Saturday, August 28, 2010

Communion and Deliverance by John Paul Jackson

Isaiah wrote that one reason Jesus walked on the earth was to save our souls from death. He would be despised and rejected, oppressed and afflicted — all of which are issues of the soul. And the answer, peace, is also an issue of the soul. Jesus’ death and resurrection gave us the opportunity of having peace of mind, emotions and will, so that we can find rest in Him and no longer have to struggle within ourselves. “The chastisement for our peace was upon Him” (Isaiah 53:5).

The price has been paid for us to abide in God and for God to abide in us. Peace is born in that place of trust. Therefore, if we are having trouble getting over issues, memories, addictions or various negative patterns in our lives, what we need is more of Jesus. We need to be delivered from the mindsets and dark thoughts that torment us so that there will be room for Him and His thoughts.Communion is at the core of our existence, and unbeknownst to many, healing and deliverance often play a major role within it. I recorded The Communion Effect teaching in an effort to help you better understand the power of communion. It is far more than just the simple taking of the Sacrament.

What happens when we take communion?
I first heard of deliverance about 35 years ago. It began with a series of dreams in which the Lord pulled negative things out of me and off of me while I was asleep. Though they happened in dreams, those encounters dramatically altered my waking life.

What does deliverance have to do with communion, and what does communion have to do with God dwelling within us?

I had been a Christian for years when God began to give me those dreams. I faithfully attended church, prayed and tithed; I even sang in the choir. I did everything I thought I was supposed to do. But I didn’t have much of God actually abiding in me. There was not enough room for both Him and the lies I was believing — the strongholds I was clinging to.

In John 6:55–56, Jesus described communion this way: “My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.”

Essentially, He was saying, “If you abide in Me, whatever I am is yours; whatever I have is yours. But in order to appropriate this, you have to understand what you are doing when you do this. If you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you abide in Me and I in you. As the Living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the Bread which came down from Heaven.”

I can almost see Him pointing at Himself and saying, “I’m it.” He is the manna that came down from Heaven, and whoever eats this bread will live forever (John 6:58).

If we abide in Him, we have access to everything He is. We have whatever we need. He is for us, and nothing can stand against us. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord (Isaiah 54:17). When we are in alignment with God, He will move whatever stands in our way so that we can reach our destinies. Communion is a starting point, a physical manifestation of a powerful spiritual act.

The role of deliverance in communion
Deliverance, in whatever capacity, can play a key role in true communion. In a way, it is simple cause and effect: Two separate entities cannot occupy the same space at the same time. The more of Him we have dwelling within us, the less influence the enemy can have on us because there is no room for him! I understand issues of habits; I know those take time to break. But I also understand the issue of demonic forces that can exaggerate habits and make them seem impossible to overcome. Both need to go, in whatever way God chooses to take care of them.

Thirty-five years ago, I did not fully comprehend that taking communion details the relationship with God we were made to have. Communion is one of the most powerful, yet misunderstood elements we are told to practice. If we can embrace what Jesus said about it, many of us will be delivered, healed and saved as we take communion, because to the degree that we believe God dwells within us is the degree to which we are like Him. We live and move and have our being in His heart (Acts 17:28), and we grow to resemble that heart in every way. There, we find rest for our souls.

If you would like to know more about the amazing healing and deliverance power of taking communion, please order The Communion Effect by CLICKING HERE. You really will be blessed from the teaching the Lord gave me.

Helping others who are suffering does not mean we need to share with them are own suffering as sharing our own pain is seldom useful to those in need of healing. Healers can listen to a person in pain without having to speak about their own wounds. We can empathize with them attentively and lovingly, completely committing ourselves to serving them and their needs. We become more whole in leading others to wholeness.

Jesus became broken and the blessed bread of life for the world. He was chosen, obedient, and lived the sacred journey for the world. He lived His live as a Son, fully pleasing to the Father. As we seek His Kingdom and His righteousness, we now live as ambassadors for Him. We commit to conform to a life in His image. We too want to live as people chosen, blessed, and broken, and thus becoming food for the world.

2 comments:

  1. Very good and so very true. I have been prompted by the Holy Spirit to do communion at our Life Group bible study each Monday night at our house. WE do need to do this. The early church practiced coming together to remember the blood of Jesus poured out and His body broken for us. Each and every time. We need to do this. Thank you for sharing this Robert!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Had wonderful fellowship in our Men's meeting this morning,at which we participated in communion and foot-washing. One of the points made by our pastor jells with Jackson's Article: that of genuine concern for others who are hurting.

    ReplyDelete

Please click Follow above to follow blog

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.