136 - Correctly Receiving the Holy Communion#
136 - Correctly Receiving the Holy Communion
(JP Text Group - Zhenzhen Compilation)
The topic of sharing is: Correctly Receiving the Holy Communion
1 Corinthians 11:23-27
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25 In 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." 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
Let us first pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you. Today is the day to receive the Holy Communion, a day you want to lead us once again to Jesus Christ. You want to provide for us, and we reflect on what Jesus accomplished for us on the cross. Here we receive your strength and healing, receiving all provisions. You can also sanctify this time, looking solely to you, supplying us once again through your word, ensuring that every brother and sister who seeks you can be filled. Thank you and praise you, we pray in the name of Lord Jesus! Amen.
Greet each other in the name of Jesus, saying, The Holy Communion is a blessing! Both parts are important: first, the Holy Communion is important, and second, the blessing is also important, so the Holy Communion is a blessing!
If you remember this sentence, today’s sermon can be considered complete. This central idea must be kept in mind: the Holy Communion is a tremendous blessing from God to His children! Therefore, the devil is very afraid that we understand the power of the Holy Communion, and he uses various means to blind us, not wanting us to correctly recognize the Holy Communion.
Many people have developed a great fear of the Holy Communion. When I first believed, I heard our pastor say, "The Holy Communion is not something to be taken lightly! You must be careful; if you are not clean enough and take the Holy Communion, you will become weak, get sick, or even die!"
When I heard this, it was truly terrifying. God cannot be approached too closely, especially during the Holy Communion. At that time, it was once a month, and the first week had the Holy Communion; I generally did not go in the first week! Hearing this, isn’t it scary? What if there is a sin I haven’t confessed? Then I would be eating and drinking judgment upon myself, and something would definitely go wrong at home.
At that time, I thought, since the Holy Communion is so terrifying, I might as well not partake. For many years, I did not receive the Holy Communion until I understood its power. I hope you all can understand what the power of the Holy Communion is. Remember, the Holy Communion was personally instituted by the Lord Jesus.
The scripture we just read: For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you.
Isn’t the Holy Communion personally instituted by the Lord Jesus? Let’s think about the first question: Is there a curse in what the Lord Jesus established? What did Jesus bring us while He was on earth? Grace and truth. Did He leave any curses for His children? So why can the Holy Communion become a curse?
As they just mentioned, if your behavior is not good enough, just wait; you will become weak. I was originally quite strong, but after taking the Holy Communion, I became weak. Is this a blessing or a curse? Is it Jesus’ fault? Or did we receive it incorrectly? Therefore, our understanding needs to be updated, right? We need to correctly recognize the Holy Communion.
Once the power of the Holy Communion is unlocked, many people will benefit from it! Because we know we are receiving the body of Jesus Christ, all blessings and power are in Jesus, Amen! This power is so great that once you understand it, the devil has no way to hinder you from receiving blessings in this area. So he will certainly find ways to make you misunderstand the Holy Communion, making you feel it is terrifying and causing you to stay away from it.
Today you are blessed because this mystery will be revealed to everyone. The Bible tells us: Eating the Holy Communion is something that the Lord Jesus personally established on the night He was betrayed, for us, His children. Thank you and praise the Lord! Since it is for His children, it must be good, Amen. Before a Jewish elder passes away, he passes on all the blessings he can think of to his children. Jesus knew He was going to die, and before leaving, He gave us the greatest blessing, which is the Holy Communion! Thank you and praise the Lord! We must understand that this is the blessing that the Lord Jesus personally gave us.
There is a sentence in verse 27: So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
Many people are frightened by this sentence. Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Therefore, one should empty oneself, pour out everything, and then go receive the Holy Communion.
Brothers and sisters, is there anyone in the world who can pour out all the filth inside themselves? You can’t even remember what wrong you did last week! So how can you pour it out clean? What if you can’t pour it out clean? Would you dare to receive it? No one can pour themselves out clean, but many people keep teaching: First, clean yourself out, then go receive it! Crying and feeling miserable, it’s so painful! Lord, why is there so much filth inside me? It’s unbearable!
