8.27.2014

Not Hungry For Dogmas Or Symbols But Real- Blessed- Food And Drink 

"But one of the soldiers thrust a lance into his side, and at once [supernaturally] there was a flow of blood and water."  John 19,34

"As we have worn the likeness of the man made of dust, so shall we shall wear the likeness of the heavenly man. 50 What I mean, my friends, is this: flesh and blood can never possess the kingdom of God, the perishable cannot possess the imperishable."   1Corinthians15,49-50.

These "Table of The Lord Meditations" are testing my faith to fully accept their biblical and Spiritual basis.

They are also stretching my mind and spirit in a way that hopefully will help any folks hungering for more from their weekly worship.

Perhaps, some of you think them mere folly.

You are welcome to your opinions, or any non biblical dogmas and symbols to which you subscribe.

The word says we bless the bread, that is, we consecrate it. There is no need to "transubstantiate" anything. No need to bless a symbol either because a blessed symbol is no more or less a symbol with or without a blessing. But 1Corinthians10,16 says "the cup we bless", actually bless, for a consecration, so that we too, like the church at Corinth and like Israel in the desert, will be fed real food and real drink (1Corinthians10,3-4).

So, once we bless the bread and wine, once we see that we are beyond just memories of Calvary, once we notice that this whole supper leads  to an actual Supernatural communion by faithfully partaking of his [risen] body and his [risen] blood (1Corinthians10,16), once we realize that we are offering a memorial offering of faith to which Jesus actually responds, we're well be well on our way to understanding, and then doing, a faithful Spiritual sacrifice!

We're exercising our universal priesthood in Jesus' Name (1Peter2,5,9), praise God, a priesthood that enjoys Jesus' ordination of Holy Ghost baptism! (Not any ordination pursuant to the biblically recognized offices of Ephesians 4,10-12, which do not inlcude priesthood.)

The word says Paul's preaching the gospel to the gentiles was such a Spiritual sacrifice, his priestly, or sacrificial service. Cornelius' almsgiving and charity on behalf of the Jews rose up to God as a memorial offering for which he was further blessed (Acts 10,4). Offering our bodies as a living sacrifcie is such a Spiritual sacrifice.

In exchange for our memorial offering at the table, Jesus fulfills his prophecy at the last supper, whereby he provides his future risen and Spiritual body and blood, to be received in faith when we "do this", this being a faithful memorial offering.

"This" is a real faith challenge.

But I sense that folks today, knowing we are born again, re-made in the Spiritual image and likeness of God (cf Genesis1,26), are up for a challenge regarding the Lord's Supper. We know that there's something about the Lord's supper that has been left on the altar of dogmas, and the hidden little sanctuary tables bearing "symbols."

This supper challenges us to be both a bible-based and a Spiritual people.

As 1Corinthians 2,14-16 puts it "An unspiritual person refuses what belongs to the Spirit of God; it is folly to him; he cannot grasp it, because it needs to be judged in the light of the Spirit. 15 But a spiritual person can judge the worth of everything, yet is not himself  subject to judgment by others. 16 Scripture indeed asks, 'Who can know the mind of the Lord or be his counsellor?' Yet we possess the mind of Christ."  

We can do this.

Our launch scripture today is Hebrews 7,25 whereby we have learned that Jesus superseded the Jerusalem High Priest, and the whole Hebrew Temple Priesthood, in that there is no longer any need for anyone to make physical sacrifices of blood,  because the risen or living Jesus is forever (until judgment anyway) making High priestly intercession. In other words, he lives now to plead on behalf of all sinners in heaven.

The Jerusalem Temple high Priest would sprinkle the blood once a year, on the mercy seat  of the ark, at the Passover. But this intercession-sacrifce had to be done year after year, because an animal's blood and man's intercession weren't enough to satisfy both the justice and mercy of God.

Something better had to be offerred. So, God, who is Spirit, decided to sacrifice and intercede himself (cf JD Link, Jesus Our Sacrifice blanconews.com 8.14.14):

"He saw that there was no one, and was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm brought him victory, and his own rigteousness upheld him." Isaiah59,16

So God, who is Spirit, humbles himself unto sacrificial flesh, the flesh of a lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation13,8b), flesh forever foreordained to in the mind of God to rise in glory (1Peter1,20, John17,5), risen glorified human flesh forever foreordained to intercede in heaven on behalf of sinners (Hebrews7,25). This is the "flesh" that must be eaten for salvation, John6,53, Praise Jesus, somebody is going to have a revelation.

We Christians "plead the blood," when we Intercede for ourselves or others. This is well and good because all true intercession, all true standing in the gap between God and humankind, requires some sort of blood. Calvary was where the physical blood of Jesus was shed. There is no more of the physical blood of Calvary.

But Hebrews 7,25 tells us that the risen Jesus, the Spiritually embodied Jesus, lives forever to intercede for us.

What kind of blood is Jesus using?

There are only two kinds- the physical blood that was washed off him, or his sprinkled or Spiritual blood prophesied at Isaiah 52,13-15, John 6,53, the only blood a heir to the Jews could drink (Leviticus17,14)

What kind of blood?

