IN RELATION TO THE BIBLE READING MEETING
Jn 18:11; 1 Cor 11:26; Rev 14:10
In another meeting of the breaking of bread, I spoke about the bread and the cup. It was a simple message, showing that the bread is a story of life and the cup, a story of blessing. The life of the Lord, symbolized in the bread, is for our enjoyment. Also, God Himself and all that He is became our blessing in the cup.
In a previous message, I focused attention on the cup and began to speak about the importance of the cup according to Psalm 16:5, which says: "The Lord is the portion [...] of my cup." A cup represents the portion we must have. Originally, our portion was the cup of God's wrath. That portion is the lake of fire. Revelation 14:10 speaks of a group of people whose portion is the lake of fire and brimstone. The portion God prepared for them is the lake of fire, the cup of His wrath.
When the Lord went to the cross, He took the cup of God's wrath. He said, "Shall I not drink the cup which the Father has given Me?" (Jn 18:11). He drank the cup of wrath for us. Since the fire of God's wrath was burning Him while He was on the cross, He said He was thirsty.
This corresponds to the Lord's words in Psalm 22:14-15: "All My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; it is melted within Me. [...] My tongue clings to the roof of My mouth." This is the description of the Lord's thirst. On the cross, His blood was shed, which constitutes our cup of salvation, and that cup overflows with blessings.
As we remember Him by seeing the cup, we need to be aware that for our sake He drank the cup of wrath, which was our portion. Then He gave us the cup of salvation that overflows with blessings. When we break the bread to remember the Lord, we receive the cup of blessing. If we speak about the bread and the cup in the communion or prayer meeting, our word will not attract the attention of the people, but when we speak about these elements in the breaking of bread meeting, our speech will be very attractive.
We should not speak in an educational manner concerning the person of the Lord Jesus and His work in the breaking of bread meeting; instead, we should speak simply, with love. We should speak as one who tells a love story. We tell how wonderful the person we love is.
For example, we could read a passage from the Song of Songs describing Him as "white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand" (5:10). We could then say something related to white and ruddy. We should also highlight the beauty of the Lord and how loving He is, so that others may have a true and sweet knowledge of Him.
The breaking of bread meeting is to remember the Lord's work and glorify and exalt His name. Therefore, we can even say something related to His return. Since the Lord's table implies His return, this word can be very sweet. Every time we eat the bread and drink the cup, we announce the Lord's death until He comes (1 Cor 11:26).
The Lord said that after He drank the cup with the disciples, He would not drink from it again until the day when He drinks it new in the kingdom of His Father (Mt 26:29). A brief word can introduce the saints to the matter of the Lord's return. While they remember Him, they are waiting for His return. A word spoken from a heart full of feeling can stimulate people.
Every believer loves the Lord. When their love for the Lord is stirred, they eagerly look forward to the next breaking of bread meeting. If they receive a foretaste and supply, they will certainly want to return. If everyone were like the Apostle Paul, there would be no need to stir their hearts.
However, many saints are new believers who really need help and to be supplied. If they come time after time to the meeting but do not know how to sing hymns and pray like others, they will only be able to listen to others. If they always hear the same melodies, they will feel that something is missing from the meeting and that it is long and boring.
Sometimes the entire meeting is like an old person going down the stairs: it makes people sweat cold, and no one knows what to do. Meetings like these cannot lift people's spirits nor satisfy them. They cannot make them eager to pay the price to return.
Therefore, we cannot complain about any decline in meeting attendance. Those who lead, especially those who minister the word, have the greatest responsibility. We need to minister the word in all meetings in order to supply and give instructions to the saints.
For example, after the new believers in northern China received help regarding fundamental matters for five years, their prayers and praises in the breaking of bread meeting were able to provide great help to other new believers.
They praised the Lord for His sweetness and for the fruits of His work, declaring that they were satisfied with Him. Those saints prayed, "Lord, You are so sweet. From head to foot, You are worthy of being anointed by us. Lord, from birth to death, You are worthy of being anointed. Lord, You are satisfied when You see the fruit of Your work. Today we are sitting in Your presence and are satisfied as we look to You."
Many opened up when they heard prayers like this. In some prayers, there is supply through the ministry of the word. Prayers filled with light can result in supply for others. If the breaking of bread meeting does not supply people through the ministry of the word, it is very deficient. New believers will find the meeting meaningless if they do not gain much or hear any word with spiritual content. We should not only stand firm on the appropriate foundation but also be in a normal condition.
Those who minister the word should spend time before the Lord daily studying how to minister the word in the breaking of bread meeting. Our word in these meetings is not the same as the word spoken from the pulpit. It should not be educational in nature; rather, it should be spoken with feeling, leading people to perceive the beauty of the Lord, to appreciate Him, to worship Him, and to be attracted to Him.
Our speech should not cause them to forget the Lord. On the contrary, it should lead them to contemplate Him and enter into His presence. We should speak about the Lord's work and person, His exaltation, His name, His glory, and His second coming. We may even say something related to His power, but this depends on how we speak.
We should always speak with tenderness, mentioning that God's love is powerful, and His power is manifested in His love. This word is very sweet. If we simply say that the Lord's power is great, even greater than atomic energy, the brothers may forget how lovely He is. Therefore, we should consider how we speak.
We could say, "The Lord's power is in His love. Mothers love their children, but not all have the power to care for them adequately. But the Lord is not like that. There is power in His love, and His power is manifested through love." When we speak this way, the saints perceive that the Lord is as loving as He is powerful. They are led to the Lord and to His intimacy.
Furthermore, this speaking will not interrupt the saints' spirit of worship. When speaking, we need to pay attention to the atmosphere of the meeting. Sometimes we should speak right at the beginning of the meeting or when the bread and the cup are passed. It is extraordinary and very meaningful when our words follow the bread as it is passed.
When the brothers pass the bread, we speak about the bread; and after it has been passed, we can speak concerning the cup. This will give the saints a sweet taste. They will not even feel it while we speak; instead, they will perceive an atmosphere that leads them into the Lord's presence. They may have the sweet feeling that the Lord is pouring out His blood in their presence, and the flow of His blood is for them to drink.
The supply provided by this speaking is full of flavor. This shows us that speaking in the name of the Lord requires considerable investment in study.
Enjoy more: Hymn 116, 381
116 - https://hinario.org/detail.php?id=287
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