When receiving, they say: Lord, I am really unworthy to receive, and then they eat! If you are unworthy, why eat? What Jesus gives us, we are worthy to receive. Is it a gift? It is a gift! What is there that you are unworthy of, unless you are a hypocrite?
If I give you a gift, and you say, "I really don’t deserve it," wouldn’t you seem quite hypocritical, saying you are unworthy while reaching out your hand to take it? We shouldn’t be like that. What Jesus gives you, take it, and thank Jesus for giving me all this. Before God, what do we have that we are worthy of? Nothing is worthy. And our God gives freely to you!
So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner...
What does "in an unworthy manner" mean? In the original text, it means not in an appropriate way. What is an inappropriate way? I would like to use scripture to interpret scripture to clarify this passage. We should not listen to what some celebrity says; that doesn’t work in our church. We have emphasized many times to look at what happened in the Corinthian church; it is necessary to understand the background of the early church.
In the early church, the Holy Communion was received every day. First: in the synagogue. Second: in homes, every day. On Sundays, needless to say, there was Holy Communion every Sunday. By the time of the Corinthian church, it had become a common occurrence; every time there was a gathering, there would definitely be Holy Communion. As a result, the Corinthians became a bit indulgent; they no longer found the Holy Communion remarkable and did not understand what great power the Holy Communion could bring them. They did not understand what the Holy Communion meant, so they treated this bread as an ordinary thing!
Let’s read together, 1 Corinthians 11:20-22
20 When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, 21 for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. 22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not!
In the Corinthian church, there was a habit of eating together, just like in our church where there is a place to eat at noon. In fact, the bread eaten during the Holy Communion by the Israelites is the same as the bread they eat daily, both are unleavened bread. One person might enter the church and see so much bread and think, "I haven’t eaten yet," and start eating it. They probably didn’t have bottled water at that time, so they might choke a bit and see wine nearby, thinking it was the same as enjoying at home, and after eating the bread, they would drink the wine, and how much did they drink? They got drunk!
Brothers and sisters, why did he dare to be so reckless? Because he didn’t think it was the body of Jesus, nor the precious blood of Jesus, right? That’s why he acted so recklessly. This is what Paul was addressing before discussing this issue. When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat. If this bread is not set apart as holy, it is just ordinary bread and has no effect.
The Holy Communion does not depend on how much you eat. “Lord, did I not eat enough of the Holy Communion, so I am not healed?”
It’s not about how much you eat; it’s about whether you discern it. Hallelujah! This is what they did not discern about the Holy Communion! So Paul said: Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God? I believe this situation will not happen in our church, Amen.
First, you all know this is the Holy Communion, right? Second, even if you are hungry, this will not fill you up. So you cannot commit this sin. Even if you drink that one bottle of wine, you won’t get drunk. You don’t need to worry about committing the same situation as the Corinthian church. Originally, the church was to hold the Holy Communion, but some people ate it all. Some people drank the cup of the Holy Communion and got drunk. If this happens, will those people face punishment?
If anyone does not discern, then they eat and drink judgment upon themselves; and among you, there are many weak, sick, and many dead.
In this case, there shouldn’t be many people in the Corinthian church regarding the Holy Communion. Paul was giving them an update and correction. When correcting, was this person alive or dead? If dead, there’s no need for correction; there’s no more opportunity. This proves that these people are still alive.
When Paul faced this group of people, he said, "What can I say to you? Can I praise you for this? I cannot praise you!" But did Paul curse them? Always remember the principle; he just said, "Look at what you have done! You make me want to praise you, but I really can’t find a reason to do so in this matter." He simply did not praise them.
Do not treat the Holy Communion as a means to attack others: "Have you confessed all your sins? If not, don’t partake; otherwise, be careful!" Paul, when facing such people, did not say such words; he simply said, I do not praise you! But he never said, "Be careful; you will face a curse for taking the Holy Communion!" So do not add other things to the Bible!
