MONDAY, JULY 2
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

In 1 Corinthians 11 we have the New Testament’s primary passage for communion. It is a corrective passage written to the dysfunctional church family in Corinth. Verses 17-34 state, “Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others;…” Communion is a salvation celebration in remembrance of the broken body and shed blood of Christ and all that was subsequently purchased. But it is also forever linked to Passover, and as such is paired with the judicial strike of Passover. Passover itself was the first taste of the coming communion meal). The final judgment God issued against Egypt was the death of every firstborn throughout the land. The Israelites were instructed in the Passover meal to kill the Passover lamb and apply the blood of the lamb as a strike on the doorposts. This obedient act afforded Israel the protection against the death strike. Passover/communion celebrates salvation and healing through Christ’s body and blood, but also God’s Judicial Hand, which made freedom possible. But the message today’s church gets from most pulpits is, communion means doing an inward search for personal failure. The story of Passover celebrated a divine intervention by God against the enemies of His people to birth freedom from bondage! God revealed Himself as willing to kill to set Israel free! Those of us who believe in Christ qualify as Israelites and just as He killed for them, He will kill for us. If we look at the Corinthians, we see that by refusing the path of holiness, they inadvertently released judgment on themselves instead of on their enemy. What was the judgment they brought upon themselves? Verse 30 tells us, “For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many dead.” What is the manner of judgment that should be the outcome of communion? God intended in communion that you and I strike the enemy with a covenant strike and then we enjoy the blessings of God under the safety and protection of the Blood while the angels of God are out there dispensing three levels of judgment as an appropriate judgment. The strong who use their authority for evil grow weak, the healthy who promote injustice grow sick and the living who rebel against God die. There is great power in Passover! The early Passover was a celebration of the release of Israel from Egypt and from bondage because they saw their enemies burying their dead. They ‘borrowed’ from the Egyptians. They spoiled Egypt. The power of communion that releases God’s judgment has been lost. Recovery can only begin with a commitment to Scripture. Leviticus 20:7 states, “Keep yourselves holy, because I am the Lord your God!” Relationship with a holy God demands walking a path of holiness! Judgment for the wicked results!