Bringing The Benefits and Power of Communion To Your Home
Holy Communion is the bedrock reminder of our covenant relationship with God as our Father through Jesus Christ our Lord. For all the blessings and promises that are found in the New Covenant, Holy Communion is not regularly practiced in most homes. This is the foundation of our covenant relationship with God and it must be returned to our homes.
We as children of God are thankful for Communion being offered and even the knowledge of it being preserved in the organization of the church. But now, as we all are members of the royal priesthood and especially as priests of our families, we must return to the original revelation given by God to covenant with Him fundamentally in our homes.
In the Old Covenant, Moses instructed the children of Israel to take a lamb for a household. They were to kill the Passover lamb and to apply the blood of it on the door of their own house.
Exodus 12:7 - And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. NKJV
In the New Covenant, breaking of bread and taking Holy Communion were also done in the homes.
Acts -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, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. NIV
Holy Communion is a very serious part of our lives and it must become one of the highest of our high priorities. We must remember to keep it in supreme holiness and in reverence, but it must not be put at arms length from us in our families. As a result of bringing regular communion back into their homes, thousands of Christians have received healing — in their bodies and minds, as well as in their marriages and families. This is because Communion accesses the Holy Spirit resident within Christians and brings the spiritual realities out of them.
Holy Communion is for Christians and it is where we remember our allegiance, commitment, and the benefits of being children of God. This is the covenant relationship with our Father to receive the benefits of being in His family. This sacrament is not for unbelievers or non-Christians (Exodus ). Does this give you privileges above non-believers? Absolutely! Does this make you better than them? No, but it does make you better off than them because of the covenant.
As you begin this journey into the “Promised Land” of God’s bounty and blessings, you should remember that when you take Communion you are renewing your covenant rights of God’s blessings over you. You will discover many specific blessings that God has promised you. God’s desire is to bless everyone, but He has a covenant promise to fulfill with you as you fulfill yours with Him.
Many have said, “I know Communion is important and I need to take it more.” Now, as you use this study guide to bring Holy Communion into your home, the control of this is placed in your hands.
This guide is a good a primer — something to get you started. Each day will give you a short devotion that can be read out loud for the whole family in preparation for taking Communion, or privately on your own. These short devotions will teach you more about the benefits and requirements of your covenant with God and will help you to prepare your heart for each momentous occasion.
As you show yourself faithful in these next days, you will prove to God that you “diligently seek Him.” As you seek God, the Blessor, and not just the blessings, you will get both. Enjoy these times with your family, or just with you and God alone. Seek His face and not just His hand.
As previously noted, there have seen thousands of physical and emotional healings that have occurred by taking Communion, but far greater than any of these is the promise of “draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to thee,” (James 4:8a). Far greater than any healing is our reconciliation with our Father.
We pray that the revelation and power of your covenant with God will move to new realms in the coming weeks and months!
Destined for Victory,
Heartland International Ministries
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.30 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. - NKJV
DAY 1 - COMMUNION IS THE REMINDER OF OUR COVENANT WITH GOD
This cup is the new covenant in my blood... – Luke NKJ
A covenant is an arrangement or deal made by two parties. We as Christians enter into covenant with Almighty God, Yahweh, by partaking of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, both at the time when we were saved and also as a reminder when we take Communion. When we eat the bread and drink the wine (juice), we remind God that as His children we have rights and privileges within His family. Communion is also our reminder that we are under covenant to walk as His children.
When we are in covenant with God, we are the head and not the tail. We are children and not servants. Blessings overtake us instead of us having to chase them. The Lord blesses those who bless us and opposes those who oppose us. These are our Christian family rights and every time the bread and wine touches our lips, these promises come back to our remembrance and revitalize our faith in God’s provision for our lives.
Our covenant with God was availed when Jesus shed His blood but it becomes legally active when we partake of the bread and wine. Covenant with God is our Christian heritage. As we, by the freedom of our will, partake of the elements in Communion, we boldly proclaim, “If God be for us, who can be against us?”
DAY 2 - COMMUNION IS A FAMILY AFFAIR
And if a stranger sojourns among you, and would keep the Lord’s Passover, he must do so according to the rite of the Passover and according to its ceremony... - Numbers 9:14a NKJ
Christianity involves being pointed outward and is devoted to saving the lost. However, we must also remember that those individuals born again of the Holy Spirit are children of God and are under God’s care. Communion is not designed to reach the lost, except that it promotes Christians as examples in the eyes of the world because of God’s blessings that come upon His children.