Continuing to look at the scripture: not in an appropriate manner eating the Lord's bread, drinking the Lord's cup. Not receiving the Holy Communion in an appropriate way, the manner is wrong. Treating the Holy Communion as ordinary. So the Corinthians went wrong, and Paul corrected them. He told them to discern this bread, which is the body of Jesus, Amen! How do we explain that?
How do we interpret 1 Corinthians 11:29-30?
29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.
The Bible indeed writes such words, but how do we unlock it? Because people do not understand this passage, they interpret it superficially: You must receive it correctly; if you haven’t confessed all your sins, don’t partake; otherwise, you will become weak, get sick, and some will die! If interpreted this way, the Holy Communion becomes a curse, but the Holy Communion is a blessing!
Remember this phrase: The Holy Communion is a blessing. If interpreted as a curse, it must be a wrong interpretation. How to unlock it? I checked the original text, which mentions: if you do not discern the body of the Lord, meaning you think this is just an ordinary thing with no power, that’s right!
Eating and drinking judgment on themselves in the original text means: you will condemn yourself. How do you condemn yourself? It later mentions, therefore, among you, there are many weak. You are weak, and the Holy Communion has no effect, so the weak remain weak.
For example: When you take the Holy Communion, the pastor tells you: After eating, you will become strong! You say: Just this little piece of bread, how can I become strong? I eat noodles every day and don’t get strong; how can I become strong after eating this little piece? If you despise this bread, will you become strong?
If this person is sick, and the pastor says: Eat, after eating, the body of Jesus can heal you. If he holds this bread and says: What a ridiculous joke! If this can heal, what do we need hospitals for? What do we need doctors for? If he despises this bread, can he be healed? No!
For example, if this person is about to die, a cancer patient, and we tell him, the body of Jesus Christ can heal you! If he holds this bread and says: Impossible! I have tried all the medicines; the doctors have said, my illness is unique in the world! Everyone who had it before has died. Just this thing? Impossible! Will he die?
This is the meaning of this sentence: If there is no discernment, the weak remain weak! The sick remain sick! The dying will still die! But if you correctly discern the body of Jesus Christ, if you receive it, is there power? Remember the woman who had a blood issue for 12 years? She spent all her money on many doctors, and did her illness get better? The Bible says, her condition grew worse. Was she in despair? But this woman said, if I just touch the hem of Jesus’ garment, I will be healed. Did this woman touch the hem of Jesus’ garment? Yes! And she was healed.
Brothers and sisters, when you hold the Holy Communion bread, you are touching Jesus, Hallelujah! Not only do you need to touch Jesus, but you also need to eat it. Compared to the woman with the blood issue for 12 years, you are more blessed than her. She only touched Jesus and was healed; you not only touch but also eat, and the life of Jesus must be in you.
If you understand this, what disease can still reside in you? Once you understand, you will become strong and be healed! Hallelujah! This is what Jesus wants us to understand. We are not like in the past when Jesus was on earth; where is Jesus now? He can be found anywhere, at any place, at any time! Amen! So if the manner is wrong, you will not receive.
There was an aunt who had a tumor on her liver, with an 80% chance of being malignant, and she went to the hospital. A week later, she was scheduled for surgery. She called me and said, "What should I do?" I said: Receive the Holy Communion!
At that time, she was in the hospital and could not go back to partake in the Holy Communion, so her children did the Holy Communion and brought it to the hospital. It was very noticeable; there were two other patients in the hospital with similar conditions. She looked around, pulled out the bread from under the bed, placed it on the bed, and began to mutter to herself. Just then, her husband saw her and asked, "What are you doing?"
She said, "I am receiving the body of Jesus!"
"Are you crazy? If your God is so good, how can you be in this situation?"
