Communion Service   

 

      Bro. Lee Vayle   -   October 3, 1982

	...Your Word, may it be enriched to us all again. May we have a little
further insight to what we're doing at this time.  In this service
commemorated to Your care.  We pray, Lord, in Your name, we pray, Lord,
accoding to Your will.  We know therefore you have the answer,  we are
very, very grateful.  In Jesus name we pray.  Amen You may be seated

1.	Now, this is our first communion and foot washing here.  I apologize
that we are remiss in not having one in the last month.  But, we just
did not, and now we are to the place where I feel it's a little easier
to have the service of this order.  And, I'm going to bring a little
message now communion and of course I'm taking it in a minor way from
what Bro. Branham said, and we're reading in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. And
you will know that Paul the apostle received this by revelation.

	Now, there's no doubt that he knew that people were doing this, but he
would be so confused as to why they were doing it, that he might have
come to the place where they said they stole the body of Jesus and cut
in up in pieces and tried to eat it.

	So, who knows what Paul might have said, especially when he got so mad
he killed people and thought he was doing God a service. He was a good
old boy, but (you know) that's what Cain did. He killed for religion.

2.	Now, Paul got this by direct revelation: 

		(23) 	For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto
you,                                 			He didn't get it from Peter,
James and John, he got it from the Lord)                               	
	That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took 					
bread:

		(24) 	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.

		(25) 	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.

		(26) 	For as often as (you) eat this bread, and drink this cup, (you
declare, 					show) the Lord's death till he come.

	Now, there is no place in the Bible where the Lord's Supper as It is
called,(and that's in           verse 20.) 

		(20) 	When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to
eat 						the Lord's supper.

	Now, you see, he said, "You're not eating the Lord's Supper by what
you're doing. But, It was called the Lord's Supper.

3.	Now, there's no place in the Bible where the Lord's Supper is spoken
of as Communion. The word 'communion' as Bro. Branham said it's from the
Catholic creed of taking eucharist, which is the emblems. (The Lord's
Supper) 

	Communion according to the dictionary is the 'act of sharing'. Bro.
Branham used it as the interchange of thought. People speaking one back
to another. And as he said, "The bread and the wine do not speak back."
He said, "No way can anybody tell me that a Catholic priest can turn
bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus, when rats and mice can
pack it off and eat it."

	Now, that's taken from Father Chiniquy's book, 'Fifty Years in the
Church of Rome', where a poor old Catholic priest was dissolved in tears
and almost insane because the mice had eaten the 'Bon Dieu', had eaten
the good God. But, when mice can eat the good God…my… doesn't
even…[laughter] You know isn't strange?

4.	Now, as Bro. Branham has correctly said, "this is not what the Bible
says as to being Communion." Verse 26 tells you what It is. So, let's
read It.

		(26) 	For as often as (you) eat this bread, and drink this cup, (you 	
				declare,) the Lord's death till he come.

	So, this, the Lord's Supper means, that the Lord's Supper is a
testimony or a confession, or a witness, or a preachment about the
Lord's death. And it is to be done right up until it can't be done
anymore, until it is done anew in the Kingdom of God. Matthew 26:29. 
Now, it's to be done by us.

		(29) 	But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of
the vine, 					until that day when I drink it new with you in my
Father's kingdom.

	Now, He tells them, that until they come to the Millennium, or such a
time which would stop them, they have to keep doing it, and then start
doing it again. Because, He referred it in Matthew 26 to the Lord's
Supper. So, evidently in the Millennium we'll be doing it. 

5.	Now, we must note that both the broken bread and the cup of wine
signify the Body of the Lord, and the Blood of the Lord, and are taken
together at one time and signify one act. One act. Not two acts, but one
act. Because, many people say, "Broken body, blood. Blood, broken body."
No way. The Body and the Blood came from one act which was from the
breaking of the body of Jesus.

	What I'm saying is, that the body was broken open by beatings and
lashings, and cruel torture. So, that even the crown of thorns punctured
the veins that would not have emptied themselves, even when the spear in
the side let the rest of the blood out. There's certain veins which
cannot be emptied, which are in the temples. The crown of thorns opened
them up. And when the spear stuck His side, it was proven that Christ's
heart was broken, because under extreme conditions of heart brokenness,
the pericardium becomes full of water. So, the spear went up and broke
the pericardium where the rest of the blood could come through, which I
think was mostly water by that time.

