When You Come Together To Eat, Wait For One Another

(1 Corinthians 11:17-34)

"Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. Therefore when you come together in one place, IT IS NOT TO EAT THE LORD'S SUPPER."  (v.17-20)

Paul delivers to the Corinthian church that which he received from the Lord: that they/we should eat the bread, and drink the cup, in remembrance of Him. "For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you (we) proclaim the Lord's death till He comes." But if we eat this bread and drink this cup in an unworthy manner, we eat and drink judgement to ourselves, not discerning the Lord's body.

It could be the Corinthians were partaking unworthily of the bread and the cup because they did not know how to make themselves ready to receive. The mountain (Mark 11:23) Jesus teaches His disciples about kept the chief priests and scribes from receiving Jesus Christ, the Living Bread, when He came to the temple. They unworthily received the Bread of God when He came to them.

When we come together in one place, it is always to eat the Lord's Supper! Wait for one another as we speak to that mountain (all fleshly confidence) so that we may partake worthily of the Bread of God and drink His cup. That must be the most anointed place.

                                                                                                                                                                     

Walking Worthy Of The Lord, Fully Pleasing Him

"We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and your love for all the saints, because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth; as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, who also declared to us your love in the Spirit. For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may WALK WORTHY OF THE LORD, FULLY PLEASING HIM, BEING FRUITFUL IN EVERY GOOD WORK and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power for all patience and longsuffering with joy;.........(Colossians 1:3-11)

PATIENCE AND LONGSUFFERING WITH JOY. 

"And shall God not avenge His own elect, who cry out day and night TO HIM (for Him), though He BEARS LONG WITH THEM?" (Luke 18:7) The joy comes as He reveals Himself to the saint: showing forth what reconciliation to Jesus Christ means; His perfect will in it!

So, how is the worthy walking, fully pleasing fruitfulness formed in these?

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be (successful) against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: 'For Your (His) sake we are killed all day long; We are counted as sheep for the slaughter.' Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither life nor death, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

None of those things will be able to separate us, but we can separate ourselves. If we don't KNOW the cost; if we don't KNOW the hope of Jesus Christ's calling; the Son's calling; a son's calling; your calling. Worthy walking/fully pleasing KNOWS and is willing to persevere WITH HIM in it. 

The Testimony Of Jesus Is The Intent Of Prophecy

"Then he said to me, 'Write. Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' And he said to me, 'These are the true sayings of God'. And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, 'See that you do not do that, I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.' "(Revelation 19:9,10)

"Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, 'See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.' " (Revelation 22:8,9)

spirit- general meaning or intent (one of many definitions in Webster's)

It seems that the reason prophecy comes is to reveal to the church Jesus' testimony; what His calling was; so that the church may become like the "brethren" mentioned.

"Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; and he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification." (1 Corinthians 14:1-5)

Prophecy comes by the will of the Father, by the quickening of the Holy Spirit, to edify, exhort and comfort the church to/in the testimony of Jesus. I think I can say this is His intent: to HAVE the testimony of Jesus!