When she received such negative comments, she felt very uncomfortable. As long as her ears could hear, she would be disturbed, so she felt very uncomfortable and said: "What should I do?" I said: "Just look at Jesus, don’t look at the people around you, because they don’t understand the Holy Communion and say such words. If they knew and discerned that this is the body of Jesus, they wouldn’t speak carelessly! You have discernment; it’s impossible to say: 'Why are you taking so much bread?' Because you know that this is the body of Jesus Christ!
Receiving the Holy Communion has only one condition: you must believe in Jesus, knowing this is the body of Jesus, and then it will have effect! Amen! What was the conclusion just now? Because they did not discern, there were many weak, sick, and many dead. What if there is discernment? The situation will be different! Amen! Therefore, Paul, in order to solve this problem,
1 Corinthians 11:33-34
33 So then, my brothers, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. 34 If anyone is hungry, they should eat something at home, so that when you meet together, it may not result in judgment. And when I come, I will give further directions.
Was the reason mentioned earlier? Later, Paul provided an answer, saying: If you are really hungry, eat at home first, so you do not come to church starving and treat the Holy Communion as ordinary bread, which would not be good.
So that you do not bring judgment upon yourselves. This means you will condemn yourself. You might despise the body of Christ and the blood of Christ. Was it intentional? No! It was due to hunger. It was not a deliberate act of contempt. Paul said: To avoid this problem, eat your fill at home, and then come and discern the Holy Communion, to avoid condemning yourself.
Do not overly mystify the Holy Communion. Many people say the Holy Communion is not something to be taken lightly; only holy people, qualified people can partake. Thus, many restrictions are set, such as: If you haven’t confessed all your sins, don’t partake; if you are a sister and on your period, you are not qualified; because you have too much filth, and you can’t confess it all, don’t partake!
Another type is: Before coming to church, if you had a fight with your family, don’t partake! Just forget what you did a moment ago? How could Jesus possibly let you receive the Holy Communion? Don’t partake! One, two, three, four, five, so many rules, people can’t partake. Brothers and sisters, I want to ask: Did Jesus set restrictions?
As I said at the beginning, since the Holy Communion is a blessing given to us by the Lord Jesus, does Jesus set restrictions on His blessings? There is only one condition: believe, and He will give it to you! Did Jesus ever say: You have been sick for 38 years; you must fast for 7 days? You have been sick for 12 years; you must fast for at least 4 days. Did He ever say that? No!
The blessings Jesus gives us have no restrictions, but you must receive them by faith. What kind of faith? You must believe that the blessings Jesus gives you have no limits, believe that this is given to you, and that it is the power of Jesus, filled within. Just believe and you can receive. Do not believe what the Bible does not say! Do not add other things!
Do not diminish the power of the Holy Communion, making it powerless. Many people say: Do not overly emphasize the Holy Communion; it is just a ritual. If you treat the Holy Communion merely as a ritual, can you receive? Can you gain strength? Then it becomes a religious ritual! You will gain nothing, which diminishes the power of the Holy Communion. What we need to do is:
Correctly discern the Holy Communion. The Holy Communion is to release our faith. The Holy Communion itself has no power, but when you understand that the Holy Communion represents the Lord Jesus, and the Lord Jesus has power, do not focus on the piece of bread; instead, look through the bread and see Jesus Christ! Whether it is declarations, prayers, the Holy Communion, baptism, or anointing, through these rituals, you must see Jesus Christ. If you cannot see Him, it is all in vain! Eating it is meaningless; it has no effect. Remember, brothers and sisters, these can release faith and give you power! This is the first point we share: Receiving the Holy Communion in a proper manner.
The second point, The Holy Communion is to remember the Lord Jesus.
Let’s read verses 23-24 together.
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."
Tell the person next to you, the Holy Communion is to remember the Lord Jesus!
The last half of verse 25, This cup is the new covenant in my blood; whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.
It is to remember the Lord Jesus; the focus of the Holy Communion is the Lord Jesus!
