These last two months we have discussed bread and wine. The Lord revealed that His heart has been to bridge the divide between us through His Son Jesus, the true Bread from heaven as we read in John 6:32. We reflected on the heart of God who was not looking only for sacrifices and spilt blood, but rather a heart that was contrite and inclined to be near to God, as the heart that was ascribed to David.
The implementation of sacrifices was the method of cleansing for the children of Israel; an imperfect practice that became a stumbling block to them, similar to the same stumbling block they would encounter when the perfect Lamb of God came to be the perfect sacrifice and reconcile them back to a Holy God.
Hebrews 7:27b-28
He [met all the requirements and] did this once for all when He offered up Himself [as a willing sacrifice]. For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak [frail, sinful, dying men], but the word of the oath [of God], which came after [the institution of] the Law, permanently appoints [as priest] a Son who has been made perfect forever.
The practice of sacrifice became something they could control, manipulate and even make a profit from. They became self-sufficient and did not need nor desire the Bread of His presence to satisfy them as was discussed in January’s blog. They wouldn’t turn to look upon the One who was longing to be near to them. So, when Jesus came incarnate, they could not recognize Him because they had not spent time with Him.
In Genesis 14:18-20 we see a new order of priesthood coming, very much like how we discussed in February’s blog that David’s tent was a new wineskin. Both were a foreshadow of how Jesus would fulfill these stations. In verse 18, we read that Melchizedek, King of Salem, brought out bread and wine and blessed Abram. In February’s blog I shared how wine represented blessing. In this new order priesthood, bread and wine are brought out together in what is presently known as “Communion.” Christ has been appointed as a Priest forever, irrevocably and without regret by the oath of God as described in Hebrews 7. This new order is available to us by His own body now broken for us. He is the Bread which has come from the Father. From His very presence, we get to drink the new wine of His blessing; namely the promised Holy Spirit as foretold to us in Joel 2 and Joel 3.
Joel 3:17-18
Then you will know and understand fully that I am the Lord your God…And in that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine and the hills will flow with milk…
Reflection Time:
Have you ever found yourself running through the motions day after day and week after week doing the same thing in and out? You get into this pattern of self-sufficiency and before you know, it has been weeks since you spent any time with God. Sure, you attended church on Sunday, but did you hear from God? Did you speak to Him? In moments like these, or when it is time to make a big decision, can you trust that you will know what God’s will is if you haven’t spent time with Him? Have you been making decisions on your own without consulting Him? We can determine from Genesis 14:18 is that, there is no blessing without His presence.
We need the Bread and the Wine. We need Communion.
There was a time when I had been pretty involved in prayer, nighttime prayer in particular. I was an intercessor. I had been doing this for years and when I stepped back from doing this full time, I began to have a prayerless life. I was living off old bread. You could say I still had anointing and I was still serving God but I was living on old bread. I began to make presumptions about steps I should be taking in my life and doing ministry without a personal prayer life and without spending much time with the Lord either in prayer or His word... I was living off old bread. I was not in daily communion with Him, and I did not know what His will was for me in that season, because I had not been going to Him to seek His face and direction.
I was looking for a part-time job and decided to apply as a Prayer Partner for a renowned TV ministry, thinking to myself “I know how to pray.” I took the 3am to 6am shift because I said to myself “I know how to pray in the night.” Something unexpected happened as I was beginning to take calls for this ministry. The elements of darkness I was familiar with from prayer years before, were still here and I succumbed to their offensive tactics. One particular call was so offensive that I became offended in my heart and I didn’t even know it. This one event began to unravel a number of offenses that I was carrying completely unbeknownst to me because I was not in communion with God. I was not in the cleansing fire of His presence to purge me from my pride and self-sufficiency. I entered into a few months of a very strong attack and God had to be my shelter from the assault. Ultimately, I had to humble myself and repent from my pride and the sin of prayerlessness. I needed His broken body and poured out blood to cleanse me and wash the ickiness of the onslaught of the enemy. I needed a fresh baptism of Holy Spirit wine to bless me and rekindle my heart to the sensitivity of hearing His voice and being in His presence. I needed Communion. I needed the Bread from Heaven and the blessing of His presence to come and make me new. This season was a turning point in my life. The moment I turned to Him; He began to implement the plans He had for me. I had not been listening to Him because I was trying to make money and worrying about other things than listening to Him speak His direction for my life.
When I came into communion with Him and broke free from the pattern and routine of nominal Christianity and prayerless, a direction for prayer and intercession was initiated by Him and there was a grace to enter in. As I shared in February, it was the posture of my heart that God was looking at, it didn’t matter that I was “praying” for this big ministry. The reality was I was far from God. In January’s blog I wrote “There is nothing that can satisfy like Jesus; Religious tradition, rituals and empty vain repetitions cannot fulfill what Jesus alone can fill.” In my experience that I shared, I was praying for people from 3am-6am which was a good thing. However, it was from a spirit of religion rooted in self-sufficiency. When I postured myself in humility like David in Psalm 51 and asked God to create in me a clean heart, He was faithful to bless me with His nearness.
Take These Communion Action Steps:
Prepare some bread and wine and set apart some time for reflection with Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Examine your heart and ask the Holy Spirit to highlight any areas of self-sufficiency.
Confess to Father if you have been far from Him.
Confess your self-sufficiency as sin and tell Him how much you need His nearness.
Tell Him you want to be satisfied with His presence.
Ask Him to pour out the wine of blessing upon your heart and to refresh you.
If you have been cultivating communion with Him, ask Him to take you to a new level of worship and a new level of understanding Him. Ask Him to give you the depth of knowing and understanding fully that He is the Lord your God according to Joel 3:17-18, that the sweet wine and milk of blessing would flow in your life.
Let's Pray:
Father, I thank You for every new day we have with You; to know You and fully acknowledge You as Lord and God of our lives. I thank You for awakening hunger and a desire to be in Your presence, eating from You daily and drinking from the Wine of Your Spirit without limitations. Remove any hindrances. Wash me and establish Your plans in my life. If I have been walking apart from You and making decisions in my own understanding, turn me back and set me on the right course.
In Jesus' name, Amen.