6.	So, broken body and shed blood do not have even kindred meanings,
they have one meaning. For, it was the breaking of the body that
released the blood. In fact even in the Book of Peter, It says, "by His
bruise we're healed," not bruises. So that most writers believe that the
body of Jesus was so cruelly cut and marred that His body was one vast
bruise. In fact, most historians agree that His body was marred beyond
the body of any man, or any men. Because, He could not die until He
released His Spirit that He might pass from this life. And that's what
the Scripture agrees with, that He was horribly mutilated.

	The reason He was mutilated, one reason beyond the fact by that bruise,
and by the stripes we're healed, is that they had to keep the Passover
lamb up for two weeks (I believe it was, ten days, or two weeks, I
forget which now) in order to prove the lamb to be what it was fit for
the sacrifice. And this One here proved not only by His life, but in His
beatings that He was that fit Lamb.

7.	So, you can't separate the bread and wine as some people do. You may
not have known this, but it's been my experience that I have seen people
who will eat the bread, walk off and leave the wine. Not so, they're
one.

	You can understand why the take the bread, because you see, that does
not signify the blood. And we must be very careful about the blood.
Well, you better be careful about the body. Because, the blood is
valueless to a degree, unless you are in the body. So, there's no such
thing, no such thing, no such thing; let's get that flat: 'no such
thing', as anybody thinking, "Well, I'll go part way." You go all the
way. It's bread and wine. The body was broken, or the blood would not
have spurted out. He was so ripped in His body, that His blood flowed.

	Now, if you don't think that's possible, you just talk to doctors and
criminologist, and they will tell you, yes, slash wrists and a slash
throat. And without even slash wrists and getting this particular
jugular, or the major arteries, you can cut enough until if that blood
is not stopped, you will die, or you can have internal hemorrhaging, and
the blood pass in your bodies by vomiting, or through the lower bowels,
you'll still die. And what is that from? Ulcers that break. That's a cut
body. That's a broken body. 

 	So, you see, you just don't separate. And the reason I'm saying this,
is (you know) people are cagey. You know, don't take God for a fool. I
know we do so much of the time. I think we stopped doing that. I think
we've stopped doing that.

8.	Now, from verse 26, not this act is the confession of your faith. Not
the Apostles Creed, your act. Not reciting, something, you're doing. You
are confirming your faith in the remission of sins by the Blood.  You
are confessing and confirming your revelation of your remission of sins.
You are also confirming your revelation of that much maligned,
disrespected and peculiar doctrine of serpent seed. Because, you don't
offer the fruit until you offer the Blood for the sins.

	Now, it is invariably, and irrevocably a memorial service. It is a
memorial service. 

	[1 Corinthians 11:] 24-25.  

		(24) 	And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: 
					this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance 		
			(for) me.

		(25) 	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, as
oft…						in remembrance of me. 

	It is a Remembrance Service. Now, you understand, it's a Remembrance
Service. And this will never change as far as I know, because we have
already learned from Matthew 26 to 29, that we will drink and eat anew
with Him in the Kingdom.

	Also, the Book of Revelation gives pre-eminence to His sacrificial
death as you will notice in Revelation 1:4-5.  

		(4) 	John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, 
					and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; 
				and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

		(5) 	…from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first
begotten 					(that is the first born, from) the dead, and the prince of
the kings of 					the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from
our sins in 						his own blood,    

	You notice, the Blood is mentioned. And It's mentioned in connection
with Him. So therefore, the remembrance is of Him shedding His Blood.
(See?) But, without Him wouldn't do it. There wouldn't be any. He's the
Blood of God.

9.	Okay, also, 7 and 8.

		(7) 	Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, they 
					also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail 		
			because of him. Even so, Amen.

		(8) 	I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the (end), saith the
Lord, 					which is, which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

	(Verse 18)

		(18) 	I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for
evermore, 					and have the keys of hell and of death.

	Now notice, how did He die? He died through the breaking of the body.

10.	Revelation 5:5-7.

		(5) 	…one of the elders (said) unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion
of 						the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open
the book, 					and to loose the seven seals...

		(6) 	And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four
beasts, 					and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been
slain, 						having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven
Spirits of 						God sent forth into all the earth.

		(7) 	And (the Lamb) came and took the book…  

	(Starting at 9)

		(9) 	…they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the
book, 						and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast
redeemed 					us to God by thy blood out of every kindred,  tongue, and
people, 						and nation;

		(10) 	And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall
reign 					on the earth.

