Sacrifice and Communion

Sacrifice and Communion

6/12/20

Have you ever given thought how these two vital Truths about God and humans share a vital relationship that proves an eternal consistence about life?  For quite some time now, some ministries have forgotten the importance of the Old Testament and how Christians cannot define our relationship with God unless we study and apply these informational concepts about God.  Yes, the languages of both Testaments are different but each has its own stressors that point to a single option and since they do how is it that we justify that one can be used or accepted and the other outdated and therefore rejected?  It is gross negligence on our parts when we do not or cannot see the links these two words (practices) have with each other, for if we do not see this connection then it is no wonder we question who God is and why He does not appear to be around when tough times arise.  We can still change this Truth about these concepts before things run away with us and understanding and living under these concepts is a must if we are to survive spiritually.

A quick example before I proceed and this example is of a personal nature and one that occurred recently as well.  A few weeks ago our youngest daughter moved out into her new house and since she was the last of the girls to leave it freed up a room to which I could have a real office again.  I am still in the process of moving my things from the den to my office and being the type of personality I am along with the medical training I have, there are a few things that I must have in place at all times so my mind and heart can be peace.  One of these pieces of peace is that I have my Bible open at all times, on my TV tray right in front of the desk I currently have in the den.  It may seem a tad unexciting, but as I have begun this process of moving I had placed my Bible into the new office for a day and night or two.  I became uneasy and restless for some reason and I could not put my finger on the reason why.  Then it dawned on me, my Bible was not where it was supposed to be for I had not officially moved yet.  Yes, my Bible was still fully open and it was on my new desk, but it was not where it had always been and when I realized this I placed it back on the TV tray and I was at peace again.  What is the point?  The point is that when God’s Word is not fully in place and in its rightful place (your heart) the separation of this eternal completion cannot live according to how it was designed to function.

Matthew 5:17

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfill.”

One of the questions I had during my youthful years is why the Old Testament talked so much about the process and procedure of sacrifice yet, the exact performance of the process and procedure of communion was not described in such detail in the New Testament.  This thinking of mine over time became overshadowed with the truth for as I continued my studying and learning about the Bible it steadily became clear to me that both Testaments talked about the same thing, a relationship with God.  As I look back and then study those passages again, I cannot help but realize just how much I was missing when I did not see that both conditions demonstrated the exact same thing.  Furthermore, since my eyes did not see it meant that my spiritual eyes did not see, to begin with which made it almost impossible for my physical mind to understand as well.  Which brings me to the point where God wants to deal with us about and that is the importance of both Testament concepts that link our definitions in God together and a definition that if we do not know about or agree with then we can be in for a long haul when times become tough, simply because our foundation and direction shall be jaded. 

This topic may seem a bit trivial or even a given to some but evidently, it is one that needs to be addressed because it has been heavy on my heart for a while now.  All of us are experiencing unusual times in our lives and it seems like as each new sunrise occurs, another crisis or upheaval occurs.  As many of us know, when this continued type of personal, local, or national turmoil shows it tensions within our atmosphere become visible.  What seems like a given to those who have been grounded in the Word for decades to be simple, may not be so clear to others who are just now receiving Christ as their Savior or to those who have doubts about God and His Word or even those who do not know Him at all.  It is this back to basics teaching and understanding that we need to ensure we first understand and grasp firmly enough to teach others when they ask; and yes, they will eventually ask.  Shamefully, the Church has done a fairly decent job in eviscerating these two Truths (sacrifice and communion) into two entities and effectively rendering the Word of God null and void, most without even knowing what they have done.

Not too long ago, God gave us the topic of sacrifice in the Old Testament and how the children of Israel used this sacred practice as a means of ritualistic religious ceremonies instead of the true meaning of what God intended Sacrifice to mean and represent.  God’s point was that we need to make sure each and every day that our lives represent a living Sacrifice to the One that has the authority to see His Son’s blood and not the blood of our physical and spiritual wickedness.  It is easy for us to criticize the children of Israel for their misdeeds and to sell them short as ancient figures that should have known better or they received everything they got because of their self-adherence to their selfish ways.  Many ancient Hebrew texts refer to their founding through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and this is a correct foundation to draw from; however, what God spoke to Abraham about that evening in a dream continues to pertain to us today yet many of us also continue to miss what God says about completion and holiness.

There is no question that Adam and Eve had the first covering given to them, and when Adam fell that covering was then represented in a whole different way, Covenant through Sacrifice.  Abram comes along and God expands His Covenant with humanity and in the dream that God gave Abram specific details of exactly what would occur to those who violated said Covenant established by God with humanity was given.  Many perceive that this renewal and expansion of Sacrifice surfaced as God’s way of bringing His Law onto our heads and to hold us in check because He expects us to do wrong. Wrong!!  God places His Covenant into our lives as a means of separation from the wickedness and death laws of the world and the process of Sacrifice is the acknowledgment that we fully understand and humbly accept this Truth.  Ask yourself this question: why would God set into motion anything that would hinder you or your life for any reason?  God cannot hinder you from doing anything, He shall do His best to keep you from harm or harming yourself in worldly terms, but it is always up to you to understand and then live with God and His Ways.  Further in the Old Testament, we see that Israel chose to dismantle this unity with God through her own actions, their nation was never the same again; a pattern that Adam and Eve found out long before the nation of Israel did.  The patterns of the world and the Ways of God have not changed, nor shall they either but your choice can.

