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The Continuous Eating and Drinking of Jesus Christ

What exactly does it mean to eat and drink of Jesus Christ?

When Jesus said you must eat my flesh and drink my blood he lost many of his disciples, they misunderstood him. Some no doubt took him literally, perhaps thinking he may be asking them to be cannibals. But he was not speaking physical eating and drinking he was speaking of spiritual eating and drinking, the real eating and drinking of real food and real drink..

So what exactly does it mean to eat and drink of Jesus Christ?

I’ve experienced in the past 2-3 years that eating and drinking Christ in an internal/ spiritual way is deeply satisfying, it brings tremendous peace that I cannot do without. It has nothing to do with fulfilling some religious ritual or expectations from other people, there is death in that.

Jesus said at the table “As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup do this in remembrance of me.” What we call communion today represents this eating and drinking of his flesh and blood that Jesus was referring to.

The manna that sustained the Israelites in the wilderness represented this eating of spiritual bread.

Jesus once said that he “had food that the disciples knew nothing about” referring to his internal focus and response to his heavenly father.

Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have no part in me. – Jesus Christ

To eat and drink of Jesus Christ is simply to continuously listen and respond to him, to keep all focus and intent on knowing him, its a constant seeking him first a constant increase in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, by finding and looking for him in all things.

It includes bible study but its not only bible study, it includes sharing him but its not only sharing him, it includes fellowshipping around him with others but not only fellowship, it includes finding him in every aspect of life, it includes prayer but its not only prayer, it includes obedience and being quick to respond to him.

To eat of Jesus Christ is to abide in Jesus Christ, it is to be led of the Spirit of God. Physical food and drink that we consume daily actually are just representations of the real food that will sustain us for eternity, we will be eating from the tree of life and finding our life from him, that is Jesus Christ.

Eating and drinking of Christ is exceedingly simple if you are able to look to him and focus on him and not become distracted by other things (be they good things or evil).

For further teaching and examples on this topic check out this ebook by my friend Bridget Babione entitled The Bread and Wine, 20 Recipes for Eating and Drinking Christ, it is well worth the $2.49 !

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Video 1 – By Him All Things Were Created

This is the first of a series of short videos about Jesus Christ, see the bottom of this post to watch a YouTube embedded video.

Notes from Video: There are timeless spiritual principles that work from Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Atheism and even secular humanism yet all originate with Jesus Christ. If this is true this is an example of all things conforming to Jesus Christ whether he is acknowledged by these people or not, they and everyone else is conforming to Him personally, not necessarily to all that is called church or the Christian religion but to Jesus Christ personally.

In speaking with a Hindu and a Muslim friend of mine about Jesus Christ, (who they both spoke very well of) It occurred to me that their main thoughts about Jesus was that He was one of a handful of enlightened ones from history who were in touch with spiritual realities enabling them to become a ‘son of God’. Some said once to me that he was the son of God by virtue of this enlightenment.

Three reasons why Jesus was far more than a spiritually enlightened guru.

  • The Resurrection, he simply is not dead any more. That alone puts him in a class by himself. Read Acts 1:9-10 to see how Jesus ascended in front of hundreds of his disciples. Read John 11:43-45 to see how Jesus also resurrected a man who had been dead and buried for 4 days. Jesus also said this amazing thing about himself “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,…”
  • What he said about himself. Hindu’s Bhudists say he was one of the enlightened ones, Muslims say he was a prophet. If he were enlightened or were one of the prophets then why did he say things like? “I am the way, the truth, the life”, he attributed spiritual things to himself personally whereas all these other great men pointed to principles and concepts, never claiming deity. He claimed “Moses wrote about me”, He said “I am the way, I am truth, I am life”, “I am resurrection.” “I am the bread of life which came down from heaven to give life to you” Jesus claimed deity and his enemies prove this for he was sentenced to death for it. Enlightened people or prophets do not say crazy things about themselves being God, that disqualifies them from being seen as a prophet of God, he was either a crazy cult leader with a God complex or he really was God in flesh.
    • Jesus himself is the object and source that all the others were beginning to become enlightened to.
  • ONLY Jesus Himself Gives Power to His Teachings: I’ve noticed with many secular humanist minded friends there are spiritual principles they ascribe to strongly, they adhere to certain spiritual ideals similar to ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ and, of course on the surface it seems it would work well for them (they have an evolutionary mindset and the principle itself becomes the thing that wins out over hate and sin). In other words regardless of your religion principles of inner peace, self-control, not being overwhelmed with fear, morality, hard work are adhered to in and of themselves. These originate from Jesus Christ himself and always have. To plagiarized Jesus then push him aside I believe is self-destructive and immoral. Jesus said “come to me and I will give you rest, throw off the old man put on the new man created in Christ Jesus. Do not fret, make known your requests to God.” IT IS ABOUT JESUS CHRIST, NOT THE PRINCIPLE! In other words he cannot be separated from his principles, they just do not work, his ‘principles’ are impossible to live by and do without him, they break down as nice ideals without him.

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An Effective Strategy Against Jesus Christ – Hierarchies

Many Christians from the early church were brutalized, persecuted and murdered, Jesus and his followers had brutal enemies. Despite this the body of Christ grew quickly, in fact growth still typically happens where Christians are persecuted. It did not take long however for the enemy of Jesus to find a more effective strategy against him – position within powerful and wealthy hierarchies.

hi·er·ar·chy

ˈhī(ə)ˌrärkē/

noun: hierarchy; plural noun: hierarchies

  1. a system or organization in which people or groups are ranked one above the other according to status or authority.

Rather than attacking and killing Christians, a better strategy against Jesus’ influence and expansion was to put the church on top of or given a place at the table of a highly influential hierarchy in exchange for surrender and cooperation. But that cooperation would directly challenge the Lordship of Jesus Christ among his people.

This strategy seems to have repeated itself even up to today. How many modern young Christians who feel called to ministry strive to create and climb to the top of powerful hierarchical organizations? Most. Whether we try to control massive governments or climb through the ranks of wealthy denominations or build massive individual “mega-churches“. We love hierarchies and when we reach out ambitious goals we say “look at the growth, God must be blessing us, God is doing it.”

But we cannot look at numbers and popularity and assume success in God’s eyes or his blessing or his approval.

Jesus was offered great power and wealth and a great place of headship over kingdoms of this world, but he quickly and sternly turned it all down. I am not sure there is another person on the planet that would have easily turned down that offer from the devil.

“Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if you fall down and worship Me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan…” – Matthew 4:9-10

Later when his disciples began to plan their own hierarchy of greatness (“who will be greatest” read Matt 20), He quickly told his disciples “it is not this way among you.”

“But Jesus called them to himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you…” – Matthew 20:25-26

Regarding hierarchies among Christians, are we saying in response to Jesus “yes it is this way among us, its always been this way, this is our church, and I have (or so and so has) been put as its head, I (he) deserve it, I (he) was chosen.”? Are we not then intentionally refusing Jesus’ direction.

A group of Christians only becomes church in its relation to its surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Lets all together abandon hierarchy and lording it over one another, as Christians we are all directly connected to Jesus through the Spirit. He is able to lead us all directly and together as a cohesive family.

Hierarchies are ineffective and archaic and will eventually be obsoleted, firstly and especially within the church. Allow the Lord to begin to transition you away from worldly forms of organizing and gathering based on hierarchy, there is a much better way.

More to come, please reach out to me with questions or comments.

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