	Notice, by the Blood. (See?)

		(11) 	And I beheld, and (lo, and) heard the voice of many angels round
						about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of 
					them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of 					
thousands;

		(12) 	Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to 	
				receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, 			
		and glory, and blessing.

		(13) 	And every creature…(upon) earth… (said the same thing)
…honour					…unto him…unto the Lamb for ever...

		(14) 	…(they) fell down and worshipped him…(that's the Lamb.)

	Also, the Bride who is redeemed is called the Lamb's wife.

11.	[Revelation] 19:7

		(7) 	Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the
marriage 					of the Lamb is come, and (the) wife (of the Lamb has) made
herself 					ready.

	The Bride is called the 'Lamb's wife'. The ultimate of God embraces the
Lamb and is found in Revelation 22:1-3, which means what I'm saying to
you is this: the last place which goes on eternally has the Lamb right
there.  

		(1) 	And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal,
						proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

		(2) 	In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the
river, was						there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of
fruits, yielded 						fruit every month: the leaves of the tree were for
the healing of the 						nations.

		(3) 	And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of
the 						Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

	So therefore, there is no record at anytime through eternity where the
Blood is ever disassociated from us. (See?) 

12.	Now, whether we continue to eat and drink a memorial service through
all eternity I do not know. But, His death will never be forgotten. It
is true that Revelation 21:3-5 must come to pass.

		(3) 	And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the
tabernacle 					of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and
they shall be his 					people, and God himself shall be with them, and
be their God.

		(4) 	And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there
shall be 					no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall
there be any 					more pain: for the former things are passed away.

		(5) 	And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things
new. 					And he said (to) me, Write: for these words are true and
faithful.

	Now, it is true that we will forget and no longer have a remembrance of
that which is upon earth. But, there is nothing said we'll ever forget
the Lamb. Nothing is ever said about the Lamb being forgotten, and Lamb
means 'death'. There is no record but, said it is true. Revelation 21:  
    3-5, must come to pass as concerning us, but there is no record of
the remembrance of His death ever leaving us. No record.

13.	All right, we notice something else, it is 1 Corinthians 11:27.

		(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.

	Now, that word 'unworthily' means 'in an unworthy manner', which they
were doing in verses 17 to 22. They were making a big feast. They were
making divisions. They were making light, they had no revelation of the
solemnity of the Blood. They had no revelation of the breaking of His
body which shed the Blood, which meant so much to them.

	So, we must remember then that, thus verses 28 and 29 follow naturally
after verse 27, that says: "We must not drink unworthily."  So we read
verse 28.

		(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, and eateth and
drinketh 						damnation (or condemnation, or judgment) to himself, not
discerning 					the Lord's body.

14.	Now, in other words there is not sufficient, or serious thought on
Him Who died for us.      Not sufficient depth of  appreciation of the
agony and suffering and humiliation; not sufficient gratitude for it
all; not sufficient understanding and identifying with Him and His
death.

	What we're seeing here is, as I understand this, that the people never
understood what the breaking of the body, the consequence shedding of
the Blood did for them in their status as Christians. And you know, I'm
afraid that that's something that's been with us, (not us as a group but
I mean the church) and could continue to be. Unless, we become a little
more serious about His Presence.

	I suppose the sobriety that Bro. Branham said was lacking when the
Pillar of Fire stood six inches from him and over people's heads, they
ran around talking, chewing gum, acting very foolish, in the very
Presence of God. What Scripture said, "Why did you not tremble in My
Presence?" [Jer. 5:22a] 

	And I'm afraid that, (though that is true, it is true) that we could
also be in a serious problem today by putting much emphasis on the
Presence, and learning to be more sober, which we will certainly learn
to be, (and we've just going to be that's all there is to it, because
that's what we've got to be and we will be there for) we might be a
little prone to ignore the statement that Bro. Branham said in the
Seals. (And remember the Seals are the Thunders) "How can you make a man
a sinner when the Blood of Jesus Christ scatters sin until there be
nothing left of it?" I think one place he said, "no evidence." 

15.	And I think myself that many times that we try to talk ourselves
into discerning the body, talking about great love we have for each
other, and (you know) get things out of your heart and (you know) get
things away that you have a disagreement in, clear things up. I think
that's all good. And I know it's good. But, I don't know that that is
really what he's saying here.