To remember the death of the Lord Jesus, until when should the Holy Communion be held? Until the return of Jesus Christ. We are to remember the death of Jesus; the Holy Communion is to remember the Lord Jesus and what He did for us on the cross, Amen. On the night He was betrayed, did He say this bread refers to His body? Does this cup refer to His blood? When His body was hung on the cross, this was officially accomplished, Amen! This is what He did for us on the cross!
First, let’s look at a scripture: Let’s read Isaiah 53:5, But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds, we are healed.
This is in the second person; let’s change it to the first person, replacing "we" with "I" and "he" with "Lord Jesus." I will read it again: But Lord Jesus was pierced for my transgressions, he was crushed for my iniquities; the punishment that brought me peace was on him, and by his wounds, I am healed.
The Bible should be read this way; it brings you before the cross of Jesus, making you remember what He did for you on the cross. If you say this is the Old Testament, that’s fine; let’s read another scripture.
1 Peter 2:24, He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds, you have been healed.
Let’s change it again, replacing "he" with "Lord Jesus" and "you" with "I," and read it again: Lord Jesus bore my sins in his body on the cross, so that I might die to sins and live for righteousness; by Lord Jesus’ wounds, I have been healed. Amen!
The Old Testament uses a future tense, while the New Testament uses a perfect tense. Do you see the difference? By His wounds, you are healed; this matter has not yet been accomplished, right? But in 1 Peter, this matter has already been accomplished. 2000 years ago, He was already hung on the cross. Why was Jesus hung on the cross? To bear my sins!
When Jesus bore our sins, first, you must know that sin has already died in us. Do not say ambiguous things; it has not died completely! There is no such thing as someone who has not completely died! It is either dead or alive; how can there be someone who is not completely dead?
You can ask a doctor; he cannot make that conclusion! You say: Doctor, has this person died completely? The doctor would say: Not yet; wait a moment. The doctor can only say: Based on our judgment, he is still alive, or he has already died! Can a doctor say: Just wait a moment; he will die completely soon?
When Jesus was hung on the cross, he personally bore your sins, and then you have already died to sin.
Where do you live? The righteousness of Christ is upon you, Amen! When Jesus was whipped, you were healed! Hallelujah! So when we partake in the Holy Communion, it is also a form of power.
To this day, Jews do not understand why they have to cut a few slits in the bread during the Holy Communion, why they have to poke a few holes in the bread with a sharp tool (like a toothpick). This all symbolizes our Lord Jesus! Jesus was crushed and beaten for us. When you knead the dough, do you use force to press it down? Just like the Lord Jesus, He was crushed completely and then made into bread.
Made into bread, placed on the pan, and baked; this is a picture of Jesus on the cross, brothers and sisters. Have you seen "The Passion of the Christ"? Jesus was hung on the cross, and the sun was scorching, baking the Lord Jesus, and God’s fierce anger fell upon Him.
So when you make the Holy Communion bread, think in your heart, this is the Lord Jesus bearing my sins on the cross! His body was torn, whipped; why was He whipped? So that I could be healed. Was His body pierced? The soldiers pierced His body. When you see the marks on this bread, those are the wounds Jesus received, the wounds He suffered, all for you to be healed! When the fire is turned off, this bread also represents being baked and ready to eat!
Jesus Christ on the cross bore all our sins, absorbing all of God’s anger, taking all of God’s fierce wrath upon Himself for us! Amen! When you think of this image, know that Jesus was whipped; your sins are already gone. Jesus was whipped; all the diseases inside you have been taken away. Jesus was whipped, and your sickness was taken away, Hallelujah!
So when this image appears in your mind, every time you partake in the Holy Communion, you must think of this point, Amen! So when you turn off the fire, all of God’s anger fell upon Jesus; He bore all the curses for us, Amen. When you turn off the fire and take the bread, you must break it; Jesus’ body was broken, becoming a blessing for millions. Brothers and sisters, how can the Holy Communion be interpreted as a curse? Jesus Himself is grace and truth! Amen! So when you receive, you are receiving real grace and truth!
