[Pastor Ralph]

Q4. What are the implications for you personally, when you realize that in the Lord's Supper you are becoming a sharer in the sacrifice of the cross? How does that affect you? How does it change your understanding of the Lord's Supper?

[RonS]

Q4. What are the implications for you personally, when you realize that in the Lord's Supper you are becoming a sharer in the sacrifice of the cross? How does that affect you? How does it change your understanding of the Lord's Super.

It humbles me and make me sooooo thankful for what Christ willingly did for me. How should I a sinful person be able to pertisipate in any thing with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords? This is what my pastor always tried to do was make it personal for each person. The Lord did this for you so you could be in fellowship with Him.
Thank you Jesus.

[charisbarak]

Personally, when I am a sharer in the sacrifice of the cross, it refreshes me; it allows me to commune with Jesus and thank Him again for the suffering He had to go through because of His love for me, a sinner; it also keeps it all fresh in my mind. I need to come back to that common ground on a regular basis, not let it fade from my daily thoughts. There is so much information we receive every day and His sacrifice for me needs to take priority in my thoughts.

The more I learn about the Lord's Supper, the closer I want to be to Him and I long for the supper I will share with Him in heaven soon!

[Jezemeg]

When I share in the Lord's Supper with fellow believer's, I am brought into closer companionship with each of them and with Jesus. I am reminded of the level of God's love for us, by Jesus totally unselfish act of sacrificing Himself as a permanent atonement for our sins, removing forever any barrier between us and God. Now we can approach God directly as a member of His family. Sharing in the Lord's Supper strengthens the intimacy between believer's. Jesus sacrificed His whole being for us, what right have we mere mortals to hold onto petty grievances between us that threaten our ability to complete the Great Commission that He gave to us?

One should not allow hurt or anger against another participant to go unresolved if one is to receive the full benefit of sharing in communion. We are only responsible for our own actions and we must do our part to resolve differences etc, the other party/parties are each responsible for their own actions. It is not expected that believer's never have a difference of opinion, it is not expected that believer's will necessarily become firm friends with everyone. But it is necessary that we exhibit God's love to each other and to those who are yet to fully realise the depth of God's grace. We must stand in total agreement as to our part in fulfilling the Great Commission, and I believe this is what is the most important result when we share in the Lord's Supper.

[MannyVelarde]

Q4. What are the implications for you personally, when you realize that in the Lord's Supper you are becoming a sharer in the sacrifice of the cross? How does that affect you? How does it change your understanding of the Lord's Supper?

It brings new depth to the process- in our "growing up" days many of us come from tradition that makes the Lord's Supper meaningless - and without purpose - Realizing that we are becoming s sharer of the sacrifice of the cross - should humble us and make our heart's desire to approach this element of faith with a clean heart and mind and a humbled seriousness.

[Helenmm]

Q4. What are the implications for you personally, when you realize that in the Lord's Supper you are becoming a sharer in the sacrifice of the cross? How does that affect you? How does it change your understanding of the Lord's Supper?

In the light of all the other things I've said in answering these brilliant questions, I have the challenge to live up to all of it, and also to communicate and teach these things wherever I can. Some of this I can do through writing, but on my heart is the need to teach new Christians how to enter fully into these things, so that they don't have to take ten years to get there like I have I actually want to ask my pastor about this, because there is so much that has been neglected or lost in western society that I'm beginning to discover, all of which can be taught right at the beginning of Christian life.

The identifying thing is very strong. eg If one is fighting for one's country, one doesn't sometimes go an fight for the enemy because they are good fellows too!. The country calls that treason and sets you up with a firing squad, or at least a ball and chain. In the same way, communion identifies us with Jesus, His glory and purpose, and we have no place consorting with the enemy. I'm learning to find the parallels in the physical so that powerful learning can take place, for everything reflects God consistently in every way.

[pickledilly]

In the Lord's Supper I become a participant in the altar of the cross. Just stating that is intimidating. I must seek to balance my sense of insufficient unworthiness with the supreme adequate value and merit of Christ in me. (Of course, it's not something I can accomplish myself. I will find that balance only in releasing myself to the work of the Spirit.)

How humbling that the Son of God has made me worthy to be made like Him. Not only in all the wonderful promises of my inheritance, but in the wondrous privilege of suffering for His sake. It is through the sacrifice of my life to Him (which definitely causes the flesh to suffer) that I gain the fullness of His glory. It is then through His glory in me that I can participate with Him in the defeat of sin in my life, enjoy His resurrection from death of the old to powerful new life in my everyday journey, and have the pleasure of fellowship with His - and my - Heavenly Father. How can I ever be casual with the Lord's Supper again? It is the memorial celebration of all that His death has gained for me, and a reminder of my responsibility to be a living demonstration of His sacrificial love. Lord Jesus, please help me to be obediently faithful to Your call for me to take up my cross and follow You.