There are sermon’s, outreach opportunities, and fellowship times designed to reach and meet the needs of the unsaved. But, Holy Communion is for those who have entered into covenant with God and have already made a decision to live for Him.
When a stranger came into the midst of the children of Israel and wanted to share in the feast days and celebrations to the Lord, they were welcomed as long as they were willing to live by the same commandments that God had given Israel in their covenant. In the church, our doors are open to those who wish to covenant with God through Christ. When the unsaved world sees the benefit of living in covenant with God, it will motivate them to want to walk in His ways. Until then, Communion is a family affair.
DAY 3 - JESUS CHRIST IS OUR PASSOVER
For indeed Christ, our Passover; was sacrificed for us. - 1 Corinthians 5 7b NKJ
One day as John the Baptist was baptizing, he saw Jesus walking by and said, “Behold Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” He was right. A fact little known to the Christian world is that Jesus was crucified on the exact day at the exact time that the head of each household cut the throat of the lamb for his family.
In the Jewish religion and under the covenant given to Moses and the children of Israel, a lamb was sacrificed every year on the fourteenth day of the first month. They took the lamb into their homes for five days, separating it out from the rest of the animals and sheep. They groomed it, fed it and all the while they were getting familiar with it, knew that it would be sacrificed.
Jesus Christ was set apart for us just as the lamb was brought into the homes of the children of Israel. We need to set Him apart and realize that He likewise was innocent. He was sacrificed as payment for our sins so that we could be reconciled to God. He was, and still is, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
DAY 4 - THIS DO IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME
And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." - Luke NKJV
These words are inscribed on Communion tables in churches around the world. It stares people in the face the whole time they sit in church. The table may be the centerpiece in front of the altar and is often the focus of the entire building.
Remembrances surround us. Some of us have our “to do list” and others may tie a red string around their finger. However we do it, we make a point to remember the things that are important to us. Fear grips the mind of the man who forgets his wife’s birthday or their anniversary. How much more should we remember what Jesus did for us when we take Communion and not to just join in a ritual?
Remembrance is the Greek word anamnesis; it is composed of the prefix ana which means to do something again, and mnesis which is the word for mind. When Jesus said, “this do in remembrance of me,” He was telling His disciples (you and me) to purposefully call to mind the significance of His broken body when taking Communion.
As you eat the bread today, think about what His body looked like and the pain He endured for you. Think about the holes in His hands, feet, side, and head, the bruises and the stripes on His back. Each injury has a meaning. Call to mind His suffering for you.
DAY 5 - ONLY THE BLOOD OF JESUS CAN FORGIVE OUR SINS
In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:14
Blood sacrifices are common in most all religions because they show commitment and that you are willing to give your life for the cause of your belief. You can follow the blood trail from Abel, through the Old Covenant prophets, through Jesus, and all the way through the New Testament martyrs. God even required the blood of bulls and goats before the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus’ blood was made. But why is it only the blood of Jesus that can forgive our sins?
Did you know that the blood of a baby never comes into contact with the mother and that it is contributed by the male seed, not by the female egg? God had this planned when He designed men and women, knowing that in the history of mankind He would need to send a Savior into the world to redeem them.
“Redeem” means to pay a price to ransom someone. The price that God required for our redemption could only be the pure blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus came from the Holy Spirit who impregnated Mary, therefore the blood of Jesus was completely pure. Jesus’ blood was the only blood of anyone in the whole world that could pay for our sins because only His blood came directly from God and had never been contaminated with sin. It was the perfect payment and sacrifice for our forgiveness.
DAY 6—THE FLESH IS FOR OUR HEALING
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. - 1 Peter NKJV
As a Christian, you have undoubtedly taken Communion many, many times in church. Most ministers will share that the blood was for the forgiveness of sins, but many never fully explain what the bread was for. The bread represents the flesh of Jesus and it was offered for our healing.
When the children of Israel partook of the flesh of the lamb in the first Passover, not one feeble person left Egypt (Psalm 105:37). When King Hezekiah prayed for the sacrifice of the people to be accepted of the Lord, He healed every one of them again (2 Chronicles 3 0:20). In the New Covenant, the bread we eat represents the flesh of the Lamb and it is given for our healing.
This is one of the glorious promises of covenant Communion. Testimonies abound of people partaking of Communion only to awaken the next morning totally healed of problems they have had for years. Pastor’s and church leaders tell of eyes, hearts, backs, limbs, ears, and joints being miraculously restored to health. Your body, like the bread, comes from the dust of the ground. When you pray over the bread and take it into your body at Communion, the blessing will go forth to touch every cell in your body. Expect to see healing in your body when you take Communion. The blood is for forgiveness and the flesh is for healing!
