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Reach out to Jesus and reach out to one another with His love.
THE HISTORY
Jesus Christ commanded Christians to ob-serve Communion to remember and relate to Him and His sacrificial death for them. Jesus instituted this rite with His disciples at the Passover meal before His death. The early church maintained the observance.
THE SIGNIFICANCE
Communion is commemorative in its use of the bread and the cup (the fruit of the vine) to remember Jesus and His death for our sins, sorrows, sicknesses, poverty, and broken relationships. He said to partake of them in remembrance of Me (1 Cor 11:24). Communion is symbolic in its use of the elements. The bread signifies Jesus' body which is broken for you (1 Cor 11:24). The cup signifies the new covenant in My blood (1 Cor. 11:25). They are tangible reminders of the sacrifice of Jesus, and act as catalysts for releasing our faith to appropriate His salvation and healing in our spirits, souls, bodies, finances, and relationships.
THE PREPARATION
In 1 Corinthians 11 Paul states 4 things to do before taking Communion:
THE FELLOWSHIP
Communion means "fellowship". It is a time for drawing close to Jesus and to each other. We thankfully remember Jesus' sacrifice for us and are drawn into rich fellow-ship with Him: The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? (1Cor 10:16). We also experience a richness of fellowship with each other: For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread (1Cor. 10:17).
THE HEALING
Communion commemorates Jesus' death for our sins and sins' consequences. His death fulfills the Passover sacrifices of Israel. The bread represents Jesus' body, corresponding to the Passover lamb. As the lamb was eaten for physical health, so Jesus' body was beaten for our physical health, for by His stripes [bruises] we are healed (Isa 53:5). Partaking of the bread and looking to Jesus as Healer bring physical healing.
The cup represents Jesus' blood, corresponding to the lamb's blood. As the lamb's blood was shed for spiritual deliverance, so Jesus' blood was shed for our spiritual deliverance through the forgiveness of sins. Partaking of the cup and looking to Jesus as Savior brings spiritual healing.
[Scripture from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982. Thomas Nelson, Inc.]
Reach Out Fellowship
218
Osborne Rd
Albany (Colonie), NY 12205
(Capital District Area)
(518)482-4565
reachoutfellowship@nycap.rr.com
Rev. Dr. Jerry Lynn, Senior Pastor
Rev. Jim Castillo,
Associate Pastor
Rev. Henry Young, Jr., Associate Pastor
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