I don’t know about you, but I typed and read literally a lot more in the last post than I do all year. My goal in this post is to avoid that word! Hehe Being more serious, I really hope this series has already changed your thinking towards communion, and you’re taking it at home as worthy and filled with joy.
One day I was sitting in my living room looking at my sword against the fireplace. I started thinking about upgrading our spiritual armor pieces. I could see how each piece could be upgraded, but I was stumped when it came to the helmet.
Ephesians 6:10-18 Armor of God Passage
(Verse 11: Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.)
As we mature in Christ, we upgrade our spiritual armor. Most of us don’t even recognize that we’re upgrading it, but we really are! If you want to know more about upgrading your armor, you can read the Armor of God post.
After asking the Holy Spirit, and listening, He gave me a revelation that I’m so excited to share. Before you jump off the train thinking this is weird, let me explain using the sword as an example. Paul mentions in verse 17,
“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;”
that the Word of God is the sword. Imagine a new believer only knowing a few Bible scriptures. That’s not much to fight with, so perhaps their sword is like a letter opener, or like the bottom of an ice hockey skate. A mature Christian who is able to quote larger portions of the Bible might be carrying a sharp, heavy sword that requires both hands to wield. Of course, the new believer can search the scriptures to use a bigger weapon in time of trouble, but they aren’t able to carry it with them wherever they go. It has to stay where the Bible sits and be searched for each time.
With me so far? Great!
In that same verse, Paul tells us to take the helmet of salvation. I believe the Holy Spirit put these pieces in the same verse to show us something special, that both pieces are highly upgradeable. My specific question to the Lord was, how do we upgrade our helmet, and if we all have this same helmet or are some better than others. You upgrade your helmet of salvation by taking communion, but I think from the title of the series you got that already!
1 Corinthians 11:25-26 NKJV
25…“This cup is the new covenant in My blood.”…
26For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Paul quotes Jesus as saying of communion, “this cup is in the new covenant in my blood.” What opens up the New Covenant to a person? Salvation! Paul goes on to say that communion is proclaiming the Lord’s death until He comes. That’s another way to say, “proclaim salvation until the coming of Jesus.” Partaking of communion, or proclaiming as Paul is calling it, especially when it’s not imposed, will strengthen your relationship with God and begin to build something special inside of your spirit. I made a big statement, so let’s slow down and take a look at this….
When we do take communion, we are proclaiming Jesus’ death. The juice and bread are blood and body. That sacrifice is our salivation. We are rehearsing our salvation with bread and juice. This rehearsal of events is how we’re physically showing our belief that His sacrifice, death, burial, and resurrecting is real to us. It’s putting your faith into practice. Your faith should be active every time you take communion.
With me so far? It might be a different thought, but it’s not weird to rehearse such important matters. Think of it like a married couple renewing marriage vows. Why do they do it? Aren’t they already married? It’s to strengthen or renew their commitment to their relationship. Why do (or should I sadly say did) we have kids recite the pledge of allegiance over and over? It is to create patriotism. Why do most people celebrate their child’s birthday and give gifts? What are they doing? Hopefully it’s because they’re celebrating their joy over of their child’s life. Those are a few modern-day understandings of the deep importance of rehearsing communion. Of course, it’s much deeper than wedding vows, patriotism, and birthdays. But you’re doing some of the same things, renewing your covenant, pledging your allegiance to God’s Kingdom, and celebrating His life and His life for yours.
Why do you need a stronger helmet?
Glad you asked! As I mentioned before, in the righteousness post, we had a couple generations of “hell fire preachers,” that proudly and happily told born again Christians they’re gong to hell. What they were actually doing is teaching people, through planting fear, that your helmet isn’t even on or easily removed. If you grew up or sat for a period of time under “hell fire preaching,” communion is helpful in being delivered from such fears. The devil operates through fear, God operates through love.
Salvation package. The pastor I had before I moved used to call our salvation a “salvation package.” The more I study the Word, the more I appreciate that label. When you were born again you didn’t just “get saved.” You received so much more! Every blessing available through Christ is included in your salvation package. Just to name a few things, your spirit was regenerated, you became a new creature, you received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, your sins were washed away, you have Jesus’ peace available, your gift and callings became active, you were given authority from Christ, you were grafted in the vine with the Jews and the blessings are available to you, your position and favor was restored with God, the curse of the law is broken over you, healing, prosperity, and on and on!!! If it’s a covenant blessing, it’s yours to claim! Even the old covenant blessings are yours to claim. You’ve been redeemed from the curse of the law, not from the old covenant blessings.