[steve.c]

Pastor Ralph, on Apr 24 2006, 12:27 PM, said:

Q4. What are the implications for you personally, when you realize that in the Lord's Supper you are becoming a sharer in the sacrifice of the cross? How does that affect you? How does it change your understanding of the Lord's Supper?

Directly sharing in Jesus' sacrifice on the cross through participating in the Lord's Supper, draws me more closely to Him and makes His sacrifice personal to me. The Lord's Supper to me is more than just a memorial to a past event, however important. Jesus is present at the Lord';s Supper. The physical sharing of the bread and wine, His body and blood, has a spiritual reality. He is with me and I with Him. This makes the Lord's Supper more important to me. His body and blood are not only an atonement for my sins, they are a source of spiritual sustenance to me. The closer the Lord's Supper brings me to Jesus, as we share His sacrifice of atonement together, the more He nourishes me and gives me strength to do His bidding and to resist the world.

[Stan]

Q4. What are the implications for you personally, when you realize that in the Lord's Supper you are becoming a sharer in the sacrifice of the cross? How does that affect you? How does it change your understanding of the Lord's Supper?

It makes me feel sorry and broken, a sinner only God could in His infinite wisdom love. I am truly made sorry and humbled knowing what Christ in His unselfish faith did for me before I was even born. Knowing that I would need a Saviour and that He was the only sacrifice that could save me from the Father's wrath. He remained faithful through it all even to death on the cross.

When I think about being part of the sacrifice it make me glad that I can suffer for Christ in continuing His work in bring others to Him. I am affected by the love that His death and resurrection has left in the form of the Spirit to lead and guide me daily through this life that we must live to be raised in Him in the end.

My understanding have been deepened by the study of the Lord's Supper in that it has shown me the relationship of Christ and the sacrifices of the Hebrew Children. I some how ofter try and separate the two never stopping to realize that Christ was my sacrifice and penitence for the things I have done. It shows me that I must be ever watchful that I don't become complacent and partake in a way that is unfaithful to Christ and His death and that as a follower I must strive to teach and help others to know what a true gift Jesus has given up for us.

[Lion of Grace]

I have been really made more aware of the spiritual depth of Christianity and not only how I am personally connected to Jesus, but also how I am connected to other brothers and sisters in Christ. This revelation has renewed a right Spirit within me. It has made me aware that this is such a Holy and sacred connection. That helps me to view my everyday relationships and even everything I do to reach the lost in a new light. This has been so eye opening to me and has touched me so deeply that I hope I will never take communion again without renewing in my mind what a deeply spiritual gift Christ has given us. How many facets this all has. That He gave so much and so willingly and so unselfishly with such generosity....has really set my mind to ponder on where these truths are evident in my life towards others. When I accept so freely these wonderful gifts, can I not give so freely besides? I try to....but I have just been given such a deeper perspective.
I see that I have been given the PRIVELEDGE to share in the cross. That the calls on our lives are to be such Holy callings and that we should take communion with this reminder always. I always pray for the church and I have been made aware of how casual and mundane we have become about the very foundation we are built on and how we as a church (Christians) have lost such depth in what we teach and what we preach and how we live and our personal witness to who Jesus really is! At least for myself I have been convicted of this. I'm just so grateful to Him for leading me to this study and the depths He is taking me. I am in such awe.....again.

[Saved55s]

What are the implications for you personally, when you realize that in the Lord's Supper you are becoming a sharer in the sacrifice of the cross?
It is a good feeling to know that I belong to & am just a small part of the body of Christ {the church} & that there are many millions of fellow like- minded Christians the whole world over who also are partaking of the communion meal in rememberance of what Christ has done for us. That we all have one goal & that is to give all praise, honour & glory to the one true living God.

How does that affect you?
It gives me a joy & it humbles me. There’s a feeling of warmth that I am part of something so wonderful.

How does it change your understanding of the Lord's Supper?
The Lord’s Supper is a privilege to be able to share in & to share with others.

[linda sue]

Pastor Ralph, on Apr 24 2006, 06:27 PM, said:

Q4. What are the implications for you personally, when you realize that in the Lord's Supper you are becoming a sharer in the sacrifice of the cross? How does that affect you? How does it change your understanding of the Lord's Supper?

If you are asking if I shared in the sacrifice of the cross, I would have to say yes. I contributed my sins to Jesus as He hung there nailed and bleeding to the tree. How does that affect me? It makes me realize that He did it for me. It is because He was God. How does it change my understanding of the Lord's Supper? The Lord's Supper is a constant reminder of how sinful and how far from God that I was.

