The Cup of Blessing

Blessing.  It's something that we all need and want.  Still there are many who live their lives day by day and year after year with full entitlement to God's blessing, but somehow never make a lasting connection to the manifestation of those blessings in their lives.  That is not the will of God.  In fact, God has provided for us many avenues, or keys, into the blessing that He has for our lives.  Scripture assures us that it is the Father's pleasure to give us the keys of the Kingdom!  So surely, if God is making available to us His very Kingdom and has given us His best in Jesus, He's not going to withhold the blessing that makes for the abundant life and our greatest good.

God has opened wide the door for all who desire to enter and draw near and partake of His richest treasures and blessings. Indeed, God has given to each of His sons and daughters His very own cup of blessing.

Communion--More Than You Thought

"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?" (I Corinthians 10:16)

Communion, also known as the Lord's Supper, is the cup of blessing.  It is the cup of blessing given to us by the Lord to continually share in and partake of His great salvation--with all the benefits.  Until now you may have viewed communion as no more than a religious observance during a church service.  Maybe you only saw it as a means to receive forgiveness for your sins.  But it is much, much more!  You see the word 'communion' refers to a fellowship, an intimacy, and a joint participation between the parties involved.   

And so our communion with the Lord, as we partake of the cup and the bread, which represent the blood and the body of Christ, is a very intimate and intense form of fellowship between the believer and God.  Moreover our participation in the communion table is an actual form of proof that we indeed do share fellowship with the Lord. 

The cup of the communion table is likened to a cup that God presents to one to drink of His prosperity.  It is offered that we might receive into our souls that which serves to refresh, strengthen, and nourish unto life eternal.  So many times I have drawn near to God over the communion table to receive that which I needed most at the moment.  At times I was seeking financial breakthrough, at others healing for my body, at others deliverance from some negative habit or sin, still at others guidance for my life and ministry.  The truth I want you to lay hold of is that no matter what your need or heart cry may be, you will find it at the communion table.  It is the place of cleansing.  It is the place of nourishment.  It is the place of strengthening.  It is the place where every believer should find refuge. 

Oh, the Benefits! 

Jesus' sacrifice for us on the cross covered every area of our existence, and so too, the blessing that flows from the communion table is a blessing that covers every area of our existence.  In fact, the blessing we receive is the blessing of salvation!  Not just salvation from our sins, but complete salvation-- including our forgiveness of sins, healing, prosperity, deliverance, protection, peace, the ministry of angels and much, much more.  Jesus truly saves to the utter most completely and perfectly, with nothing held back or missing!  (Hebrews 7:25)

This cup of blessing that we receive is the cup of our salvation! 

"I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord" (Psalm 116:13). 

As we partake of that cup, we actively fulfill our part of our covenant with God.  True communion is the share which one has in anything.  Our share in the communion table is to partake of the benefits--the concrete benefits--that Jesus' sacrifice bought for us.  With that in mind, do you now see that it is not only our privilege but our duty to take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord for whatever we need in our lives?  Just as we have a duty to vote and represent God's interests in our society, because of the great bloodshed and sacrifices that were made to give us that right, even greater still is our duty to take unto ourselves the covenant rights and benefits that Jesus purchased for us through His shed blood and broken body. 

Our new covenant is a better covenant with better promises!  It is a covenant full of benefits!  And God is so big on benefits that He daily loads us with them. 

"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our SALVATION. Selah." (Psalm 68:19). 

Praise God, we're loaded!  Now we must intentionally receive those benefits, even as David did when he commanded his soul to bless the Lord and forget not all of his benefits!  (Psalm 103: 2) Now why would someone forget their benefits?  In the natural realm, if you have benefits as a result of employment or from some other source, you are not likely to forget that, in fact you actually count on them and invoke them as needed.  Yet in the spiritual realm there are so many who are either oblivious to their many benefits in God or just don't have the fortitude to lay hold of what they know belongs to them.  That is a shame and an insult to the God Who gave everything so that we could know this blessing, so don't let it be said to be so in your life.  Remember: it is our duty to be blessed! 

