True Communion [circa 2022] (Part 1) | Ep. 199

“Eat my flesh and drink my blood.” If you’ve ever read John 6 and thought, "What does that even mean?!" You are not alone. Understanding this phrase Jesus used becomes a doorway into communion, the Word of God, and the kind of spiritual discernment Scripture says we must have if we want to truly understand Jesus’ voice.

We lean into the Bible’s plain contrast between the natural mind and the Spirit-led mind, using 1 Corinthians to explain why spiritual truth can sound like “foolishness” when we try to process it only through human logic. Then we get practical about the daily war between flesh and spirit, pulling from Galatians 5 and Romans 7 to name the struggle, the stumbles, and the hope: God’s hand still reaches out and says, get up. Our reasoning matters, but it has to submit to the supremacy of God’s Word and God’s will.

From there, we build the meaning of communion from the ground up: Deuteronomy 8, manna in the wilderness, and “man shall not live by bread alone.” That foundation leads straight into Jesus as the bread of life, the manifest Word made flesh, and why His shocking language about flesh and blood is calling us to something spiritual, life-giving, and covenant-deep. If you care about Bible study, Christian discipleship, the Lord’s Supper, and learning to hear and obey God’s voice, this is for you. Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Transcript

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A Vision Of Blood And Purpose

Speaker 0:03

The vision received was that of blood cells traveling throughout the body, supplying the much-needed oxygen and other nutrients to the differing members of the body to fulfill their purpose. Once the blood cells are spent, they must return back to the heart to be refilled before being sent out again and fulfill their purpose. A communion. Those words made an impact on me 20 plus years ago and all the while since then. I

Learning To Discern Spiritually

Speaker 1:01

have endeavored and tried, as I've read the word, to not think of it and understand it carnally, but to think and understand it spiritually. I'm realizing that as I grow up in the Lord, that everything that is given to us by revelation from the Spirit of Jesus Christ must be understood spiritually. It must be under discerned is the word spiritually. As opposed to the carnal mind. Or as the scripture says, the natural man. Now that comes straight out of the Bible. That's not just something that Brother Rayford came up with. By the Spirit of God, Paul the apostle said it to the Corinthians. He said, Now we have received not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. It is by the Spirit of God that we understand and can congress the promises of God, but not without the Spirit of God. And these things we also speak in words, not in words of wisdom which man teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth. And we compare the spiritual things with the spiritual things. Because the natural man receiveth not, say it with me, the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. He can't. Every time he tries, they're just foolishness unto him. And neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. That word discerned means they are examined, they are judged, they are understood, they are scrutinized, they are sifted. So when we spiritually discern, we are trying to find out what is the proper understanding of all of these events. What is really being meant when he spoke this word or that word? What is the truth?

The War Between Flesh And Spirit

Speaker 3:16

The problem is that we live in this fallen world, we live in this fallen state, and because we live in this fallen state, there's a constant battle raging between our flesh and our spirit. Paul the Apostle also spoke of this in Galatians chapter 5. He said, This I say then, walk in the spirit in verse 16, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Because the flesh lusteth, fights, wrestles, battles, wars, rages against the spirit, and the spirit likewise against the flesh. They are contrary to one another, so that you cannot do the things that you would actually like to do. And Paul also spoke about and described that in Romans chapter 7. There are things that I want to do, but I end up not doing. There are things that I don't want to do that I end up doing because he was describing this battle of his flesh with the spirit. But the key was that in his heart he desired to do the will of God. And so, yes, there was a battle raging. Yes, he might have stumbled. Yes, he might have tripped. Yes, he might have fallen. But God was always there with his hand reaching out and saying, Get up, get up, it's not over yet. Get up. Peter walked on the water with Jesus. And he looked at the wind, he looked at the waves, and he started sinking. But my God, he did something that I did not know we could do, which is walk on the water. And even though he ended up sinking, God was out there sending his hand out saying, Come up with me, Peter. I got you. I got you, Peter. You just showed your brethren that you can actually walk on the water with me. They stayed in the boat, they stayed comfortable in the old things that they understood, but you just showed them that they could do something that they thought not possible. There is a constant battle raging between the flesh and our spirit. Can we all readily admit that? It's a struggle, it's a daily struggle in our lives. It wages between the mind of our flesh and the mind of our spirit. Which is not to say the logic isn't good, but it must. Our logic must submit itself to the supremacy of God's word. It must submit itself to the supremacy of God's way, the supremacy of God's will, because when he speaks it, as the sister said, then God said, It comes to pass. Whether I understand it or not, or how he did it or not. It says his thoughts are higher than what? Our thoughts. It says his ways are higher than what? Our ways. And so we must get on a higher level with him. Because our carnal mind can't get there. It must be done spiritually.

