Have you taken the Lord?s Supper recently?
If you find this question strange then read on.
In Luke chapter 22 the Lord instituted the last supper (also known as the Lord?s Supper or the breaking of bread). The bread and the cup represented the body and blood of Jesus that was given for us.
Christ?s body was crucified on a tree so that your sins might be forgiven. His blood was shed to bring us back into relationship with God. By this amazing act of love, Jesus gave Himself to pay for all our shortcomings. In the process He also broke every demonic power of satan over our lives (Colossians 1: 12 - 15).
The Lord?s Supper is a reminder of what Jesus has accomplished for us. Times of partaking in the Lords Supper should be periods when we reflect on the goodness of God and all He has done for us.
So when can we take the Lord?s Supper?
Many of us are used to having it in the church. The Pastor, Reverend or Vicar passes round the bread followed by the cup and we eat and drink it with the relevant sobriety we associate with the occasion.
Is that all there is to it?
Paul brings us the importance of the Lords Supper in 1 Corinthians 11: 23 - 26
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. (NIV)
We are to eat it in remembrance of what the Lord has done. It is supposed to be a time on mediating on the greatness of God and receiving new strength from him. We are expected to do it often.
Lets take a clue from the early church - Acts 2: 46 - 47
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (NIV)
They broke bread from house to house. There is nothing stopping us from breaking the bread and having the Lord?s Supper in our houses apart from our ignorance.
It would do us a world of good if as individual families we took time to read the bible together and then break bread as a family. Husbands and wives, fellow Christians living in the same house and even individual can take the Lord?s Supper; breaking the bread in their homes, just as they did in the book of Acts. Many of us who struggle with prayer would find this very refreshing and enlightening. We would be giving God a whole new opportunity to minister to us.
Jesus never restricted us to any particular place or venue when it came to the breaking of bread and having the Lord?s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:25). He Himself had it in someone?s house (Matthew 26: 18 - 30)
As you break the bread and drink from the cup reflect and meditate on what the Lord has done.
Some scriptures you can use in your meditation can be found here
The account of the Passover in the Old Testament gives us a clear picture of what the Lords Supper is supposed to represent. Jesus is our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). He instituted the Lord?s Supper as He was taking the Passover (Matthew 26:17 - 30) because He is our Passover.
You can read the account of the Passover in Exodus 12.
The breaking of bread should be done as often as possible. It will remind us of the protection, healing and everything that salvation has made available for us. It is meant to increase our faith and bring the blessing of God afresh to us.
I was listening to a testimony sometime again from someone who got healed from an incurable sickness as he ?took and meditated on the Lords Supper?.
In fact, every time you eat food remember to bless it and give thanks to God.
Now let me close with my question again.
When was the last time you took the Lords Supper?
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