A Continual Coming

Tradition has robbed many Christians of the fullness of their salvation in Christ.  As I stated earlier, for many communion has never represented more than a religious observance given during a worship service every now and then, and this was never God's intent.  Communion was intended to be a way of life!  From the beginning of the church and throughout the early church, we read in the Scriptures where the believers gathered together for the breaking of bread.  This fellowship wasn't what we would think of in modern day terms of fellowshipping; it was the partaking of the Lord's Supper in obedience to the Lord's instructions.  And with that obedience came a great manifestation of God's power in their midst and on their behalf, as evidenced throughout the Scriptures and history. 

This is what Jesus said concerning this:

". . .That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, 'Take, eat: this is my body which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. ' After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, “'This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. ' For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come." (I Corinthians 11: 23-26)

Can you see that the Lord's Supper was never intended to be some far removed religious activity, but instead a way of living contact and fellowship with God and our share in the covenant? 

The Lord's Supper literally represents the Messiah's feast symbolizing salvation in the Kingdom.  How powerful to feast, in spirit with the Messiah!  Yet to neglect to draw near on purpose and regularly and continually is to neglect this so great salvation.  (Hebrews 2:3)

For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup.  Jesus was counting on our fellowship and anticipated the frequency with which we would have intimate communion with Him.  And so, we have been ordained to continually drink from this cup of blessing.  At some point in our lives, every part of our walk with God has to go from religion to reality, from mere head knowledge to a heart knowing and experience.  I love what The Message translation has to say about this:

"You will be drawn back to this meal again and again until the Master returns" (I Corinthians 11: 26). 

Again and again.  That's how often we should approach the communion table of our Lord Jesus Christ!  Again and again!  Not just first Sunday or Easter or Christmas, but again and again-at home, at work, at church, on vacation, wherever--again and again.  Let that sink into your spirit. 

I can witness to you that this Scripture has been fulfilled many times in my life.  For there have been certain things I've faced; certain things that required a move of God--and He drew me to that place of sweet communion and blessing, again and again.  I am so passionate about this because I live this and have tasted of the great blessing that comes from communion.  I am so turned on to this, that it has not been uncommon for me to take my lunch break and fellowship with God over the communion table.  The results?  It has transformed my finances, physical body, emotions, and whatever else I have needed from the Lord, and it will do the same for you as you draw near, too. 

 Make It Known

As committed believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, our lives should announce, make known, declare, promulgate, report, proclaim and publish the Gospel and the victory that lies within it.  Jesus said communion would help us to do that. 

"For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come" (1 Corinthians 11:26). 

To show, as used in this Scripture, literally means to make known, to declare, to proclaim!  Our lives are to be an emancipation proclamation--a proclamation of the freedom, victory, and blessing that belongs to all who trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  So if we are not effectively doing this, could it be that we have been going out to battle without our full armor?  If so, determine to change that today.  Determine to take the cup of blessing and allow its effects to make known to the world that our God reigns!  Let the world see God in you and your affairs.  Then tell them the Source of all the benefits you regularly enjoy.  God will continually load you with the benefits, so that you can continually proclaim His good news!  That is what the covenant in action looks like in the lives of those who feast at the Messiah's table. 

If you're ready to experience more of God's goodness and mercy than you ever have before, be seated at the communion table.  Seat yourself there, put yourself in remembrance of all the Lord has provided for you, and prepare for your deliverance, because it is surely on the way.  Partake today.  Partake when you feel weak.  Partake when you need a breakthrough.  Partake when you simply desire to draw closer to Him and rejoice in His faithfulness.  After all, it is your cup of blessing and, most importantly, it honors the Lord. 

Additional Scriptures for further meditation and study:
Matthew 26: 26-28
1 Corinthians 10:16-22
Psalm 103
James 4:8