The following article is just a brief excerpt of a series taught by Hank Kunneman on the subject of Communion. For a more complete study on this subject please see the One Voice Ministries product catalog.
The importance and revelation concerning Communion, or what is commonly called the Lord’s Supper, is frequently misunderstood, and has often become ceremonial and religious; void of any real power. However, Jesus said, as often as you do this, you show the Lord’s death until He comes (1 Corinthians 11:26). In other words, we commemorate the mighty power of all that Jesus did for us and bring ourselves back into a fresh revelation and remembrance of the benefits of our salvation.
The Communion meal is far more than just a symbolic ritual we do, which often seems to carry nothing more that a solemn facial expression. I believe the Holy Spirit is bringing this truth and its importance back into strong emphasis as it was in the early church. They apparently had a revelation that there was supernatural power surrounding communion. So much so, that we find in Acts 2:42-47, they went from house to house and continued to break bread on a regular basis. I believe these Scriptures refer to far more than just a group of people getting together to eat. I am convinced that they broke bread just as they were taught by Jesus before He went to the cross. The Last Supper it seems was designed to empower the disciples to overcome the challenges they faced as they walked with Jesus during the crucifixion.
I am certain after that event the disciples received a revelation that something supernatural takes place through Communion. I am not advocating the doctrine of Transubstantiation here, but what I am saying is that the Communion meal is more than just symbolism. I believe that communion and water baptism alike were not designed to be just symbolic acts, but something we participate in that is filled with anointing and power. For example, laying hands on the sick or anointing with oil, are far more than symbolic acts. When we lay hands on the sick, we expect supernatural results. Notice in 1 Corinthians 11:24, that Jesus used the phrase, “this is my body”. He did not say this represents my body. I believe that is because He was trying to show us that when we receive the Lord’s Supper, we are to receive Him by faith—not just some bread and wine, but rather His body and His blood! In receiving the Lord’s Supper, we are in fact receiving the very anointing of the Lord.
Notice also in Acts 2:42-47, that these early Christians were ordinary people and the Bible didn’t put any stipulations on how often they were “allowed” to receive the Lord’s Supper, nor was there any indication that the meal had to be administered by the pastor. Actually, Revelation 1:6, says that we, as Christians, are now kings and priests unto our God. If communion has to be given by the pastor or a priest then what about those believers who are serving God in parts of the world where no such person is available? Are they prohibited from receiving the Lord’s Supper? Absolutely not.
God has prepared a table and His table, the Communion Table, is available to us continually. In Psalm 23, we can see that the Lord’s Table was prepared in the presence of our enemies. Just like David, who came to the table, we are to come to the table of the Lord. When we do, Psalm 23 tells us that we will be anointed with fresh oil and the result will be that goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives.
Today, whether Christian or secular, everyone is talking about health and how to preserve your life. Keep in mind, we should take care of our bodies and eat right especially since we are the temple of God. While healthy lifestyles are important, many are ignoring one of the most important ways to bring health and longevity – the Lord’s Table. In John 6, Jesus said that His body is meat indeed and His blood is drink indeed. In other words, it is the most nutritious meal we can take, because it affects us eternally and naturally. When we receive the body and the blood of Jesus, we receive life. The eternal life of God goes in us and affects us in three realms, the spirit, soul and body, 1 Thessalonians 5.
In a day of plagues, diseases and poisons connected to much of what we eat, God has not left us without hope or solution. In 1 Kings 19, death and famine were in the land but it was a meal cake that sustained the life of a widow and a prophet. Notice that it was a meal cake or bread, which I believe, like manna, is a prophetic picture of the communion meal. Otherwise, why didn’t the prophet ask for a piece of fruit? However, that meal cake was full of the power of God and sustained the prophet, the widow and her son for many days thereafter. Communion is the same. When we receive of the Lord’s Table, we bring health, longevity, and wholeness to our lives from a piece of bread, known as the Lord’s Supper. In fact, Psalm 103:5 says that the Lord will satisfy our mouths with good things so that our youth may be renewed like the eagle. I believe that one of the good things He satisfies our mouth with is communion. Communion is the greatest thing you can receive. It will affect you spirit, soul, and body and bring health and longevity to you, just as it did with the widow, the children of Israel (manna) and even how it empowered the early church.
In 2 Kings 4:38-41, there was death in the land and they were about to eat a pot of soup that was full of poison and death. However, the prophet came and cast some meal in the pot. Let’s look at 2 Kings 4:41, according to the Amplified Bible.
But he said, Bring meal [as a symbol of God’s healing power]. And he cast it into the pot and said, Pour it out for the people that they may eat. Then there was no harm in the pot.
Once the prophet put the meal into the pot, death was no more. In much the same way, we are like the pot in 2 Kings. We take in a number of things into ourselves, spiritually, mentally and physically. Sometimes we eat things that may at times be harmful, (often unknowingly) but the communion meal has in it the eternal life of God. When it enters the “pot” of our life, like the meal, it drives out poisons, impurities, sin, sickness and even death—spiritually and naturally speaking. Smith Wigglesworth lived to be 86 years of age and received communion every day. His life was not taken prematurely by the devil. Instead, he laid it down. The Lord’s body and blood is powerful and will sustain your life, bring health and drive out poisons and death from you.
How is this so? In the first Passover of Exodus 12, they ate the lamb which was a type of the Lamb of God, Jesus our Passover, 1 Corinthians 5:7. The blood was sprinkled upon the door posts. The enemy couldn’t touch the family who ate the lamb and sprinkled the blood. It is the same when you eat the body and drink of the blood of the Lamb of God, (John 6) the enemy can’t touch you and will be driven from your life.
Remember how the rod of Aaron swallowed the rod of the enemy in Exodus 7? Jesus, hallelujah, is the Rod that came of the branch of Jesse in Isaiah 11, and when we receive of His body and drink of His blood, you have eternal life and the enemy will be swallowed up. Premature death, sickness, disease, poison and all other works of darkness will not prevail! We overcome the enemy by the Blood of the Lamb by speaking the word of our testimony. What is our testimony? It is the many benefits of the Blood that we trust in and rely upon (Revelation 12:11).
Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11, that people are weak, sick and sleep because they fail to discern the Lord’s body. We can fail to discern the Lord’s body in several ways. First, we fail to do so by living with unrepented sin and still think it is acceptable to take communion. Secondly, we fail to discern the Lord’s body by disrespecting and showing little concern for our brothers and sisters in the Lord—for they are His body. However, I want to present to you another way we often fail to discern His body that perhaps you did not consider. We also fail to discern the body of the Lord because we treat it as something symbolic rather than have faith in His healing, delivering power that is present every time we receive His supper. We fail to discern that there is power and anointing present so we never activate our faith and therefore the blessings available pass us by. We then find ourselves living far below the covenant blessings promised to us in the Word of God. For this reason many miss out and even some die before their time. Start today and receive the Lord’s body and blood that you may be in health and live to a good old age. As you come to His table, goodness and mercy shall surely follow you all the days of your life!