DAY 7- DISCERNING THE LORD’S BODY
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 [die]. 1 Corinthians 11:29,30 - NKJV
Discerning the Lord’s body means to call to remembrance Jesus’ flesh (Luke ). When we do not do this, we take Communion unworthily and it can cause us to miss the blessing of God’s covenant and be weak, get sick, or die early. We must be careful to fully recognize each part of Jesus’ body in order to get the full benefits of the covenant, and to not receive the consequences of taking Communion improperly.
This is an extremely important word for us! There are serious consequences for taking the blood of the covenant for granted (Hebrews ) and for taking Communion in an unworthy fashion. We must examine ourselves and see if there is any “wicked way in us.” We do not want to profane the holiness of the sacrifice by counting the blood of Jesus as a common thing. I wonder how many Christians would still be alive if they had taken Communion properly and discerned the Lord’s body? Maybe many more would be healthy and strong. If you have not discerned the Lord’s body before, ask for forgiveness now. Yes, it is a serious business, but the Lord also delights in mercy. For the next seven days we will look at each way the Lord Jesus bled and learn how to take Communion properly by discerning the Lord’s body.
DAY 8 - JESUS BLED OUT OF HIS HANDS
They pierced my hands and my feet. Psalm 22:16b
When the mallet of the Roman soldier hit the nails and drove them through the hands of Jesus, it marred and destroyed the most perfect creation, capable of doing the greatest work of God the world had ever seen. These were the same hands that were laid on children for blessings, the same hands that healed the sick, raised the dead, and turned over tables in the Temple.
The blood that came out of those punctured holes was shed for us to be forgiven of all the things that we have done with our hands. When the Bible says “whatever we put our hands to,” it means that whatever we can conceive, we can achieve if we use our hands. They are instruments of creation—to make what the mind contrives. They are supposed to be doing the works of God, but have they always?
When we look at our hands and ask ourselves the question, “What have these done?” the answer will reveal how we really think about our accomplishments in life. The blood that came out of Jesus’ hands was shed for the purification of our hands so that they could be dedicated as instruments of righteousness. Jesus’ hands, the most perfect creation and delicate instruments ever made by God, were sacrificed so that you could be forgiven for what you have done with yours. As you take Communion, rather than think about what you have done with your hands, think about doing with yours what Jesus did with His.
DAY 9- APPLY THE BLOOD THAT CAME OUT OF JESUS’ FEET
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; - Isaiah 53:6a
The blood that came out of Jesus’ feet was shed so that we could be forgiven for the wrong ways we have walked and the wrong decisions we have made. How many times we have said, “If I could do it over again...” Unfortunately, we cannot have “do-overs” in life, but we can be forgiven for what we have done. When the mallet drove the nails into Jesus’ feet, it completely marred and destroyed the feet that walked on water or that walked to Lazarus’ tomb or over the dusty roads of Galilee to bring the gospel to the humble. He gave His feet so that the ways you have walked can be forgiven.
Yes, all of us have turned to our own ways and our feet have walked in our own paths. Maybe we have made decisions that have cost us dearly or that, even still, continue to affect us in our daily routines. Those decisions looked right at the time but now we know better.
Jeremiah NKJ says that “the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” When we take Communion, we should ask the Lord to forgive us for walking in our own ways and to restore to us the things that we allowed the enemy to take from us through our own rebellion and disobedience. We have a covenant right to expect the Holy Spirit to give us spiritual wisdom and understanding to walk the paths the Lord has chosen for us.
DAY 10- JESUS BLED OUT OF HIS CROWN
And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! - Mark ,18
Imagine what kind of response you would receive if you made crowns of thorns to give away for presents to your friends and neighbors at Christmas. By the time you were finished making them your hands would probably be a different kind of “holey.” And they might think, “What perverted, evil mind could contrive such a despicable thing?” Now, can you imagine having a crown of thorns slammed into your scalp by a reed smiting it while it sat upon your head?
Jesus bled out of His crown for you to be forgiven for every time and every thing you have put in higher priority than Him. This bleeding was basically for the forgiveness of idolatry—for when Jesus did not wear the crown of honor and glory in your own life.
It is not a pleasant thought to remember when something was more important to us than our love for the Lord, but He bled for us to be forgiven for this. We have not only been forgiven, but now we have a possible privilege to wear incorruptible crowns of glory, rejoicing, life, and righteousness because we can reign in life through Jesus Christ.
As you take Communion today, think about where you were and where you are now since you have met the King of Glory.
