 years ago:
“… who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:23-25
There are benefits to be received from personal daily Communion.
There are benefits to be received as the saints assemble together in Jesus’ name.
Communion with the Family: The Household of Faith
The community of believers in divine fellowship stand as one before God’s throne. This is a grand manifestation of holiness and a picture of the Savior’s answered prayer:
“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” John 17:22-23
“That they may be made perfect in one.”
Definition of Perfect: consummate in character, consecrate, finish, fulfill; to bring to an end by completion or perfecting, accomplishing or bringing to completeness, perfected, made perfect
“Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.
“Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” 1 Corinthians 5:7-8
The anointing of God resides and flows from the spirit man. When you receive Communion in faith, expect to be strengthened in the inner man (Ephesians 3:16) to rule and dominate over the curse, which is still in operation in this worldly system. Expect to be healed!
Whether you take Communion personally or with the family of God, know that it is a sacred observance. Through faith, we touch the cross of Jesus Christ and His eternal love for us. No one loves us more. He suffered and died, taking your place so that you could take His place of righteousness ( 2 Corinthians 5:21) and have eternal fellowship with His Father.
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3
______________________________________________________________________________
Closing Comments
If you have been a reader of Team Tuesday Lessons for a while, you know the necessity of putting God’s Word first place in your life and doing what it says to do. You know that we must walk by faith, loving God with all that we are and loving others as we love ourselves. You know the importance of studying God’s Word to get it into your heart and to guard the words that you speak. You know that Jesus is coming soon and that it is vital to be in submission to a bible believing church and to assemble together, “even more as you see the day approaching.”
This generation of God’s amazing army has been in boot camp, training for a massive world-wide revival. Our goal: to compel the lost to come in before that great and awful day of the Lord’s wrath. Joel 2:11 & Matthew 22:9.
Assignment
Before taking Communion this week, read through the list of Who You Are in Christ Scriptures. Then take Communion in the Spirit of Faith and be blessed!
___________________________________________________________________________________
PRAYING FOR THE GREAT AWAKENING FOR:
The Church The Lost Elected Leaders
Copyright © 2013 – 2014 Prayer with Purpose; prayerwithpurpose.org
You and I were born for this season.
We are in a glorious time for The Church. As the end of the age approaches our excitement and our purpose for living will become more evident accompanied with an increase of power.
With that in mind, our lesson for this week is:
The Mystery of Communion
Jesus said, “… it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance…” Mt. 13:11-12
Jesus
“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’
“Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom.’" Matthew 26:26-29
The Holy Spirit
Eating bread and drinking wine is a physical act that is done in the natural. If the Holy Spirit does not reveal to us the supernatural side of Communion it is of no value and a mere tradition of man. That makes Communion void of Christ’s benefits.
When Kingdom mysteries are revealed, and acted on, they will always produce the fruit of life.
Communion is a spiritual action that pulls the natural man into the inward man to celebrate the victory that Jesus Christ has already accomplished for us.
“Christ has redeemed us from the curse … that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles…” See Galatians 3:13-14
Only the Holy Spirit can pull back the curtain to reveal the hidden mysteries of Jesus’ birth, ministry, death, resurrection, ascension into Heaven, and His present day ministry as High Priest.
If only the outward man participates in Communion, it will not have supernatural benefits and accomplish what it was designed to do. Why? Because the inward man was left out.
The inward man of the heart, (1 Peter 3:4) is the Holy Reservoir of God. Communion must begin there and work outward as a holy unification of the whole man, affecting spirit, soul, and body.
“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23
The New Creation—Christ in You
“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” 2 Corinthians 4:6-7
“… the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:5
“… by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:4
Communion embraces the fullness of the cross, as God’s child partakes spiritually of New Covenant benefits. The Holy Spirit within the Believer unfolds the divine nature of the transaction that is taking place in Communion.
It can be new and wonderful every time.
Daily Communion--Daily Benefits
There are benefits to partaking of Holy Communion in your personal time with the Lord every day. Many Christians may feel uncomfortable at first taking Communion at home because they were raised in churches where this is not taught. Many years ago, I remember being very surprised to hear a charismatic priest say this was perfectly fine to do.
Celebrating the Cross
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation…” Romans 1:16
“… the message of the cross … to us who are being saved is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18
These verses exhort us to share the gospel with the lost.
They can also be used as we take Communion because we are going back to the very root of our new birth, the gospel of our salvation! The gospel is our very foundation and it is loaded with power from God’s Kingdom. As we take Communion we have blood-bought rights that take us directly to the source of the power of the gospel ... the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Read Ephesians 1:19-23.
COMMUNION: A PERSONAL EMBRACE OF THE CROSS
800 years before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah prophesied the gospel message:
“Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
"The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:4-5
In the New Covenant, the Apostle Peter declares what was accomplished 2000 years ago:
“… who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:23-25
There are benefits to be received from personal daily Communion.
There are benefits to be received as the saints assemble together in Jesus’ name.
Communion with the Family: The Household of Faith
The community of believers in divine fellowship stand as one before God’s throne. This is a grand manifestation of holiness and a picture of the Savior’s answered prayer:
“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” John 17:22-23
“That they may be made perfect in one.”
Definition of Perfect: consummate in character, consecrate, finish, fulfill; to bring to an end by completion or perfecting, accomplishing or bringing to completeness, perfected, made perfect
“Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.
“Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” 1 Corinthians 5:7-8
The anointing of God resides and flows from the spirit man. When you receive Communion in faith, expect to be strengthened in the inner man (Ephesians 3:16) to rule and dominate over the curse, which is still in operation in this worldly system. Expect to be healed!
Whether you take Communion personally or with the family of God, know that it is a sacred observance. Through faith, we touch the cross of Jesus Christ and His eternal love for us. No one loves us more. He suffered and died, taking your place so that you could take His place of righteousness ( 2 Corinthians 5:21) and have eternal fellowship with His Father.
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3
______________________________________________________________________________
Closing Comments
If you have been a reader of Team Tuesday Lessons for a while, you know the necessity of putting God’s Word first place in your life and doing what it says to do. You know that we must walk by faith, loving God with all that we are and loving others as we love ourselves. You know the importance of studying God’s Word to get it into your heart and to guard the words that you speak. You know that Jesus is coming soon and that it is vital to be in submission to a bible believing church and to assemble together, “even more as you see the day approaching.”
This generation of God’s amazing army has been in boot camp, training for a massive world-wide revival. Our goal: to compel the lost to come in before that great and awful day of the Lord’s wrath. Joel 2:11 & Matthew 22:9.
Assignment
Before taking Communion this week, read through the list of Who You Are in Christ Scriptures. Then take Communion in the Spirit of Faith and be blessed!
___________________________________________________________________________________
PRAYING FOR THE GREAT AWAKENING FOR:
The Church The Lost Elected Leaders
Copyright © 2013 – 2014 Prayer with Purpose; prayerwithpurpose.org