Interrupting our series on CommunionFire in Scripture... just had to take an intermission to share this with you...
Camille and I have Communion at the Lord's Table by His invitation almost every day. It has become our primary joy and vocation. Its not something we do as an obligation but it really is that amazing, wonderful, exciting and satisfying! We really look forward to sharing His Table together.
You see having Communion means we encounter JESUS. When we eat the bread that we celebrate as His Body something happens. Our eyes open (while closed) to have our spiritual blindness healed. Somehow while eating the Body our eyes open to recognize His presence. Its not necessarily a glow or fire but wherever it is He chooses to meet us it conveys His warmth and presence. The first thing we encounter is the embrace of His love, kindness and goodness.
Through the veil of our eyelids and the veil of the distractions fighting for attention in our thoughts suddenly all distraction is gone and we become aware of His world. The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink in this life, but His presence, His peace and His joy in the Holy Spirit.
We see JESUS where He is, for who He is, as He is. Sometimes He is in the robes of Nazareth with sandals walking beside us sharing something He has been waiting to share. Many times He meets me on the beach. Usually dressed casually and always joyful and robed in mercy. He is usually smiling and always has something to share with me personally. This is what excites Him. He is waiting for us to share His love, message, touch or presence with us in a way that lets us know it is Him, the bread of life.
Then when we drink the wine that we celebrate as His Blood something else happens. Its like the Body torn apart on the Cross emptied of the life blood mingles with the Blood and He is resurrected inside us. We now understand the words, "It is no longer I that lives, but Christ that lives in me." When drinking the wine our heart pounds with new strength. Our heart is invaded by the Blood of JESUS. His blood in our bloodstream. And the blood 'speaks'. As our hearts pump it triggers the voice of the Lord. The ears deaf to the voice of the Lord are opened and we hear the sweet whisper of His voice by the Holy Spirit. We hear the wind of His presence or we see what He is saying to us like a message on the internet from someone whose voice you know. When you read it you can hear their voice behind it.
Tonight at 6:45 pm we stopped everything we were 'pre-occupied with' and sat down across from each other. We gave thanks and received the bread His Body and then as we ate 'feasted on His presence' He came and shared what was on His heart for each of us. Then we gave thanks and shared His cup to drink the wine His Blood and as we drank our hearts began to pump and the Blood spoke to each of us. This all took about 5 minutes.
Our lives were so charged by His presence (again) that until 9pm we shared what we encountered in CommunionFire. He shares something simple but profound. As we shared He anointed our head (our thoughts) with His oil (presence) and we hade one incredible roller coaster ride as the Holy Spirit directed our conversation from one level of Communion to another. Our hearts and conversation overflowed with His goodness. We were like 2 kids in a candy shop. Look at this! Did you see that? Wow, that means that.... and one thought weaved into another until several glorious pictures came to light. the scriptures jumped from the paper and came alive before us. The glory of God was upon us and we couldn't speak fast enough to describe what we understood, heard and saw.
"The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders their conversation by the Holy Spirit I will reveal the salvation of God!” Psalm 50:23
In the CommunionFire overflow we literally drink from the wells of His salvation. Jesus said, "If you knew who was saying this to you, you would drink and never thirst and out of your belly would flow rivers of living water."
Tomorrow find out what He showed us and what He said to us. You can't make this up. We are not drunk as you might think but we are intoxicated by the presence of the Lord and the new wine pulsing inside our hearts. The same Spirit that raised JESUS from the dead dwells in us and quickens our mortal, physical bodies!
"When He gave thanks and broke the break their eyes were opened and they recognized Him!" If you are blind and deaf maybe its time to stop what you are doing to come and sit at the Table of the Lord and give thanks! It will be an eye opening experience!
Camille and I have Communion at the Lord's Table by His invitation almost every day. It has become our primary joy and vocation. Its not something we do as an obligation but it really is that amazing, wonderful, exciting and satisfying! We really look forward to sharing His Table together.
You see having Communion means we encounter JESUS. When we eat the bread that we celebrate as His Body something happens. Our eyes open (while closed) to have our spiritual blindness healed. Somehow while eating the Body our eyes open to recognize His presence. Its not necessarily a glow or fire but wherever it is He chooses to meet us it conveys His warmth and presence. The first thing we encounter is the embrace of His love, kindness and goodness.
Through the veil of our eyelids and the veil of the distractions fighting for attention in our thoughts suddenly all distraction is gone and we become aware of His world. The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink in this life, but His presence, His peace and His joy in the Holy Spirit.
We see JESUS where He is, for who He is, as He is. Sometimes He is in the robes of Nazareth with sandals walking beside us sharing something He has been waiting to share. Many times He meets me on the beach. Usually dressed casually and always joyful and robed in mercy. He is usually smiling and always has something to share with me personally. This is what excites Him. He is waiting for us to share His love, message, touch or presence with us in a way that lets us know it is Him, the bread of life.
Then when we drink the wine that we celebrate as His Blood something else happens. Its like the Body torn apart on the Cross emptied of the life blood mingles with the Blood and He is resurrected inside us. We now understand the words, "It is no longer I that lives, but Christ that lives in me." When drinking the wine our heart pounds with new strength. Our heart is invaded by the Blood of JESUS. His blood in our bloodstream. And the blood 'speaks'. As our hearts pump it triggers the voice of the Lord. The ears deaf to the voice of the Lord are opened and we hear the sweet whisper of His voice by the Holy Spirit. We hear the wind of His presence or we see what He is saying to us like a message on the internet from someone whose voice you know. When you read it you can hear their voice behind it.
Tonight at 6:45 pm we stopped everything we were 'pre-occupied with' and sat down across from each other. We gave thanks and received the bread His Body and then as we ate 'feasted on His presence' He came and shared what was on His heart for each of us. Then we gave thanks and shared His cup to drink the wine His Blood and as we drank our hearts began to pump and the Blood spoke to each of us. This all took about 5 minutes.
Our lives were so charged by His presence (again) that until 9pm we shared what we encountered in CommunionFire. He shares something simple but profound. As we shared He anointed our head (our thoughts) with His oil (presence) and we hade one incredible roller coaster ride as the Holy Spirit directed our conversation from one level of Communion to another. Our hearts and conversation overflowed with His goodness. We were like 2 kids in a candy shop. Look at this! Did you see that? Wow, that means that.... and one thought weaved into another until several glorious pictures came to light. the scriptures jumped from the paper and came alive before us. The glory of God was upon us and we couldn't speak fast enough to describe what we understood, heard and saw.
"The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders their conversation by the Holy Spirit I will reveal the salvation of God!” Psalm 50:23
In the CommunionFire overflow we literally drink from the wells of His salvation. Jesus said, "If you knew who was saying this to you, you would drink and never thirst and out of your belly would flow rivers of living water."
Tomorrow find out what He showed us and what He said to us. You can't make this up. We are not drunk as you might think but we are intoxicated by the presence of the Lord and the new wine pulsing inside our hearts. The same Spirit that raised JESUS from the dead dwells in us and quickens our mortal, physical bodies!
"When He gave thanks and broke the break their eyes were opened and they recognized Him!" If you are blind and deaf maybe its time to stop what you are doing to come and sit at the Table of the Lord and give thanks! It will be an eye opening experience!