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1 Corinthians 11:27-28… Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. (NKJV)

We celebrated Holy Communion at our church this past Sunday… Our church body comes together once a month around the Lord’s table, to remember and celebrate what Christ did for us at the cross…

Today I write for all Christians, in hope of educating those who are ignorant of what God teaches us through His Word, the Bible…when it comes time to partake of Holy Communion… Here is a link for scripture written by the apostle Paul, to explain this entire celebration for Christians to remember Christ’s death… http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1cor11%3A23-34&version=NKJV;KJV

Pastor Dan from our church always makes it clear, that only Christians are to partake of Holy Communion… And we as Christians, must, in the our own private prayers to the Lord (1 John 1:9), confess and repent of any sins before Him, before we are found worthy to receive this most sacred statement of our faith… If we are not walking in sweet fellowship with the Lord (Galatians 5:16), we are asked to let the bread and the wine (grape juice) pass on by…

Our state of mind and our spiritual condition must be examined with-in our own hearts and minds…“But let a man examine himself”…to be sure we don’t participate in Communion…“in an unworthy manner”… My friends, we must understand how important it is to be righteous in God’s eyes, before we mock Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, by receiving Holy Communion while living in sins that we have no intention of giving up… This would include living with someone in fornication… (Sex outside of marriage)

The idea that you can say a prayer to the Lord, asking Him to forgive your sin of fornication (or any other sin)…take Communion…and then leave church knowing you will be back to the same sin in the coming days…must be understood for what it really means… You will not only dishonor this sacred ceremony…you will be dishonoring Christ’s body and His shed blood…treating with indifference what Christ has done for you…

The apostle Paul goes on to then pen this, in…1 Corinthians 11:29… For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. (NKJV)

My friends I write today to warn those who never knew how serious it was to be a Christian, who takes Communion in an unworthy manner… The apostle Paul speaks of “judgment to himself”…which is judgment from the Lord to His children who partake in Communion “in an unworthy manner”… This judgment will come in the form of chastisement by the Lord (Hebrews 12:5-11)…

We see the apostle Paul pen this, in…1 Corinthians 11:32… But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. (NKJV)

For those who have violated this sacred ceremony of Communion…the apostle Paul tells us what consequences we might expect, in…1 Corinthians 11:30… For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. (NKJV)

This word “sleep” in the Bible means death… You can see it used in…Matthew 27:52…Acts 7:60…&…2 Peter 3:4… Pretty serious stuff huh ?? God has the right to snuff out your life, if you continue to take communion without turning from your sins… This is why I warn those who never knew how sinful this was…just how important it is to just let the bread and wine pass on by, if you have no intention of repenting of your sins with godly sorrow, and turning from them…

The apostle Paul tells us this, to end his teaching on how to receive Holy Communion, in…1 Corinthians 11:34… But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come. (NKJV)

Basically the apostle Paul is telling us that it would be better to just stay at home, if you’re going to disgrace the celebration of Holy Communion… Why come and partake “in an unworthy manner”, if it means judgment and chastising ??

Partaking of Holy Communion is not something we should be doing “in an unworthy manner”, just because someone next to us will see that we didn’t take Communion, like everyone else… And Communion is not something that is received in a ritualistic manner, just because everyone else is headed up to the altar… You can hide your sins from those around you…but God knows the evil in your heart, and what sins you are placing ahead of the body and blood of Christ…Jeremiah 17:9-10…

If your aren’t sure of all your sins you must ask the Lord to forgive you of, before taking Communion…do as David did, and just ask the Lord… We see this prayer penned by David, who wrote half of the Book of Psalms…

Psalm 139:23-24… Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (KJV)

Heavenly Father, I am ever so thankful for Your Word…which will give all Christians a roadmap of how to best live their lives in a way that will be pleasing in Your sight… I pray Father, that Your Word today, will open the eyes of those who have been found unworthy in the past…when they have come to the Lord’s table for Holy Communion… I pray that lives will be changed by Your living and powerful Word…in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen…

Blessings in Christ, bruce r mills