Holy Communion

[Dead Man Walking]

What do you guys think of taking Communion at home daily?

 

[HumbleBee]

Obviously taking Communion will deepen your relationship with Christ! However, it is not something to be done irreverently, in taking it daily, you must guard against it becoming more routine than relational.

1 Corinthians 11:23-32 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.

 

[Col]

1 Corinthians 11

23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25In 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."

Christ asked that we remember Him when we eat and drink. Just as wine and bread were staples for our physical well being, he used the comparison to explain that the word of God was a staple for our spiritual well being. We all have to eat and drink so what better what than to help us keep our focus on God than to ask us to remember Him when we ate and drank, to do this ensures we keep our life Christ centred. We can do this alone at home, in the wilderness or corporately in a Church environment, it is all the same. In each instance we are consciously remembering Christ and adjusting our focus.

It is man who has created this legalistic approach to Christ's simple command.
Christ didn't put any restriction on venue or reciept, man has done this.
It is man how has decided in some instances to institutionalise pomp and ceremony around this simple act to the exculsion of some and the elevation of others.

I beleive it doesn't matter where, when or how you carry out Christ request to remember him when you eat and drink. The principle is to keep your eyes on Jesus, and get into His word. God knows your heart and your intentions,God is the judge not man.

 

[adamdavid]

Taking communion is just a symbollic act that celebrates your salvation. I think we should all celebrate our salvation on a constant basis, and if daily communion helps you to do that, by all means go for it! I've taken communion by myself at home before... a wonderful way to start off devotions...

 

[Andrew]

A guy in my church who was born with a deformed heart, blood disorder (sickle cell thingy), smaller left brain and trembling left hand is now completely healed.

After he was saved in march, he learned about the Holy Communion.

One of the things he did then was to take the Holy Communion 6 times a day. 3 times after meals and 3 times after medication times. (He's been sickly and on medication all his life). Now he is a national badminton player.

The Holy Communion is God's way for the church to keep sickness and premature death at bay.

The bread represents the broken body of our Lord for our healing and the blood is for our righteousness and protection.

 

[Wigglesworth]

What do you guys think of taking Communion at home daily?

What I would like even better is the opportunity to do it with the church daily. There are Catholic churches that have morning mass every day, so people can receive communion daily before they go to work. I would like to see that in a nonCatholic church somewhere close, so I could do it myself. The closest thing I've heard of was a teen prayer meeting at a church every weekday before the youngsters went to school.

I've heard teaching from Kenneth Copeland and Oral Roberts promoting frequent communion at home. They recognize the Lord's Supper as more than just a symbol. Consequently, it becomes more important, and the desire to have communion is stronger, than for those who see only symbols in the bread and wine.

It's a nice thing to do at home, especially if you can share it with your spouse or some friends that are there for a life group or prayer meeting.

 

[Suffolk Sean]

Once in a home fellowship I brought up that we should take communion and you could have heard a pin drop. I was told in no uncertain terms that "The Pastor" would not allow it. I was real upset. No wonder I have issues with church

 

[JimB]

I was once a member of a denomination that believed you had to observe the communion every Sunday. My opinion was that the celebration had become so meaningless that it was, well, meaningless. Doing it everyday would, I think, make it so commonplace that it would lose some of its meaning.

I also believe that the communion, as I see it in the NT, is meant to be a celebration for the corporate body, the church, not a family thing. That does not mean that I necessarily object to doing it individually on occasion, it just seems that it is meant for the whole church, not just subgroups within the church.

IMO

\o/

 

[Andrew]

The Holy Communion is communion with the Lord, not family members or church members. We do it in remembrance of him. We do it to proclaim the Lord's sacrifice until he returns. The focus is him. We are having a meal with him, whether alone or with a group.

So whether you do it in church or with a friend or with family members is not important.

How often you want to have Holy Communion depends on how important you think it is. How much of a revelation you have regarding the HC. Those who have a greater revelation and know its benefits (like keeping sickness at bay), and run with it, will naturally take it more often, like everyday (as in Smith Wigglesworth's case), or in the case of that young man I shared, 6 times a day.

As a *general* guide I believe it should be at least every Sun, becos we find that Jesus, after his resurrection, would appear on Sundays, give some words and break bread. A good enough reason to go to church on Sundays.