[JustJeff]

For me the implication as a sharer in the Lord's sacrifice on the cross, and the constant reminder made by partaking in the communion, is that because of me He hung there. I am empathetic to the point of spiritually feeling His suffering and even more so when I realize I crucify Him all over again everytime I mess up.
The effect of this is frequent humility ( I'm constantly fighting my pride and, sadly, lose too often) along with the sense that I am not worthy of His great love for me.
This is the second extensive study that I have done on the Lord's Supper. This particular study has caused me to take the subject in a very personal way as the first concentrated on the body as a whole. This has made me realize that Yeshua did this for me and that I should be just as committed to Him in my life as He was to me in His death (and resurrection).

[masika]

The Lord's Supper is my Passover remembrance of my new life and fredom from my sin . It was my sin that let Our Dear Lord Jesus Christ to be nailed on the cross .

[Nancy Decker]

The HOly Sacrifice of His Life's blood symbolized through our partaking of Holy Communion reminds us of how our sins were the reason for the NEED for our Lord to die for us. Our sinfulness is our part of the sacrifice of His Body and Blood, and the remembrance of our NEED for being saved from ourselves, brings us to the Cross of repentance and lifts our spirits up to our Lord Jesus with THANKFULNESS AND PRAISE TO HIM for His Mercy towards us.

It has been said we are to partake of His Glory and Sufferings in our lives, which I think means we will also be honored by Him in some way even here on earth, and the sufferings in our lives are part of our participation or sharing in the same kind of sufferings Jesus had. It is not that I believe my suffering compares with His suffering, but that somehow all of this earthly Body of Christ combined has participated in His suffering....and that somehow it is to His Glory. I am not sure how, but since we are His family and Jesus is our Head and the Holy Spirit is in all of us, we are intimately connected in all areas of our lives.

My responsibility in sharing of His Body and Blood must be with a consciousness of how much He loves me, and how much more I need to learn to love HIM....He is my Lord.

[Julie]

Wow, we are participating and communing with Christ, as one body in the Church, we all are sharing in Christ sacrifice we all as one are communing with Him.
I'm no longer confused about partaking, afraid that I'm not worthy to partake, For I know understand that its done in Remembrance of the Sacrifice the Lord made for us.

[charity]

Personally, the implications of becoming a sharer in the sacrifice of the cross today are more sobering than they have been in the past. I have a greater consciousness of the cost of being a follower of Christ and the responsibility of obedience to Christ. Perhaps, in reality, Self is more conscious of what still needs to go. Paul’s exhortation of working out my salvation with fear (reverence) and trembling (awe) rests in my recognizing the futility of any work from me in contrast to the ever abounding grace through Christ. The changes that I allow to happen will be those that decimates Self, thus allowing me to help and love others unconditionally. It is great to have a futuristic desire for all the heavenly blessings and promises to come, but the greatest implication is the practical real-time exercise of immediate interaction with people around me today. Previously, my partaking of the Lord’s Supper has been a time of reflection and thanksgiving for the “freedom” I have gained through the death and resurrection of Christ. Now, I am seeing it as a call of “here I am, send me, Lord.” And honestly, from that perspective, a small plastic cup of juice and a tidbit of bread becomes a whole lot more to swallow.

[ONALEE]

Awesome; to leave my sins at the cross. HUMBLING .To feel the pain of forgiveness. Realizing the suffering Jesus Christ must have gone through. For me to become like him. What a sacrifice for a friend. Leaves me feeling uplifted and at peace with God. Still cant imagine the full impact on all the the friends of Jesus.

[haar]

I have never been very concious of the fact that whenever I participated in the Lord Super, I was actually a sharer in the cross until Pastor Ralph opened my mind to this fact! I believe that from now on, whenever I participate in the Lord Super I will be very concious of the fact tha I am shiaring in the Lord's sacrifice on the cross. It is really exciting to realise that I am connecting to the Lord through the eating and drinking of the Lord's Super. The thought of sharing in His suffering and death is overwhelming and my heart is lighted up even right now. I can not wait for the next Holy Communion service to experience a fresh re-union with my Lord.

How does this affect me?

Well, I think the knowledge that I am a sharer, participant having a common interest with my Lord Jesus is heart warming. It refreshes my mind, heart and hope for real reunion with Him when He returns or when I join Him.

I have said this before that, my perspective of the Holy Communion has changed since I started this programme. It is no longer viewed as a routine but a refreshing time when I commune with my Lord, sharing in His sacrifice on the cross, connecting to Him and having a part in His death. No wonder why Paul said in Col 3:3 "For you died, and your life has been hidden with Christ in God". Praise God

[PCHRIS]

This opportunity of coming together with fellow beleivers and communing together brings to mind and my heart what Jesus did for each one of us, regardless of race, colour or creed. We are all equal in God's eyes and it was each one of us whose sins put Jesus on the cross.

We come together as one with Christ and as a body at a time of confession, seeking forgiveness, and participating together in this time.

A time of unity, love and oneness with our God

praise to God for this