We’ve all been attacked by the enemy in our thought life. The enemy brings up the past, we think on it and then ask for forgiveness again. We need healing and wonder if God will heal. When we feel agitated and upset, sometimes we say, “I need to destress by…” watching tv, taking a walk, listening to music, or whatever. That’s what our helmet is for! You can watch tv but activate your helmet first.
How do I activate my helmet?
Excellent question. The same way we activate everything in the spiritual realm, by faith; and by doing what Paul said to do proclaiming. I’ll give you an example of how I do communion for peace:
1. Say: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 NKJV
2. Proclaim: Thank You, Jesus, that the chastisement for my peace was upon you! Thank You, Jesus, that You left us Your peace. Right now, I put all problems, worry, and fear that’s trying to grip me back to the cross where it belongs, and I am taking the peace that you left me. You said you haven’t given me a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind.
3. Partaking: I’m taking this pita cracker like peace medicine for my spirit and my mind, and I’m drinking the juice as already set free! Thank You Father, Thank You Jesus, and Thank You Holy Spirit.
You don’t have to wait until dinner to take communion. You can take it as needed! Take again at dinner to celebrate your peace. You can’t over do it with God! Amen!
You’ll notice a difference in your life when you take communion often in this way. Growing up, I couldn’t figure out what I was supposed to be doing at home to “grow up.” It’s funny to me now, but I would be bored reading my Bible, and think, “Ok, I did that.” Then I would pray how I was taught, and then think, “Ok, done with that.” Now what? I was never taught how to have that intimate personal relationship where I enjoyed the Lord, or how to activate what I was supposed to have in the Bible, “Ok, you left me peace, that’s great, but…. I don’t have it. Where is it?” This is how to help you activate what’s been already given to you in Christ! It’s not the only way, but it’s absolutely one solid way! Send it back to the cross!
What is this weird, “Send it to the cross?”
Here’s the story: Israel was traveling in the dessert. They became hungry and thirsty. Instead of just asking for water, they decided to become angry at Moses and God. If that’s not bad enough, they loathed the manna (sweet bread) sent from Heaven. Not only was it free, but it was WAY less work to make when you consider they had to grow their own wheat and grind their own flour with a stone. Their complaining and accusations brought some “fiery serpents.” People were getting bit and dying. The people understood their sin caused the problem, they repented, and asked Moses to pray.
Numbers 21:8-9 NKJV
8Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” 9So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
Let’s be honest, there are some weird things in the Bible. God’s not mad at us for thinking it. We can easily see the pole is a representation of the cross; and the serpent is a representation of Jesus. My first thought was, “Whoa whoa whoa… Jesus, a snake?” Yes. The snake represented sin and curse, think back to the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were sinless, and then they listened to the snake, and became cursed. Jesus was sinless, took our sin and became cursed. So, yes, the snake on the pole was prophetic of Jesus. What they did to be healed, is also very prophetic for us and how we are healed. I’m not being weird; I’m just being real. If they could stare at a prophetic snake and be healed, you, so much more, can stare back at Jesus on the cross and be healed. They were basically saying take your venom back; and we’re basically saying thank You Jesus, take this sickness, poverty, fear, worry, or problem to hell and leave it there! Amen! See? We’re not being weird. We’re being Biblical.
I hope you feel more encouraged to enjoy taking communion often at home. The only requirements that I believe we have are to check in with the Holy Spirit about our hearts, and to be thankful and reverent. After that, if you feel it in your heart to weep and imagine “The Passion of Christ” movie, do it! Maybe you simply feel it in your heart to say thank you, and not even proclaim anything, and that’s perfectly OK as well. Don’t forget you can take communion for specific reasons, such as peace, healing, or anything that’s a New Covenant promise. It’s a covenant meal, and it’s good to proclaim covenant promises as you stand in faith. Just be real with God because He knows you, and He’s happy you’re taking the time to recognize the covenant and to commune with Him.
If you have not been following along, there is a printable version of 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (longer) and Matthew 26:26-28 (shorter) on the Downloads page.
This week was a little longer than I expected, but next week’s, to yeast or not to yeast, will be information packed! Until next week… Let God’s refreshing presence move over you as you proclaim His death until He comes.
Christi
My Prayer Notebook 
Leave a comment