DAY 11 - JESUS BLED OUT OF HIS BROW
And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. - Luke 22:44
An aspect of discerning the Lord’s body in Communion is where Jesus sweat blood out of His brow. There really is a medical condition when people actually perspire blood. The condition is called hemotidrosis and happens at times of great stress. Jesus so labored in prayer about doing the will of God that He actually sweat blood.
In this way of bleeding, no one touched the Lord. This bleeding came from the mental pressure He experienced. It was due to agonizing over doing the will of the Father rather than doing His own will. He labored and labored and labored in prayer but finally said, “Not my will, but thine, be done.” He submitted to God and bled for us to be forgiven when we have walked contrary to God’s will.
Doing God’s will starts in the mind with a decision of our own will. This ultimately will cause us to bring our flesh into subjection to our mind to carry out the direction from the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ prayer time was interrupted by a multitude of soldiers coming to force God’s will upon Him, but not before Jesus agreed to go through with God’s plan. Jesus bled for us to be forgiven when we did not carry out Gods’ perfect plan in our lives. Our covenant with God includes doing His will and walking after Him with our whole heart (2 Chronicles ). When taking Communion, let us receive God’s forgiveness and make the decision to do God’s will—whether it is comfortable or not.
DAY 12 - JESUS BLED OUT OF HIS SIDE
But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. John 19:34
When the Bible says that the soldier pierced Jesus’ side, the Greek word for side is pleura. That is the name of a cavity in the chest which contains the heart. People have wondered where there was water in Jesus’ side. Jesus’ ribs were pierced and the spear went into His heart. Out of his heart came water and blood.
The water came from the pericardial sac that surrounds the heart. It is filled with water and serum and acts as a shock absorber to keep the heart from being hurt. We discern this aspect of the Lords’ body by recognizing that Jesus took the ultimate hurt for us. All have rejected Him—even God had to look away from His Son when the sins of the world were laid upon Him.
When Jesus was hanging on the cross, it was not the nails that kept him there. He could have commanded twelve legions of angels to rescue Him. It was not the nails that held Him there; it was His love for you. He faced rejection and totally exposed His heart so that yours would be protected. He was despised and rejected of men (Isaiah 53:3) so that you could be accepted by Him. He bled out of His heart so that yours could be healed.
DAY 13 - JESUS BLED OUT OF HIS BACK
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. - Isaiah 53:5
The back is the strongest part of our anatomy. Jesus gave His strength by the blood that came out of His back for our physical healing.
Every young person feels like they will live forever. They are vibrant, strong, fast healing and tireless. Yet, as everyone grows older they will realize that their own strength is not sufficient to keep them going.
When Adam transgressed and the consequence of death was passed to him and all of us, we were placed under the curse of corruption. With the redemption in Jesus’ blood, God did not cancel the curse of corruption, but instead, chose to overwrite it with eternal life. Our physical bodies are continuing to corrupt, but the promise of God through the blood that came out of Jesus’ back is that we can be healthy until the day we leave our bodies. It was said of Moses, who lived under covenant with God, that he died at 120 years of age and none of his natural forces had abated. Caleb, the soldier that lived through the forty years in the wilderness, said, “I am eighty-five and am as strong as I was when I was forty.” This is the promise that by His stripes we are healed. We have a covenant right to health all the days of our lives.
DAY 14 - HE WAS BRUISED FOR OUR INIQUITIES
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5
A bruise is an internal injury, just as iniquity is an inner torment that plagues us from a generational source. Exodus 20:5 and 34:7 both state that iniquity is passed down to three or four generations. Iniquity is one of the greatest problems that all of mankind faces. The Bible says that in the end times love will grow cold because iniquity will abound. Is love growing colder? Then iniquity is abounding.
Jeremiah 31:29 and 30 says that in the days of the New Covenant iniquity would no longer be charged to children. This means that the day you entered into covenant with God the charge of iniquity was no longer valid. God forgives and forgets, but the devil will continue to try to bring this up and make you feel guilty.
The four basic iniquities that plague us are fear, lust, anger, and pride. These are not just sins; they are the cause of our sins and transgressions. The blood that Jesus shed internally was for us to be acquitted of these inner torments. All the rights the enemy had to charge us with these iniquities died when the old man of sin died.
Our covenant privilege is that we are a new creation in Christ Jesus. Old things are passed away and all things are become new. The bruises on Jesus’ body are another way that He bled to redeem us from sin, iniquity, and transgression. He who the Son makes free is free indeed (John ).
