The Bullet of New Life in Christ: Eating the Meal that Lasts Forever
When we eat from the Lord’s Table we experience the joy of increasing strength even though the process of “digesting” spiritual energy is too complex to fully understand. Very few people come even close to comprehending all that constantly goes on in the human body. Even fewer rarely recognize the complexities of our spiritual assimilation as we merge our hearts with the Spirit of God. If we get our sleep and do it in a healthy way, our body wakes refreshed! Likewise, if we keep yielding our spirit to the prompting of His Spirit, all that needs to happen to us will happen, whether we comprehend it or not. As we experience the presence of the Savior’s spiritual provision and renewal, we hunger for more. Healthy Cross Disciples are always ready for more of the delicious, exotic and nourishing truth meals (as well as revelation snacks) that constantly satisfy their hunger for the God Picture of reality. Blessed is the Disciple who delights in eating both sustaining physical meals as well as transforming spiritual meals! That’s how the Father designed it! He intends for us to participate in both processes so we might be built up and complete human beings who reflect His wondrous intentions. As our Lord so clearly put it, “A body Thou hast prepared for Me … ” and “Lo, I have come to do Thy will, oh God” (Heb. 10:5-7). The Master had a body to care for physically and a heart to yield spiritually to the Father! So do we!
Learning how “to eat the bread and drink the blood of our Lord” is no light thing. Here are my exploratory thoughts in response to these words of the Master’s in John 6:52-59. To misunderstand this teaching is to miss the experience of the nourished spiritual life.
If we strive to live a continuously enlightened existence from faithful “cross taking,” we will come to recognize and more rightly respond to the sources of destruction and the sources of delight. These two options constantly press upon us. Only two “path choices” for our “being” are before us:
I. There is a Life Path that Leads to Death: Destruction
“There is no rest for the wicked” (Those who ignore God) (Is. 57:20)
A. My Path is Self Illusion = Deception by my Foolishness …
When we eat from the Lord’s Table we experience the joy of increasing strength even though the process of “digesting” spiritual energy is too complex to fully understand. Very few people come even close to comprehending all that constantly goes on in the human body. Even fewer rarely recognize the complexities of our spiritual assimilation as we merge our hearts with the Spirit of God. If we get our sleep and do it in a healthy way, our body wakes refreshed! Likewise, if we keep yielding our spirit to the prompting of His Spirit, all that needs to happen to us will happen, whether we comprehend it or not. As we experience the presence of the Savior’s spiritual provision and renewal, we hunger for more. Healthy Cross Disciples are always ready for more of the delicious, exotic and nourishing truth meals (as well as revelation snacks) that constantly satisfy their hunger for the God Picture of reality. Blessed is the Disciple who delights in eating both sustaining physical meals as well as transforming spiritual meals! That’s how the Father designed it! He intends for us to participate in both processes so we might be built up and complete human beings who reflect His wondrous intentions. As our Lord so clearly put it, “A body Thou hast prepared for Me … ” and “Lo, I have come to do Thy will, oh God” (Heb. 10:5-7). The Master had a body to care for physically and a heart to yield spiritually to the Father! So do we!
Learning how “to eat the bread and drink the blood of our Lord” is no light thing. Here are my exploratory thoughts in response to these words of the Master’s in John 6:52-59. To misunderstand this teaching is to miss the experience of the nourished spiritual life.
If we strive to live a continuously enlightened existence from faithful “cross taking,” we will come to recognize and more rightly respond to the sources of destruction and the sources of delight. These two options constantly press upon us. Only two “path choices” for our “being” are before us:
I. There is a Life Path that Leads to Death: Destruction
“There is no rest for the wicked” (Those who ignore God) (Is. 57:20)
A. My Path is Self Illusion = Deception by my Foolishness …
“The lust of the flesh controls me”
B. My Path is Culture Delusion = Diminishment with their Trivia …
“Lust of the eyes controls me"
C. My Path is Satanic Confusion = Destruction from his Hatred …
“My pride in life will control me”
Based on I John 2:15-17
II. There is a Death Path that Leads to Life: Delight
“I die daily,” Paul in I Corinthians 15:31
A. My Path Receives the Father’s Intrusion = A New Creation
( the Creator)He sent the Son of God
B. My Path Seeks the Son’s Infusion = A Full Redemption
(the Redeemer)He is the Son of God
C. My Path Accepts the Spirit’s Conclusions = An Ultimate Perfection
(the Perfecter)He reveals the Son of God
Based on II Corinthians 5:11-21
If you live to “eat” the destructions of self, culture and the demonic, you die! If you are dying to “eat” the truth of creation, redemption and perfection, you live! To drink the water the world has is to thirst again and eventually die. To drink Christ’s blood is to satisfy your thirst and never die!
“So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves … the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me … and will live forever.’” John 6:53-58
Much could be said about the various interpretations of this difficult passage. My sum of it theologically would have the verse read thusly: “It is certain that unless you radically believe that My body was crucified for you and that My blood flowed for your sins, you will never discover the incredible and abundant life I desire to give you. It is by your own cross that you take the deeper meanings of My Body and Blood into your own existence. In following Me and increasingly dying for the Father’s mission, you live. If you do as I tell you, then you will discover what I mean. I promise! You will come alive with the wonder of what I have done and still intend to do for you and all others who live to trust Me!”
“You have made known to me the path of life … in Your Presence is fullness of joy … at Your Right Hand are pleasures evermore!” Psalm 16:11
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