 

[Wigglesworth]

The occasion during which the Lord instituted the Eucharist was the Passover Supper. The Passover Supper is a family meal in the home, not a ceremony that was limited to the synagogue. Although in Jewish tradition there is only one Passover Supper per year, the early church celebrated the breaking of bread more often. There is some history that suggests they did it daily. All of this history seems to support communion in the home or in the church as often as you want to receive it.

 

[By Grace]

As a *general* guide I believe it should be at least every Sun, becos we find that Jesus, after his resurrection, would appear on Sundays, give some words and break bread. A good enough reason to go to church on Sundays.

I'm curious (my dad and I have been debating this topic recently)--can you give me some Scriptural references for this statement?

TIA,

 

[Andrew]

I'm curious (my dad and I have been debating this topic recently)--can you give me some Scriptural references for this statement?

TIA,

Here are some references:
--------------
Luke 24:
13 And behold, two of them were going that very day [the Sunday that Jesus arose] to a village named Emmaus, which was threescore furlongs from Jerusalem.
14 And they communed with each other of all these things which had happened.
15 And it came to pass, while they communed and questioned together, that Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.

...then Jesus follows them back...

30 And it came to pass, when he had sat down with them to meat, he took the bread and blessed; and breaking it he gave to them.
31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

John 20:26***After eight days [Sunday again] His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you."

John 21:
1***After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias...
4***But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ...
12***Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples ventured to question Him, "Who are You?" knowing that it was the Lord.
13***Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, ...
----------

We worship on Sunday becos Jesus rose on a Sunday and Sunday is considered the first day of the week. We tithe that first day of the week to the Lord by resting on that day in church worshipping him.

We also know that the disciples of the early church met often from home to home to break bread (not so much to sing songs or hear sermons but break bread!).

So, I believe that we should at least have communion every Sunday, since most of us meet only during Sundays.

 

[Anthony]

Jesus and the Apostles had the first communion in a rented hotel room. Early Christians had communion at their homes. Why would it be so strange to do so now. What would be stranger ito Jesus and the Apostles and the early Christians is to have it only done in a temple/church building.

 

[riverpastor]

I was at the Communion Table of the Lord when He took it with His disciples. He drank the wine and brake the bread as a token meal of the Covenant that He was allowing us to enter into once His mission was completed.

How was I there? And what does this do for me when I take Communion?

Jesus said, as much as you do this, do it in remembrance of Me. I was reading in a commentary one day, when suddenly this scripture was brought to life. A minister had written that the Hebrew connotation for "remember" was different for the Hebrew than it is for our modern western society. When Jesus said "remember" He literally meant to "re-enact" and to bring yourself to the table by faith.

When you tell an American couple to remember their wedding, they break out the pictures or the video and have a few good laughs and then it's over.

Tell a Hebrew couple to "remember" their wedding and they call the rabbi and get the wine and have their family over and, in essence, take themselves back to that day. They literally re-live it, not just remember it in their soul.

This has helped me to understand a better perspective of the offering of Covenant. When I take the Communion, I place myself upon the rest of His Covenant and Grace. I take myself out of covenant with everything else and place myself wholly upon Him. I re-live Communion, the consecrated meal of Covenant, with Christ by faith.

Also, in Communion, you should understand that by faith, you are renewing your commitment to the Covenant of the Lord.

When you eat the bread and drink the wine, understand that the bread becomes a part of you and the wine becomes a part of you and that you become a part of the bread and wine as you are joined to these things just like you are joined to the Spirit of Christ through Covenant.

The sin of partaking Communion "unworthily" is when you come to the table to eat the Covenant meal without Grace. In other words, you come to Christ BUT still dependent upon you. You are not fully entering into the Provision of Grace that He has provided freely to you. You want Christ, but you are still not wanting to let go of your life...

My throat started getting scratchy one Friday. You know, the end of the week when everyone at work has been hacking and coughing and sneezing on you and shaking hands with you after gettin' snot all over them????

By Saturday morning, I was feeling really BLAHHHH! My throat continued to worsen throughout the day and I started getting chills in the evening.

I had consecrated myself to the Lord and I took Communion that evening. As I did, I began to say to myself, "I have just taken the most powerful antibiotic known to man."

Every time my throat hurt that evening, I just told myself and whoever else was listening, "I have taken the most powerful antibiotic known to man."

By the time I went to bed, I was already feeling much better.

I woke up in the morning without the slightest scratchiness in my throat (which is good cause I lead worship at church also). I continued to confess my agreement with the Word and that I had taken "the most powerful antibiotic known to man." Whatever bug had entered my body, didn't stand a chance when I took Communion!!!