DAY 15 - OUR COVENANT RIGHT TO PROSPERITY
Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. – Psalm 1:1 – 3 NKJV
In both the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, one of the major promises to those in relationship with God is prosperity. The Lord led the children of Israel out of Egypt with silver and gold (Psalm 105:37) and it is still His desire for His children to prosper.
The covenant God made with Abraham was to multiply him exceedingly (Genesis 17:2). This means that you are in relationship with God and that He has promised that what you touch and do for Him will multiply. Our whole basis of faith is what we expect God will do for us and it is all based on the agreement God made with us: what He said, He will do.
Philippians says that God will supply all our need according to His riches in glory by (in) Christ Jesus. When you read the phrase “in Christ Jesus,” it means in covenant relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. The stipulation you must adhere to in covenant with God is to seek after Him with your whole heart (2 Chronicles ), and if you are doing this, you have a right to expect blessings to overtake you instead of you chasing them.
Prosperity includes more than just financial blessings, but it certainly includes them too. If you are seeking after God, He will reveal to you how to live in prosperity and in health. This is your covenant right as a child of God.
DAY 16 - PREPARE TO TAKE COMMUNION
And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly. - 2 Chronicles 29:36
From the tenth till the fourteenth of Nisan, the children of Israel prepared to take the Passover. They took the lamb into their homes, they removed all leaven from their homes, and scheduled the fourteenth and fifteenth as High Days and a Sabbath from their works. Preparation was an essential part of the Passover.
We should never be to hasty or rush to partake of Communion. Let’s develop an understanding of what God requires us to do in order to receive and walk in His blessings.
Psalm 139:23 and 24 says, “Search me, 0 God, and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” In your preparation for Communion, you need to allow God to take a flashlight and look down the corridors of your heart. Let Him look upon you. Ask Him, “Lord, is there anything in my life that is displeasing to you? Is there anything in my life that I am not doing that you want me to do?”
DAY 17- MAKE YOUR CONFESSIONS TO THE HIGH PRIEST
Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus. - Hebrews 3:1
Christians should know about confession — how to go to it, and how to do it. We make our confession to the High Priest of our confession, the Lord Jesus Christ. John 14:6 says that Jesus is the way to God and that no man comes to the Father but by Him.
Jesus Christ is now our High Priest who makes intercession before the throne of God for us (Hebrews and ). Only He can effect true forgiveness before God and He does this when we confess to Him. When we confess our sins, Jesus shows God the Father His hands, feet, crown, brow, side, back and bruises and says, “Father, I paid for this to be forgiven. Please acquit them on my behalf.”
At Communion, confessions are made to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He and He alone can make intercession for your forgiveness and plead the cause of your righteousness and reconciliation with the Father.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 )
DAY 18 - APPLYTHE BLOOD TO THE DOOR POSTS
And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. – Exodus 12:22
John says that just before Jesus gave up the ghost, He requested something to drink. Since this was the last thing Jesus did and He did it that the Scriptures might be fulfilled (John ), it must have some great significance. It does and we will see it when we compare John 19:28 - 30 and Exodus 12:22.
We see from Exodus 12:22 what was done in the Old Covenant. So, what Jesus did was to fulfill the Scriptures from the Old Covenant in order to begin the New. When He said, “I thirst,” Roman soldiers dipped a hyssop stalk into a vessel of wine and put it to His mouth. This perfectly paralleled Exodus 12:22 with the wine (blood), vessel (bason), and the hyssop. The difference was that the blood (wine) was applied to the door posts in the Old Testament but the wine (blood) was applied to Jesus’ mouth.
Jesus’ mouth represents the door. Behind the door is where the children of Israel were protected and had to stay till the morning. Behind the mouth of Jesus is where we are protected under the New Covenant because Jesus ever lives to make intercession for the saints (Hebrews ). Jesus is our High Priest and because of His blood, we are saved from the wrath of God (Romans 5:9). When you take Communion, be reminded that Jesus has provided supernatural protection and victory over the work of the enemy.
DAY 19 – DON’T COUNT THE BLOOD A COMMON THING
Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? - Hebrews 10:29
The basin where the blood was collected in the Old Covenant was actually the threshold of the door. There was a trough cut in the floor of the house and it ran from door post to door post. The lamb was laid on the basin (trough) and its throat was cut and the blood filled the trough. The hyssop, as a natural sponge, was used to spread the blood on the two side posts and the upper lentil. This made for a complete rectangle of blood protection when someone walked through the door.