Why Communion Starts With Bread

Speaker 6:32

So he wanted me to speak about the importance of the blood, the wine, the bread, and his flesh. Let me start with the bread because I believe to understand why or the significance, trying to think spiritually of how significant that last supper was, where he took the bread, he blessed it, he broke it, and he gave it to the rest of the disciples. You have to understand what God said about this bread before that time. Because he set a precedent before the Last Supper, so that there would be an understanding of what it was that when he took this bread, he blessed it, he broke it, and he gave it unto them. It says in Matthew 4 : 4, it also says in Luke 4:4, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. When Jesus rebuked Satan during his temptation after 40 days, Jesus quoted himself from the Old Testament, because Jesus was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It says in Deuteronomy, all the commandments which I command you this day, you shall observe and you shall do. That you may live and that you may multiply and go in and possess the land which the Lord swear unto your fathers in Deuteronomy 8, verses 1 through 3. And you will remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these 40 years. God was leading them all the while through the 40 years. But why? It says, I led you through the wilderness for 40 years to humble you. I wanted to know. Actually, let me rephrase that because he she showed me this. It says, For it says, I put you in the wilderness for 40 years to humble you, to prove you, to know what was in thine heart. It wasn't for him to know what was in his in their heart, he knew that. It was them that needed to know what was in thine heart. They had been delivered from Egypt, but Egypt was still being held on to in their hearts. They needed to understand that. That's why every time they murmured and they complained, what did they want to do? I want to go back to Egypt. I wanted to go back to bondage. I wanted to go back to the way things were. I can't teach that. Me right here, I cannot teach a man how to humble or how to thirst or how to yearn or how to long, but my God is able to work in you a hunger and thirst for him that you so desperately need. Because it's that desperate faith that touches the heart of God. When he turns around and said, Who touched me? Who touched me? That faith activates the virtue that's found only in Christ to be activated in you. And I fed you with manna, he says, which you knew not. You didn't know what that was, and neither did your fathers know what that mu what that was, that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread alone. Every day they didn't have to go hunting for food. Every day they had what they needed for the day with the manna, and that manna represented the word that sustains us, the word that nourishes us, the word that feeds us, the word that heals us, the word that provides for us. Deuteronomy 8: 6 said, Therefore, thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God to walk in his ways, to fear him. And in verse 18, you will remember that the Lord your God, for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant with you, which he swear to your fathers that it is to this day.

Manna In The Wilderness As A Pattern

Speaker 11:08

So when we read Deuteronomy chapter 8, we don't realize he was setting a precedent back then that we are experiencing today as we take the bread and we take the wine. We find that that chapter is a tremendous chapter of exhortation for all people of God to hearken to the word of God and do it. You see, he led the Israelites 40 years to suffer in the wilderness, he purposely allowed them to suffer to hunger, so that they would learn to keep his word. And there was only two that kept his word and entered into the promised land from that generation. But he used that generation to teach all generations man will not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of my mouth. So there we see what Paul said in 1 Corinthians. How be it, that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural. Countless of times the Lord teaches us something spiritual by showing it us in the natural. Does not all creation all around us speak of his majesty, speak of his glory? So this manna, this bread is just a natural illustration used to present a more important spiritual principle to hear the word of God and do it. Not even their raiment waxed old, it says. This is the power and the ability of God's word to us for every natural need that we encounter. Whether it be hunger, thirst, raiment, housing. In Psalm eighty-one, he says, I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt. Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. But what happened? It says, My people would not hearken to my voice, they would not be filled with my word, and Israel would have none of me. God has always desired to fill his people with his word because His word is His heart.

Jesus As The Manifest Word

Speaker 14:04

You see, there's a stony heart found in this flesh that needs to be replaced with the very heart of God. The heart of God is dispensed by his word. So it says concerning Jesus in John 1, in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God, and the same was in the beginning with God, and the word in verse 14 was made flesh, and the flesh dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, and the glory was as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. But what does it say in verse 11? His came unto his own, and his own received him not. So he keeps coming again with the prophets, he keeps coming again who are just giving his word, he keeps coming again with messengers to give the word unto the people, and they refuse to open their mouth and receive it. And so he comes himself. No longer a prophet or a servant is sent, but the son is sent himself. Surely they will receive my son. Nay, they would not even receive his son. So we find out through these scriptures and in Revelation 19, 13, that Jesus' identity is he is the manifest word of God. When Jesus came in the flesh, he expected the Jews of the day to hearken to his voice, to eat his manna. But they would not, and so they did not receive the promises and the blessings of God. So if I read John chapter 6 and I look at this information that I've just described to you as my interpretive base to use the scriptures to interpret the scriptures, to use the word of God to help me understand the word of God.