There should be other scripture verses going off in our heads- "[physical] flesh and [physical] blood cannot enter the kingdom of God, the perishable cannot inherit the imperishable." 1Corinthians15,50

Now dear readers- we read scripture with scripture. Any other scriptures for His "Spiritual blood" at the table before I run us off on a frolic and detour?

Yes. We'll get to it. I promise.

The Roman crucifiction custom was either to break the legs of the poor crucified souls so that they couldn't raise themselves to breath, and thus died faster. Or, if they were likely dead already, they pierced their sides, just to make sure. When they pierced the side of Jesus, God, who is Spirit, had something Spiritual to say by way of a vision to the world, and to the Temple, and to Rome:

"you have killed his physical body, shed his physical blood, but you can never stop His everflowing "blood" and Spirit, that his physical blood purchased and unleashed."

How do we know this? John 19,34-35 testify to a revealing miracle: "Instead [of breaking his legs like the other two crucified, because Jesus was already clearly dead] one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out." 

This is a miracle flow of blood and water. It is a visionary depiction of a supernatural event, a miracle that is still ours today: his supernatural "blood" still flows in the form of his ever washing and cleansing flow of His Spirit.

Out and "up" flowed his shed physical blood.

And once pierced, once dead, out flows a depiction of His Spiritual Blood, His sprinkled blood, the blood prophesied in Isaiah 52,15, the supper blood of John 6,53.

This blood at Isaiah 52,15 and John 19,34 goes beyond the physical blood of Calvary.  John 19,34 is a visionary depiction of what his physical blood purchased, the Supernatural "blood" or Spirit that writes the new law of Christ on our hearts (Hebrews8,10).

Luke 22,20, at the last supper, says "this cup that is poured out for you [a figure of Jesus on Calvary) is the new covenant in my blood."(cf Mark14,24; Matthew26,28)

John 19,34 depicts in a visionary, timeless, prophetic and supernatural way the supernatural promise of Jesus' everflowing Spiritual blood, or water, ie Spirit, what his physical blood purchased, now poured out from heaven.

So, if John 19,34, depicts his everflowing, ever pouring, Spiritual "blood" (or everflowing Spirit). And Luke 22,20 says the blessed supper cup depicts Jesus pouring himself out on behalf of a new covenant, why not agree with Jesus' prophetic word at the supper, and accept his blessing of our Spiritual sacrifice, and know by faith that the bread and wine become his risen Spiritual body and his risen or sprinkled blood?   

The last supper words of Jesus are primarily directed to the post resurrection celebration of the supper, and therefore refer to his risen body, his Spiritual body, with it's risen blood interceding for us in heaven and providing real or Spiritual food and drink here, just as the manna did for Israelites in the desert (1Corinthians10,3-4)

("Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, 'sacrifices and offrings you have not desired, but a [eternal glorious] body you have prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings yuo have taken no pleasure [no ordinary high priest] 7 Then I said, 'See, God, I have come to do your will, O God.' [I'll go to Calvary if I must with the faith of an eternally risen body]")

Just as Hebrews10,5 primarily refers to his risen and now eternal body, a once begotten body that yes was the "lamb slain from the foundation of world" (Revelation13,8b, even though it didn't exist from the foundation of the world, but more importantly, a body destined to the glory Jesus had as God before he became man (cf John17,5).

Furthermore, 1Corinthians15,44 reminds us that we like Jesus have a physical body, a sown on earth body, and a spiritual body, which by faith, will be raised in power after our physical body dies.

When all this from the word is so revealing, what's so hard about beliveing that Jesus in his risen and glorious body honors our faith and our blessing, and then supernaturally blesses the bread and wine?

Risen blood, Spiritual blood, sprinkled blood still sound unbiblical to you? Perhaps you prefer Jesus as the eternal lamb that still has intercessory blood, that he grants us access to by way of the cup at his table.

We all have spiritual bodies, especially the risen Jesus, according to 1Corinthians15,44. Then there's nothing unbiblical about drinking his Spiritual blood at the supper, the same "blood" of John 19,34, the same blood of heavenly intercession at Hebrews7,25, the same blood commanded to be taken as a condiition of eternal life in John 6,53, the same blood, or real drink, of 1Corinthians 10,3-4.

The same "blood" that a risen but slain lamb would have in heaven! Revelation5,6.

The same "blood" as the risen lamb who still takes away the sin of the world.

With it Jesus lives to make intercession for us at the supper.            

These words about the blessed cup at the supper are scriptural words, words that would properly accompany what Jesus called himself, "true bread from heaven." (John6,32)

This all takes faith, and yes it is a challenge, but in it, I sense the biblical revival of the Lord's Supper. All Praise to His Holy Name.

If you or your church would like to learn more about the Lord's supper, and revive it in your church, you are welcome to contact Brother Tobin.

This short video may also be helpful: http://www.vimeo.com/63572579

For a related meditation: http://www.zionpentecostmission.com/table-of-the-lord-meditation-n.-13.html

If you or your church would like coaching as to how to celebrate a revived and biblically based Lord's Supper, please contact us.