: THURSDAY 27TH JUNE 2019 THEME: PREPARING FOR DIVINE COMMUNION.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: THURSDAY 27TH JUNE 2019
THEME: PREPARING FOR DIVINE COMMUNION.
MEMORISE:
But let a man examine himself, and so let
him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
1 Corinthians 11:28
READ: 1 Corinthians 11:27-30
27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this
bread, and drink this cup of the Lord,
unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and
blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let
him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29 For he that eateth and drinketh
unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation
to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
30 For this cause many are weak and sickly
among you, and many sleep.
Genesis 35:1-10
1And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to
Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an
altar unto God, that appeared unto thee
when thou fleddest from the face of Esau
thy brother.
2 Then Jacob said unto his household, and
to all that were with him, Put away the
strange gods that are among you, and be
clean, and change your garments:
3 And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I
will make there an altar unto God, who
answered me in the day of my distress, and
was with me in the way which I went.
4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange
gods which were in their hand, and all their
earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob
hid them under the oak which was by
Shechem.
5 And they journeyed: and the terror of God
was upon the cities that were round about
them, and they did not pursue after the sons
of Jacob.
6 So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land
of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the
people that were with him.
7 And he built there an altar, and called the
place Elbethel: because there God appeared
unto him, when he fled from the face of his
brother.
8 But Deborah, Rebekah's nurse died, and
she was buried beneath Bethel under an
oak: and the name of it was called
Allonbachuth.
9 And God appeared unto Jacob again,
when he came out of Padanaram, and
blessed him.
10 And God said unto him, Thy name is
Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more
Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he
called his name Israel.
MESSAGE
The Lord’s Supper, also known as the Last
Supper, refers to the very last meal our Lord
took before He was crucified on the cross of
Calvary. This very important and mysterious
meal also referred to as the Holy Communion
is a multi-dimensional meal with diverse
implication. The Lord’s Supper is
interconnected with the Jewish Passover in
a special way because Christ is the Passover
Lamb that was sacrificed for us (1
Corinthians 5:7). This special meal therefore
brings to remembrance the Lord’s suffering
and sacrificial death and represents the
establishment of a new covenant for
humanity in the Blood of Jesus. It also points
us to Calvary, the place of Jesus’ suffering,
crucifixion and death. Consequently, a
certain level of sober reflection is expected
when we celebrate the Holy Communion. By
partaking in the Lord’s Supper, we also
depict the coming marriage supper of the
Lamb in heaven (Revelation 19:1-9). This
adds a forward-looking dimension to this
holy meal, so that it is not viewed simply as a
memorial of past events alone. Essentially,
the Holy Communion is not just a routine
practice; it a celebration in faith, as we
continue to hope and sing “Maranatha-
Come, Lord Jesus!”
Before celebrating communion as a
memorial, there must be a clear
understanding of and strict compliance with
God’s instructions as it relates to the Holy
Communion. It is most holy and meant for
sanctified members of the family of God
only. Anyone who is unclean or who is
unclean or who is a stranger to the
household of faith cannot partake of it. It is
a most powerful meal that brings healing
and deliverance from all kinds of bondage,
but at the same time, it poses danger to
anyone who partakes of it unworthily.
Therefore, the importance of adequate
preparation for divine communion cannot
be overemphasized. The Holy Spirit cautions
in 1 Corinthians 11:27 that whosoever eats
the Holy Communion unworthily shall be
guilty of profaning and sinning against the
Body and Blood of Jesus. He then compels us
to carefully examine our spiritual state and
current standing with God, to deal with any
sins we haven’t confessed yet and repair
any broken relationship with god and man,
before partaking of this meal. He warns that
the Holy communion should not be taken
lightly, specifying that those who partake of
it unworthily do so at the risk of eternal
damnation. In 1 Corinthians 11:30, He
reveals the bombshell that many in the
Church are strictly and some have even died
because they were ignorant of the power
embedded in the Holy Communion and
handled it carelessly. I pray that every time
you take the Holy Communion, the power of
death will be destroyed over you and the
divine life of God will flow into your body,
soul and spirit in Jesus’ Name.
ACTION POINT:
Thank the Lord for His Body which was
broken for you, and for His Blood which was
shed for your sins.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 1
Ezekiel 5:5-17
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 4: TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE
1.Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise,
Let them flow in endless praise.
2.Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3.Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.