	At least put it this way: I would say that this is also what he's
saying, if he's saying the rest. He's saying, "People, you have never
allowed yourselves to receive an in depth revelation of exactly what
that Blood means to you." Because if you really did, you couldn't help
but have a different atmosphere in your services, you couldn't help but
have a different atmosphere in your life. And Bro. Branham categorically
put atmosphere down to nature, and nature down to what lay in the soul.

16. In other words, the soul has never been thoroughly nourished on the
revelation of the tremendous value of the shed Blood which came, not
through them sticking a spear in His side, but by literally breaking
that body open. Just, except for breaking bones like somebody might
deliberately throw somebody off a seven story building onto a bunch of
spikes. Just literally shredded with the terribleness of what they did
to Him. And that Blood falling upon the ground in order to purify the
ground, which in turn will bring back our bodies from the dust, and give
us glorified bodies because of the Life that was released, because of
the Blood that was shed.

 	So, when you begin to see what Paul is seeing here, and then from
chapter 11, you go right into gifts. There's no doubt in my mind that
these people were so puffed up with their gifts that who gave two cents
for the Blood. "Well, thank you for the blood, Lord, now what else is
new, hallelujah." Pentecostal hogwash, the Twentieth Century.

	"What new thing has been revealed to you? What new thing has happened
to you? I talked in tongues today." (Yeah)

17.	[Corinthians] 11: Women out of turn, even back there cutting their
hair like prostitutes, which is a sign of divorce or prostitute; shaving
it right off. Men not taking their proper position. And then come into
the church and appreciate the Blood? (Fap!) Going through the
Remembrance? (Phfft!) Paul said, "Get out of here, what do you think
you're pulling off?"

	See, it's the sobriety of the fact that goes plumb to Philippians Who
being in the form of God right there in the Pillar of Fire, God made a
way to leave the Pillar of Fire and come down in a human body, and there
stand amongst men. And so enforce that person by his life and re-enforce
that God could understand the sufferings in human flesh. Look it, this
desk could never understand suffering in human flesh. It doesn't even
suffer as a tree that gets cut down. The Indians tried to tell us it
shutters, but (you know) forget their nonsense. Indians are cooped up
anyway, bunch of heathens. (See?)

	God came down, and through the flesh the sensate being, He, Himself
knew everything single infirmity, but that One becoming a man in the
sense of taking on Himself the robes of a man, could now become a high
priest having shed His Own Blood. And you know, there is a lack in the
church. I've seen this years and years ago, (when I preached on 'The
Power of the Cross') the majority of people never understand the power
of death to the old nature where the power of God is released. Because,
they're so imbued with "I'm full of the Holy Ghost and got gifts,
hallelujah," that they never ever realize the power of the Cross.

18.	And we're looking at the same thing today. Paul putting it right in
here to the Corinthian church. Church out of order. People out of order.
Everything out of order, and literally made the Blood a mockery, and the
service became a mockery.  

	So, we must examine ourselves, and if not tonight, because this is
something we're just learning about for the first time in a different
way, that we must become more and more sober, and examine ourselves as
to how deep we are in this faith. This revelation of His death, and what
it has done and is doing for us.

	Now remember, the Supper was held daily back there. Bro. Branham said,
"Branham Tabernacle you do wrong, they did this every day back there, we
do It once a month." He didn't say you had to do It more than once a
month. They did It daily. Their remembrance was every day. They
remembered Him as the dear dying lamb and His love and His benefits
daily. We only once a month and that on Sunday, the day where in we
commemorate His Resurrection. So thereby, we celebrate both His death
and His Resurrection. I don't say that's wrong, but I don't say it's
right. Because you don't have it according to Scripture's being right.
It is something that we are doing that the prophet allowed. 

	I do not say that we should change it, I merely bring to your attention
that they, everyday made sure their minds were jarred to the reality of
taking that which made them remember. It was a memorial. It was a
confession. I was a preachment. It was a teaching that they did. We,
once a month had better begin to examine ourselves more than once a
month. He paid the price of death. We love Him because He loved us, we
live because of Him, which means we're no longer separated from God. 

19.	Now, we talk about the baptism with the Holy Ghost, and that's
absolutely true. You just must never cease to praise God for the baptism
with the Holy Ghost. But the point is this: how did the baptism with the
Holy Ghost get here? Well, It tells you in the Book of Hebrews which
I've read many times in chapter 10:12. 