Let’s look at another scripture, Galatians 3:13, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law.
Since Christ bore the curse for us, is sickness a curse? Is death a curse? Is aging a curse? Is despair a curse? All of these are, but Jesus has already borne the curse for you on the cross, and then it says, to redeem us.
What does it mean to redeem? You were originally under the law; He successfully and legally bought you out from under the law, paying the price, Amen! He redeemed us from the curse of the law! Because it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.
Jesus hung on a tree for us to bear your curse. To separate it, first is the bread, for your body to be healed, accepting what Jesus did for us on the cross, receiving this bread, you can receive healing.
After supper, he took the cup and said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me."
We just talked about the bread; now let’s talk about the cup of Jesus. What does the blood of Jesus bring us? Since we just said that sickness is to let you be healed, what about the blood? Such scriptures are truthful and real.
Matthew 26:27-28
Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."
Many people say: "Lord, I am really unworthy to receive your precious blood! I have sins; I am the chief of sinners! How can I receive your holy blood?" His blood was shed for the washing away of sins! If you have dirt on you, taking a shower will solve the problem.
In today’s rapidly developing economy, most people do not suffer from physical diseases but from psychological issues. There are more and more distorted people; their hearts have twisted, and their behaviors change. People are under various pressures, leading to depression, insomnia, forgetfulness, and restlessness, which are becoming more common. How to solve this problem? This is a psychological issue; it requires a heart remedy. This is what we call the spiritual sickness that needs to be healed by the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, this is my blood of the covenant.
When you lift the cup, do not say: "Lord, I have sins." Who are we remembering? Do not remember anything other than Jesus; just remember Jesus. Lift this cup and remember the Lord Jesus! This is the covenant blood that Jesus shed for me; Jesus made a new covenant with you! You know that through this covenant, your sins are forgiven! It is not because you knelt for a long time that you are forgiven; it is because His blood was shed that you are forgiven!
Knowing your sins are forgiven brings us what? You can receive healing. Many people have psychological issues that cannot be forgiven; they are unwilling to let go, unwilling to forgive, and unwilling to release. The sickness remains on them, and only they know. If they know that Jesus has forgiven all their sins, their hearts will be filled with the peace of Jesus, and the problem will be solved, and their faith will grow.
In Matthew 9, while Jesus was preaching, there was a paralyzed man. His friends lowered him through the roof to Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."
He wanted healing, but Jesus said, "Your sins are forgiven!" Brothers and sisters, everyone who believes in Jesus knows our sins are forgiven, and we have faith to receive the grace, power, and healing given freely by Jesus Christ. So in verse 6, Jesus said, "Get up, take your mat and go home."
Telling a paralyzed man to take his mat and go home is quite difficult. But Jesus said, "Your sins are forgiven; I have forgiven your sins, so do not think about sin; think about what I said to you." Jesus told me to take my mat and go home! Take your mat and go home! Take your mat and go home! And then he took his mat and went home!
Brothers and sisters, miracles happen just like that. In the past, that person thought, "I am paralyzed; I am paralyzed; I cannot get up and walk. Someone must carry me to Jesus." These are all condemning thoughts. But Jesus said to him, "Your sins are forgiven! Get up and take your mat and go home." He kept thinking about what Jesus said to him!
So brothers and sisters, let the words of Jesus fill your heart often, and you will see miracles, Amen! I hope brothers and sisters will often place God’s words in your hearts and meditate on them repeatedly, Amen! Just like this paralyzed man, he lay there and heard Jesus say: "Take your mat and go home," and he thought, "Take my mat and go home," and it really came to pass. Because the words of Jesus have authority!
In Luke 7, Jesus said to that woman: "Your sins are forgiven." While everyone around said this woman is a sinner, they all knew what she had done and that her behavior was filthy. Only Jesus said, "Your sins are forgiven." So whose words should this woman believe? The words of Jesus!