One of the most beautiful things about God’s Word is that both Testaments complement each other specifically.  Once again, this Truth about God cannot be recognized or understood unless we believe in both Testaments and that both Testaments represent the definition of God.  God is a complete God on all levels and this means that His Word is complete as well which brings into context Communion and how it directly defines Sacrifice and how Sacrifice directly defines Communion.  Also, it brings into light just how selfish we have become in order to divide the Testaments into two halves instead of One Testimony, a key player in the downfall of the Church.  Just as Christians cannot honestly define us without Judaism, so does Communion cannot define Itself without Sacrifice.  It is this principle that was meant when Jesus said the He did not come to destroy the law or the prophets but to fulfill the law.  Fulfilling something does not mean that it can be done haphazardly, it must be studied and known before issues can be addressed.  God does not do or complete things half-way, He always completes them fully that is His definition.

Jesus demonstrates Communion during Passover and He shares His last Passover on earth with His disciples.  This was a procedure that meant everything to Jesus and it should mean everything to those who love God and are a witness to the eternal Testimony to His Son as their Savior.  All my life, I have been involved in countless Communion services, during regular church services, weddings, both religious and secular holiday celebrations, and at family dinners or other occasions.  It does not matter when or where I have always counted it a privilege to take Communion and to reflect on how it relates to my relationship with God, both in the good times and bad times of this relationship; a note here, the bad times come from my selfishness and the world and NEVER from God.  However, I can say for certain that not all others feel and treat Communion the exact way as I, and to be honest, if this statement from me were not true the condition of the world would be totally different and honestly so would the Church.  To be in accordance with the Bible and the definition of God, both Sacrifice and Communion must be linked together as one, you cannot have one without the other.  God’s entire mission for our existence is for us to live with Him in perfection for eternity.  We blew this easy opportunity a long time ago, but God did not leave us or forsake us, instead, He provided a way out from our troubles and it is a relationship with Him, through Sacrifice and Communion.

We see that Communion is no different than the old practice of Sacrifice in the Old Testament and once and for all proves that if the Old Testament is tied together with the highest act of relationship with God that the remaining words of both Testaments are related to one another and eternally tied together as One.  This means that in order for us to understand the mission of Christ, we must understand the reasoning and means from the Old Testament.  So, why do we not teach both Testaments as one unified message, Church?  Why is it such a major problem to sink our hearts into the wisdom and knowledge of the prophets and Jesus Christ?  Don’t you see that when we only pick and choose certain verses or Scripture that provide our egos with the satisfaction and justification of how we live can only provide us with a lie and certain eternal death?  It does not matter if you feel good about the specific passages you cling to in order for you to sit in a certain denominational building with other “like-minded” individuals.  Shame on you (us, you and I) Church!!  I have witnessed more “life” in a funeral service than in some Communion services in my lifetime, Communion should never be a time of mundane, routine, or simple ceremony but one of emotional thanksgiving and heartfelt gratitude for God’s provisions of eternal life.

You are not preaching the Gospel and going into the world with the good news of Jesus and His Salvation, you are bastardizing the Truth into a human truth and a feel-good message that only increases your physical pocketbooks.  This is NOT the message that Christ told us to teach and to preach, death and eternal death is real and it is eternal separation from God and everything that is good.  Game playing time is over and if you have not noticed, this nation is crumbling right in front of our eyes and when she is thinks her demise is over and recovery is nigh, the fun then begins and it is not the kind of fun one wants to witness.  Our petty differences with the Word of God are over, get back to preaching the Gospel as it was meant to be completed.  We are in an eternal and spiritual fight which means our fight is not in physical terms and we should not concentrate on such limited methods.  As long as we do not take the Word of God completely and wholly there shall be no holiness in our lives or in our paths, and that is not the streets that God told us to pave.  In no way should we receive Communion in such a fashion of complacency, it should always be one of humility and true heartfelt devotion with its eternal message first and foremost in our hearts.  When we place God first in all areas of our lives, these two acts of worship to God shall become the most important daily symbols we can live by, through, and under and because we view these acts according to how our hearts believe, then our projections to the world shall reflect just beliefs as well.

I do not know how much time this nation has to survive in its current form, but I can tell you one thing and it should shake you to your core.  The current form of worldly “repentance” says for us to get on our knees and beg forgiveness to another human being, this is not even close to what we need to do.  You can say your penances to countless people but if our hearts do not change and turn back to God nothing shall ever change, but only continue to increase in its worldly devices.  The Word of God does not say that every knee shall bow to humans, it says that every knee shall bow to God and that means that even though you choose to ignore God and His Ways, you shall one day confess to your entire existence that He is Lord of All.  There shall be people on this day that have been raised in church all their lives but did not even know one thing about God and His Ways, if only they had understood the connection between Sacrifice and Communion.  Will you change this lack of understanding, Church?  It shall truly change your life and set our feet on the True path of righteousness and it shall invigorate us to once again teach the lost around the world that Jesus Loves them.

DLB