On The Table Of The Lord In Faith Expecting Health and Healing

Do We Bring Much or Little Faith To The Table, Or None At All?

Have you ever encountered the "doormat Christian" whose spirit is so low that he or she fails to hang on any of God's promises, and instead allows folks to wipe their feet on him?

While it's healthy and wholesome to be truly humble-repentant (and thereby resist grasping beyond our human strength and aspiration), our good Lord Jesus made us in his Spiritual image and likeness (Genesis1,27).

He didn't make any doormats.

We were all designed to come up higher in our walk with Him. 

He made us to become mighty men and women of faith courage, knowing Him in us, the hope of glory. A glimpse, or perhaps a snapshot, of this false humility is sometimes especially evident at the table of the Lord.

Yet false humility doesn't have any place at this table because here we reaffirm our covenant of redemption whereby in exchange for our repentant faith Jesus not only forgives and remits our sins, but also delivers us, once again, unto the fullness of salvation  (the Hebrew concept of "Shalom") which includes health and healing and a joy and confidence that no one can take away.

Yet how many of us by custom, or neglect, or ill preparation, or simple lack of faith, come to the covenant renewal of the table expecting little or nothing?

Focus Scriptures Giving Us Expectation The Next Time We Come To The table

Psalm 105,37-42: "He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not a feeble person among their tribes. 38 Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them. 39 He spread a cloud for a covering: and fire to give light in the night. 40 The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. 41 He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river. 42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant."

 Psalm 103,3: "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities: who healeth all thy diseases." [note the bible logic: forgiveness equals health]

 Isaiah 53,4-5: "Yet it was our afflictions he was bearing, our pain he endured, while we thought of him as smitten by God, struck down by disease and misery. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; the chastisement he bore restored us to health and by his wounds we are healed."(REB)

1Peter 2,24: "By his stripes we are healed."

Matthew 8,16-17: 'When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and he healed all who were sick: "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMATIES, AND BARE OUR SICKNESSES."

Synthesis: Healing A Part Of Any Faith Covenant With God- So Every Lord's Supper Too

Psalm 105,37-42 encapsulates well the deliverance of Israel out of Egyptian slavery. Notice Verse 42 tells us that God remembered his promises to Abraham, among which was the promise that his people would inherit the land of Israel (Genesis 15,7). In other words, God remembered the faith of Abraham.

He also remembered the faith preparation of the His people several hundred years later in applying the lamb's blood to their door lintels, thereby escaping the avenging angel of death destroying the Egyptians. He remembered  their quick-footed faith in hitting the escape trail after eating get-a-move-on tortillas (Exodus 2,23ff, especially Exodus 12).

Thus, God delivered Israel out of both slavery and sickness unto the health and healing needed to get to the promised land. 

So when God in the form of Jesus says to us "do this supper in memory of me" (as a Spiritual sacrifice), he's saying "by faith, remember my faith in choosing by faith to hang and die on a filthy pagan cross, trusting that I would rise, so that you could be forgiven and healed and healthy."

Psalm 105,40 reminds us that his delivered  people still had to ask to be fed, even after they were delivered.

There's is no more respect and honor we can give to anyone than to use his or her name and humbly ask in faith for what we need (John 16,24). So, it doesn't hurt that part of the faith we bring to the table boldly and specifically asks for health and healing.

Why ask specifically at the table?

We sometimes lack focus regarding the repeated things we do in faith, even when it comes to bible commands such as partaking of the Lord's Supper.

Besides, it's not a magic cracker or cookie, or magic brew or elixir, or magic cup, that heals, or some form of talisman like a rabit's foot.

The shalom blessing of the table is Jesus' risen Spirit in the bread and wine calling us to a like precious faith as he had on the cross, when he trusted that his stripes would forgive our sins, and also heal us as well.

His Faith At Cross Is Now Our Challenge Of Faith At The Table

When we come to the table and take his body and blood- are we willing to hang oursleves on his word that both our sins and sicknesses are dealt with?

This is not to say that every "saved" person will be healed of sickness.

We all know of the Apostle Paul who asked three times for the healing of his unknown "thorn in the flesh." He was told each time "that God's grace was sufficient" for him (2Corinthians12,7).

I  think it's fair to say that Paul knew that healing was part of the atonement, and he presumably had the actual faith to be healed and also asked rightly. 

So, while healing is part of the atonement and forgiveness of God, even then it isn't always granted, as anyone attending at the vigil of a dear saint's death knows.

But, it's important nonetheless to know that Jesus didn't just carry our sins to Calvary- he carried our sicknesses too.

One trusts in faith that the fullness of our healing will be received upon the resurrection of our soul and spirits one day reunited with our risen bodies unto eternal life.

Conclusion: There's Healing In The Body And Blood

There's healing in the body and blood of our faith covenant renewal at the Lord's supper.  Yes some may have to wait longer for it than others, and perhaps only God fully understands why.

But it's best that we do our part and bring the fullness of our faith regarding healing to the Lord's table every time we partake, understanding what we are doing and seeking, and all that Jesus accomplished for us by dying on Calvary and rising on the third day.

And if we came with this full faith to the table, there would be many healings here in Jesus NAME.

Go to Home/Preaching Hour TV/On Demmand/ Reviving Lord's Supper for a 10 min. video synopsis

Amen- Br. Tobin

for video of  supper: http://vimeo.com/63572579