I want to tell everyone through the Bible: Focus your gaze solely on the words of Jesus. When Jesus says: "You are loved by me," remember this phrase. In any place, in any environment, say to yourself, "I am loved by Jesus." Just like this woman, while everyone around said: "You sinner! You shameless woman!" She did not listen to all this; she only listened to what Jesus said to her: "Your sins are forgiven!"
From then on, this woman will live a different life. This phrase often remained in her heart: Jesus told me, "Your sins are forgiven." Today, Jesus also tells you, because of His blood shed, your sins are forgiven, and you are justified by faith; you will inherit the blessings of the righteous.
Do not say that God will be angry with you. Let’s look at a scripture, Romans 5:8-9,
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
There is a word here: "now."
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!
Brothers and sisters, under the New Covenant, because of the blood of Jesus, God is no longer angry with you; He wants to give you the blessings of the righteous, Amen! You have the life of Jesus within you!
Let’s look at John 6:53, Jesus said, "Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you."
This scripture refers to the Holy Communion. It does not mean we divide Jesus into pieces and eat Him; it refers to the Holy Communion, Amen! You are receiving the flesh of Jesus and the blood of Jesus here, and then the life of Jesus begins to happen in you. Is the life of Jesus strong or weak? Compared to cancer, whose life is stronger?
Let me give you a picture. Think about it: a cancer patient all day long, moaning and groaning, what is he thinking? "I am going to die; the doctor said so; everyone around me said so; my complexion is getting worse." If you were to come to this scene today, I would tell you that when you receive the Holy Communion, the life of Christ is now entering you. Although the bread is small, do not forget, the life is incredibly powerful, Amen!
When you receive the Holy Communion, know that when you eat it, the life of Jesus is inside you, and when it encounters cancer cells, it will chew them up and eliminate them. Who is more powerful? Jesus! The life of Jesus is in you; every cancer cell must be completely eliminated by Jesus!
Doctors should understand this, right? We have immunity in our bodies, which fights against bad cells, one by one. Today, the life of Jesus enters me through the Holy Communion. The excess in life (losing weight is the same) will be chewed up and eliminated by Jesus, Hallelujah! Through His body, you are made strong! Through His cup, through His precious blood, you are filled with peace.
When I tell you this, Jesus is in you, and your life begins to turn around; you will be at peace, no longer believing what the doctor says, no longer believing what your friends say. What you believe is that the life of Jesus is in me, and He is already changing me. Hallelujah!
So 1 Corinthians 11:28 says, Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.
You should examine yourself, examine in what aspect you need Jesus’ salvation: in your body? Or in your heart? Through the Holy Communion, do not think about yourself; think: "Lord Jesus, I need you here in my body, so help me. I know that through the Holy Communion, I can be renewed!"
This is what we need to examine. Focus your attention solely on Jesus and what He did for you on the cross. You need to meditate on where you need Jesus to save you, where you need Jesus to renew you. Focus entirely on what Jesus has done. Then receive all this.
You say, "Lord, my temper is terrible; change me through Lord Jesus, Hallelujah!" He can not only change your body but also renew your inner life. For example, bad tempers and various issues can all be changed, Hallelujah! As long as you believe.
In what aspect do you need Jesus? Financially? In family matters? In health? No matter which aspect, meditate on the power of Jesus, the authority He possesses, all authority in heaven and on earth is in Jesus’ hands. Hand your problems over to Jesus, and through His body and His precious blood, He will renew you entirely, Hallelujah!
Let’s pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise you. Thank you for giving us the time to correctly understand the Holy Communion. The Holy Communion is a tremendous blessing from the Father to His children. Lord Jesus, renew me personally. Because of your shed blood, I have been justified. I have received your life. My life will be changed. Through receiving the Holy Communion, receiving your healing, my worries and unrest will be washed clean by your precious blood, and I can be renewed before Jesus. A brand new me, because Jesus has renewed me, your life is in me, renewing me day by day. For this, I thank you! In the name of Lord Jesus, I pray! Amen!