The meaning of trodden under foot can now be understood. To enter the house, the threshold had to be stepped over and not stepped into. It was the highest insult if you stepped in the basin and trod the blood into the house. Negligence was no excuse, even if it was done by accident.
Likewise, never take the blood of Jesus for granted by just throwing down some juice and crunching a cracker. This is counting the blood of Jesus a common thing and insulting the Spirit of grace. Prepare your heart to receive the sacrifice of the blood of Jesus. If you have ever taken Communion as a matter of ritual without really thinking about the sacrifice of Jesus, ask Him to forgive you. The love of God covers a multitude of sins and we have a merciful High Priest. Just don’t take Him for granted or commit the sin of familiarity anymore.
DAY 20 - LET US KEEP THE FEAST
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 Cor. 5:8
When you first read this verse of Scripture, you may think it is from the Old Testament. It is not, but refers to the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The practice of Passover was held in the spring and it was in conjunction with two other feasts, the Feast of First Fruits and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread was to commemorate the release from Egypt. They had to leave in such a hurry that they had no time to leaven (put yeast in) their bread and allow it to rise. It was at this time that the children of Israel were commanded to remove all leaven from their homes. In a figurative sense, removing the leaven meant to exclude luxury, as in time for the bread to rise. Over the centuries this grew into meaning “sin.” We see this when Jesus referred to the leaven of the Pharisees (Matthew 16:6).
When the commandment is given to keep the feast, it is not talking about literally keeping this Jewish memorial but to not allow sin in your life. When it says to eat the bread of sincerity and truth, it means that the Holy Spirit will witness to you in sincerity and that the Word of God will testify of truth. This exhortation is a commandment to rid yourself of sin when taking Communion and to live that way—not just in the feast time, but always—as the Holy Spirit and the Word of God testify for you to live.
DAY 21 - THE COVENANT OF MULTIPLICATION
And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly." - Gen 17:2
God made a number of covenants in the Old Testament and then summarized and concluded them all in Jesus Christ in the New Testament. The more renowned covenants that God made with people were with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David. The verse in Genesis 17 refers to the covenant made with Abraham.
God promises that He will multiply the blessings to those with whom He enters into covenant. God multiplied Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He gave them the bounty and the land of promise (Promised Land). He blessed those who blessed them and cursed those who cursed them. According to the history of the Bible and the unbiased record of other historical books, the lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were greatly feared among all the nations because of the protection and blessings of God that were upon them.
Our expectation and faith in what God will do for us is dependent upon knowing the promise of the covenant He has made with us. Galatians specifically states that the covenant blessing of Abraham is upon those of us in the New Covenant. This means that God still promises to multiply those who walk with and seek after Him. When you take Communion, you are renewing your covenant with God that you will seek Him and that He will multiply you.
DAY 22 - BY HIS STRIPES YOU WERE HEALED
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. - 1 Peter 2:24
This verse, 1 Peter 2:24. is a direct quote from Isaiah 53:5 except for a noticeable verb tense change. Isaiah says with His stripes we are healed, but 1 Peter says by whose stripes you were healed. This covenant blessing recognized in taking Holy Communion is worthy of an explanation.
The statement in 1 Peter is a New Covenant reality, whereas Isaiah 53:5 was a future promise. Since the Messiah has already come, we are not looking for the promise to come to us; we are looking for the reality to come out of us. New Covenant realities are born into our spirits; they are not just promises to our minds or souls. So, we are not looking to receive a promise of healing, but rather expecting to manifest the reality.
The realities of the New Covenant are already in us; we just need to know how to get them out of us. We need to get the reality of healing out of our spirits, through our souls and into our bodies. In the case of healing, the confession of the covenant is the remedy. If we will stand fast in the confession of what has already been done, it will convince our minds and bodies of the reality that we already have. Many, many of God’s precious people have received physical manifestations of their healing just by continuing to confess the truth of 1 Peter 2:24.
DAY 23 - COVENANT: GOD’S PART AND OUR PART
and he said: "LORD God of Israel, there is no God in heaven or on earth like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts. - 2 Chronicles NKJV
Covenant is a two-way street. For example, God made the multiplication agreement with Abraham as long as Abraham continued to walk perfectly before Him. Likewise, stipulations were added to the Old Covenant and there are added requirements for the New Covenant blessings too.
In the age we live now, a perversion has encroached into the church in the form of “cheap grace.” This is summarized in a perverse statement that has swept across the church and in its wake has left deceived people wondering why God has not kept His word. This perversion is in the statement, “Jesus did it all for me.” This is not true but is a perversion of the truth that “Jesus paid for it all.” The truth is that Jesus did pay for the covenant blessings, but He did not do everything necessary for you to receive the blessings. You have a part to play in this too.