The Bread Of Life In John 6

Speaker 16:10

Jesus said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, you seek me, not because you saw the miracles, but because you did eat the loaves and you were filled. This was when he had already fed the five thousand, already fed the people with the loaves of bread and the fish. And he said to them, Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for the meat which endureth to everlasting life. That the Son of Man will give unto you, because him God the Father has sealed. He had just fed five thousand, and food was what was being naturally spoken of, was now referred to as the meat bread, meat, and his meat is food, endures to everlasting life. He's spiritually speaking. But this meat that Jesus spoke of was not natural meat, natural meat perishes. He was speaking of spiritual meat. So let's keep reading in John 6 29. Jesus said, This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent, because him who he hath sent, God hath sealed. And he said in verse 34, 30 35, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger, he that believeth on me shall never thirst. For I came down from heaven not to do my own will. Thank you, sister. But the will of him that sent me. You see, if we want to do the will of God, we got to open up our mouth. Why? And receive the word, because the word is our compass, it gives us instruction on where to go, what to do. So now Jesus, having identified himself as the bread of life, the bread of God that comes down from heaven to give life, he says we need to come to him. And if we do so, we will never hunger. Those who believe on him will also never thirst. These statements indicate that coming to him is believing on him, because we must believe on him whom he has sent. And by doing so, that's how we'll no longer hunger and thirst. Because Jesus only is all that we need. So, what was this meat? Let's go back just a little bit in John chapter 4. You remember he was ministering to the Samaritan woman. And he was telling her about the living waters. And the disciples had gone away to go get him some food, and they came back and they were wondering, has anybody given him something to eat? Because they said, Master, eat. And he said to them, I have meat to eat that you don't know about. And the disciples were like, What is he talking about? What? Carnal, carnal mind can't understand what he's saying. It's foolishness, it don't make no sense. But Jesus said to him, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me to finish the work. That's what's feeding me, that's what's nourishing me, that's what's sustaining me. And if you read the rest of the scriptures, it said, Many more believed on him and his word. And they said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of your testimony regarding this man that you drew water out of the well for him, but we know that he is indeed the Christ, the savior of the world. So we learn that the laboring, working, servicing for the meat which endures to everlasting life, is leading us to do the will of God. So Jesus said in John 5, He said, He said, Remember that distinction, pre-glorification, he said, I've of my own self I can do nothing. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just because I don't seek to do my own will, but the will of the Father which sent me. You see, in that distinction, he's showing us that as men of God, how do we serve God? We need to listen, we need to follow his leading because that's how Jesus did it. Before there was a distinction afterward, as my brother has said, I am the Alpha and the Omega, I am the beginning and the end. There is no more distinction. I am the first and the last. I am the root and the offspring of David. So Jesus said, He that believeth on me hath eternal life. I am the living bread which came down from heaven, and if any man eat of this bread, he's going to live forever. And

Eating His Flesh And Drinking Blood

Speaker 21:28

the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. He was referring to his sacrifice on the cross. Now that we have discernment, now that we have understanding, but if we were in that day, we would be like, huh? What do you mean, eat your flesh? That's disgusting. But they had no spiritual discernment. But notice Jesus uses terms that he used previously in the old covenant to get his message across. They just weren't making that connection. He's using bread to symbolize his flesh. But from Deuteronomy, we can see that his bread was the word. The word. So the Jews strove among themselves, it says, How can this man give us flesh to eat? They were confounded. So Jesus didn't stop, he didn't have mercy at that particular juncture. He kept on. He says in John 6 53, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, he adds onto it. Not just eat my flesh, you need to drink my blood. Otherwise, you have no life. Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life, and I will raise him up on that last day. He knew their confusion. He knew it. And he did not say, Oh, okay, that's good enough. No, he went further. Eat my flesh, drink my blood. Or they will not have life in them. His words were true. He wasn't lying. It's just that we needed to discern it spiritually. This is a perfect example of a natural man, the Jews, being unable to receive the things of the Spirit of God, his words, because they are complete and utter foolishness unto him. The words of God must be spiritually discerned. So he continues on for the meat, for my flesh is meat indeed. My blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwells in me and I in him. Yeah, your fathers ate the bread that came down from heaven, yes. But they're dead. But if you eat of the bread that I provide, you shall live forever.

Support The Show And Final Blessing

Speaker 24:17

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