		(12) 	(For) this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins…
(what 						 was that? He offered His body. He offered His life. They
drained 						the blood) …sat down on the right hand of God;

		(13) 	From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool.

		(14) 	For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are 			
		sanctified.

		(15) 	Whereof the Holy Ghost is also a witness to us:…(the baptism 	
				with the Holy Ghost proves that the Blood has been applied.)

	Now, if the Holy Ghost could only come, because the Blood is applied,
there is no way that anybody can have a true baptism with the Holy Ghost
and not revere the Blood. No way. We just become negligent, and we need
our minds jarred, (as one might say) or our pure minds, (hopefully
that's true, and it through the Blood) have a renewal of the
understanding of what the Blood does. 

 	Now, without that Blood today, we could not stand in His Presence, but
be naked and ashamed. We thank God for His death and declare our thanks
and faith in partaking of the simple elements; which are those, which we
recognize as the Blood, the emblems of the Blood and of the Bread.   

		[Preparations begin for setting up the table of the Lord]

	Remember, there's nothing anywhere could ever give us any hope outside
of that Blood. There's no gift, there is no anything in the realm of
Almighty God.  

	And as we do, let's remember, let's face seriously and soberly at what
the songs are saying, what we're saying when we sing the song. [Nothing
but the Blood of Jesus]

	You know, if there was some other way that God could have used, He
would have used it. To the Jews (you know) it's a stumbling block. To
the Greeks it's absolute foolishness. You and I don't understand, but we
believe. And that revelation does something to us. That's the most
wonderful thing of it all. It is 'a revelation'. It's just absolutely
phenomenal to know that this is true. How do you know it's true?
Because, something inside witnesses to you.

	So, we go to the table of the Lord. Before we do let's just pray one
more time.

	Heavenly Father, we ask You now to bless the people as they come
forward in remembrance of the great death of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. Who, in our likeness and in flesh stood here in that form, You
in Him, and with Him, and in such a way so lived, that when He gave His
life, which could not be taken from Him, the blood was completely
drained from His body, and He being theirs, still had to give up that
life until there was nothing left but the cold corpse hanging upon the
Cross. It's hard for us, Lord, to even begin to realize what that meant,
and for what that is.

	Perhaps, Lord, later down the road we will know as we have not known at
this point, but we do, Lord, have that revelation that this is the
remembrance of that which was done, And we partaking, Lord, make a
confession tonight that this is what happened, this is in remembrance.
And we remember It, Lord, and we know that and believe that there will
be a time when we won't recognize It through all the eternity. That
being so, how important It is, how serious we ought to be, because it
must have been serious to Him.

	He Who said, "I can presently call twelve legions of angels." Very,
very serious, Who said, "Let this cup pass if it can pass, but let Thy
will be done." Tremendously serious. And, Lord, we have not resisted
unto blood striving against sin, but we know even in the Garden drops of
blood appeared on the forehead. Actually sweat blood, coming to the
place of the full measure of consecration unto death.

	I know, Lord, there is many things that theologians say we're wound up
in. The horror of Him becoming sin for us, which we don't know if that
were true or not, we don't know all those things. But, we do know there
lies in here that which is eternal in its merits and its efficacy. With
the centrality of the Cross is indeed, the centrality of redemption and
of the universe. And the Lamb's Blood has never, or ever lose its power,
because it has become an eternal factor.

	Lord, You've warned us in Your Scripture, let it be serious and sober,
and examine ourselves. We do, Lord, and in our examination we find that
we are very faulty as to the depths of the true passion and compassion
which should be in us through the revelation of the Holy Spirit
concerning this. And we ask You tonight, Lord, not only to forgive us,
but to help us that we may think of Him Who died that we might live. 

	Oh, not just one day a month, but every single day. Even many times a
day, Lord. The sobriety, because it is high time to be sober concerning
God and the things of God. This is what we pray at this time, Lord, as
we partake of, and we give You the glory, Lord, as we pray and as we
partake, because we believe that You are helping us from moment on. To
come to that position, because You love us as a husband loves his wife.
In fact, You love more than that. That was maybe just, and It was just a
type of the real.

	And so, we're praying to You tonight our Husband, commemorating the
Lamb death, our Husband's death that He might bring us forth. Lord, that
is wonderful, we appreciate it. We open our hearts and minds as never
before and give Thee praise in Jesus' Name. Amen.

	'The Lord bless you'.

	 

 

 

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