Chronicles is as true today as it was when Solomon quoted it in the dedication of he Temple. God rewards those who walk after Him. Hebrews 11:6 says that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. The covenant requirement we have is to seek after God with our whole hearts.
DAY 24 - OVERCOMING SATAN
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. - Revelation 12:11
To overcome Satan, we have these three weapons: The blood of the Lamb for defense, the word of our testimony for offense, and not loving our lives to the death for attitude.
The blood of the Lamb has rescued us from the powers of darkness (Colossians ) and has delivered us from the wrath to come (Romans 5:9). The word of our testimony is the sword of the Spirit that comes out of our mouths and is our offensive weapon (Ephesians ). When we love not our lives to the death, we put on the proper attitude of faith that it takes to overcome (1 John 5:4).
Communion applies the blood of the Lamb to our sins and covers us in defense of sin. Communion gives us a testimony of what God has done for us through redemption and gives us a witness of the power of God. Communion gives us the attitude of living our lives for the Lord because we have faith that God will never leave us in the times of our greatest trials.
DAY 25 - TOUCHED WITH THE FEELING OF OUR WEAKNESSES
For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. – Hebrews 4:15
When you take Communion, you are accessing the High Priest of faith, the Lord Jesus Christ. He ever lives to make intercession for you and is in the presence of God right now praying for you.
Jesus made the decision to come to earth to redeem Adam and in the process rescued all his grandchildren too! He took upon Himself the nature of mankind in the flesh, faced death for us all and exposed Himself to pain, agony, and suffering. He knows what it feels to be rejected, abandoned, and even to suffer shame. We have a High Priest who can be touched with the feeling of our weaknesses.
When you partake of the Lord’s supper, Jesus is with you in spirit, administering the bread the cup as though He Himself is handing it to you. This is the covenant that He transacted with the Father. When you confess your sin, He can relate to the temptation. When you cry out in pain, He knows the feeling. Even when we face the death of our flesh the fear of departure out of our physical bodies, He can comfort you having been through the same things. Make your confessions to Him. He will not scold you or belittle for your weakness. We have a High Priest who can be touched with the feeling of our weaknesses.
DAY 26 - BREAD FROM THE HEART OF THE EARTH
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. - Genesis 2:7
As for the earth, from it comes bread… - Job 28:5
There is an awesome correlation that will build faith for healing when you consider these two verses together and realize that God has a plan for healing your body through Communion.
God made our bodies out of the dust of the ground. You can rest assured that it was no accident that God had bread instituted as the element in Communion for our physical healing. Why? Listen to this explanation.
When you partake of the Lord’s Supper and ingest bread into your body, do you know what happens? That which your body is made of, goes into your mouth and is digested. It is distributed throughout your body and actually is assimilated into every cell. It touches you on the inside where nothing else can. When you pray over the bread, it becomes God’s agent to go inside your body and touch the part or parts that need to be healed.
How does an aspirin find a headache? Can we not approach healing in Communion with as much trust? The Holy Spirit is in you and knows all things. When you pray over the bread and take it into your body, by the direction of the Holy Spirit the assimilated food from it heads directly to your eyes or ears or physical heart or pancreas or wherever it needs to go. Bread from the heart of the earth, when prayed over and taken in faith, will find the area that needs healing and will begin revitalizing it—recreating health and strength in the area where the Holy Spirit directs.
DAY 27 - NOT A BROKEN BONE
For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken." - John 19:36
It is interesting that the Prophet Isaiah foretold that Jesus’ visage would be marred more than any man (Isaiah 52:14), and yet there was not a bone of His body broken. The scriptures that speak of no bones being broken come from Numbers and Psalm 34:20: two distinct references. There must be a deeper meaning behind this scriptural fulfillment.
Maybe you have heard the children’s song, “The leg bone is connected to the thigh bone,” etc. This shows why none of the bones were to be broken. Bones represent the stability of the body. Without them there is no structure and no movement. Basically, the bones of the lamb were to represent undivided unity and loyalty in the body of Christ.
The flesh of the lamb was roasted with fire and then it was torn apart and off of the bone for people to eat it, but the bones were left intact and never separated. The reason for this is that it was never God’s intention for the church to be divided and split over issues. We may be members in particular and have different ways of doing things, but Jesus was crucified, having his visage marred more than any man, knowing that if none of His bones were broken then the body of Christ would eventually unite under Him. We shall because true, vital unity is in Jesus Christ. Determine to walk in unity in the Church. Keep the door of strife, division and offense shut.