 

[Andrew]

A minister had written that the Hebrew connotation for "remember" was different for the Hebrew than it is for our modern western society. When Jesus said "remember" He literally meant to "re-enact" and to bring yourself to the table by faith.

When you tell an American couple to remember their wedding, they break out the pictures or the video and have a few good laughs and then it's over.

Tell a Hebrew couple to "remember" their wedding and they call the rabbi and get the wine and have their family over and, in essence, take themselves back to that day. They literally re-live it, not just remember it in their soul.

Ah yes! My Pastor has taught that too.

Riverpastor,

do you also know that the Holy Communion is one of the main ways of keeping sickness and death at bay?

In the entire NT, there is only ONE reason given as to why Christians fall sick and die prematurely.

Paul says its the failure to discern the Lord's body during Communion.

So what is discerning the Lord's body? It is recognising that He bore the stripes for your healing.

Here is a diagram of the Jewish passover Matzah bread i did:

Most of us know how to discern the blood -- the blood for our righteousness and remission (sending away of) of sins, but not the body, thus lumping the 2 elements together as just forgivness of sins.

 

[Yebo]

Greetings from a sunny South Africa

Once in a home fellowship I brought up that we should take communion and you could have heard a pin drop. I was told in no uncertain terms that "The Pastor" would not allow it. I was real upset. No wonder I have issues with church

And I thought these things only happen here in my home town. I am proud to announce that I've also "been there, bought the T-shirt and burnt the T-shirt." It happend to me as well with the difference that we only had cake and coffee in the house. Needless to say my proposal did not go down very nicely.

Church "sucks" but a living loving relationship with the Lord whereby you get to know Him is everything.

 

[Andrew]

Church "sucks" but ...

huh? Dun think we should go to the extreme of saying that just becos of some bad experiences. I wld just find another church...

 

[Yebo]

.

 

[Yebo]

Greetings from a sunny South Africa

huh? Dun think we should go to the extreme of saying that just becos of some bad experiences. I wld just find another church...

I am not refering to a specific denomination or church group. I refer to those individual or even groups that are stuck with tradition meaning that they care more about what other people say and think than the Lord. They would rather miss an intervention/revelation of the Lord in order to keep with their man made rules and regulations.

My apologies if I offended the CHURCH as the body of Christ but that was not my intention.

 

[By Grace]

Here are some references:
--------------
Luke 24:
13 And behold, two of them were going that very day [the Sunday that Jesus arose] to a village named Emmaus, which was threescore furlongs from Jerusalem.
14 And they communed with each other of all these things which had happened.
15 And it came to pass, while they communed and questioned together, that Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.

...then Jesus follows them back...

30 And it came to pass, when he had sat down with them to meat, he took the bread and blessed; and breaking it he gave to them.
31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

But this is not necessarily the Lord's Supper as we know it, since there's no mention of wine.

John 20:26***After eight days [Sunday again] His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you."

Since it says "after 8 days", I would take this to mean a Monday, but that's JMO. It might be different depending on how Jews count their days.

John 21:
1***After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias...
4***But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ...
12***Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples ventured to question Him, "Who are You?" knowing that it was the Lord.
13***Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, ...

If the "day was now breaking", that would mean it's the next day, wouldn't it? And still no mention of wine...

We worship on Sunday becos Jesus rose on a Sunday and Sunday is considered the first day of the week. We tithe that first day of the week to the Lord by resting on that day in church worshipping him.

From what I understand, the tithing was done on the first day of the week b/c that was the first day they could do the work necessary to gather the tithe (it would not have been money, but rather produce from the fields and food and so forth).

We also know that the disciples of the early church met often from home to home to break bread (not so much to sing songs or hear sermons but break bread!).

I think this is my point: if they met frequently to break bread (which was a common phrase that meant to share a meal), then we should also. And if you adhere to the idea that "break bread" in this passage does mean the Lord's Supper, then we should also do it frequently in each other's homes.

So, I believe that we should at least have communion every Sunday, since most of us meet only during Sundays.

I agree with this to an extent. We should share the Lord's Supper when we meet, and that pretty much means Sundays. But I don't think we should feel limited to just Sundays.

Thank you for the references, though. I'm exploring all of this right now during a "shake-my-world" spiritual growth spurt , so I appreciate your input!