DAY 28 - ABRAHAM’S COVENANT WITH MELCHIZEDEK
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. - Genesis 14:18
The first type of Communion mentioned in the Bible is when Abram (Abraham) returned from conquering his enemies. Melchizedek came forth and they partook of bread and wine. Abram and Melchizedek partook of covenant elements after a great victory had occurred. Genesis goes on to say that Abram gave tithes (a tenth of the spoils) to Melchizedek.
The fact that Melchizedek was a king and a priest also shows that He was a type of Jesus Christ, a foreshadowing of the Messiah and the covenant available with Him. Abram was already under covenant with God (Genesis 12) and realized that it was his covenant with God that had given him the great victory. In honest response, He shared his increase with the priest and king, the type of Jesus.
We likewise should always remember from whence comes our victories and share of the spoils at those times. This first type of Communion teaches us a lesson that when God blesses us and gives us increase, we should remember to bless Him. Sharing of your spoils in victory is a great way to say thank you to God for His covenant blessings upon you.
DAY 29 - GOD’S PROMISES ARE YES AND AMEN
For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen,to the glory of God through us. - 2 Corinthians 1.20
God is a person of impeccable integrity. What He means is what He says and what He says is what He means. He is not a man that He should lie. You can trust His word. He will perform what He says He will do.
The foundation of our faith lies in our understanding of our covenant with God, and when we take Communion, it is a great time to remember what God said He would do. This is the foundational understanding of covenant—it takes two parties and each of them must be faithful to do their part.
The context of 2 Corinthians is that your yea (yes) is yes and that your nay (no) is no. This is good news and great revelation to those in covenant with God. He will do what He says He will do, but/and He will also not do what He says He will not do. If God says that He will not fulfill His covenant with those who do not walk after Him with their whole heart (2 Chronicles 6:14), then He is just as reliable in that promise as when He says that He will bless those who bless you. God will keep His word. His promises are yea and amen.
DAY 30 - LET US HOLD FAST THE CONFESSION
Let us holdfast the profession [confession] of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised). - Hebrews 10:23
New Covenant realities are born within us and have to be brought out of us. Confession of these realities is the best way to get our souls and bodies in agreement with what our spirits already know. Nowhere is this more evident than in the promise of healing for our physical bodies through Communion.
Divine healing for our human bodies can come in a number of ways. God gives gifts of healing by His will and grace. These kinds of healings are instantaneous energizings that miraculously change the physical condition. These types of healings do not need to be confessed, just received. (I doubt that the blind Bartimaeus had to confess his healing when he could instantly see.)
Healings in Communion do need to be confessed because they come out of us instead of upon us. This is not to say that healings in Communion do not sometimes come instantaneously, but more often they come by confession of the promise. Romans says that the Holy Spirit who dwells in us shall quicken our mortal bodies. It is the Spirit living in us who brings to pass our covenant healing.
We need to hold fast to the confession of our faith because God is faithful who has promised. Holding fast our confession of faith means being faithful day after day after day to confess the promise.
DAY 31 - APPLY THE BLOOD; SPRINKLE OUR HEARTS
let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. - Hebrews 10:22
The blood of the Old Covenant had to be applied, not just shed. The blood of the Passover lamb had to be applied to the door posts (Exodus ), and the blood of the goat had to be sprinkled (applied) before the mercy seat seven times (Leviticus ). The blood had to be applied then, and it does now in the New Covenant too.
According to Hebrews 10:22, we must sprinkle the blood of Jesus on our hearts, and having done so, we will be free from an evil conscience. When the blood is applied to us, it will cleanse us from sin and also from guilt. Furthermore, the inward conviction of evil thinking about ourselves will be cleansed too and we will no longer have an evil conscience.
The blood that Jesus shed seven ways was profiled by the sprinkling of blood before the mercy seat. When you take Communion, go from the top of His head to the soles of His feet to get your cleansing. The blood that came out of His crown was shed for you to be forgiven of idolatry; out of His brow for sins of doubt and fear; out of His back to be healed; out of His side for your intentional sins; out of His hands to purify your hands as instruments of righteousness; from His bruises for your iniquities to be cleansed, and out of His feet for the wrong ways you have walked and the wrong decisions you have made.
Sprinkle the blood on your heart every time you take Communion by covering yourself in the blood of Jesus from the top of your head to the soles of your feet.
Note: Many thanks to Apostle Dale Sides. Most of the content in this study guide is taken from his book, “40 Days of Communion In Your Home.” - Liberating Ministries for Christ International
