Discerning the Lord's Body

"One Year Bible" New Testament Passage (for Sat., Aug. 18)
I Corinthians 11:17-34

²⁸ But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹ For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. I Corinthians 11:28-29 (NKJV)

Discernment is a spiritual gift that we need to develop. Discernment is the ability to "see through." It is the divine enablement to see what is happening in the spiritual realm. 

Without spiritual discernment everything becomes ordinary. With spiritual discernment we realise the the Lord is talking to us through a myriad of things going on around us. 

I grew up in a tradition in which the taking of the Lord's Supper seemed to be only a rote religious ritual. We did it simply because the Bible told us to, and had only minimal appreciation of the spiritual significance. 

There are tremendous benefits to receiving Holy Communion is a proper fashion - by discerning the Lord's body.  There is grace, there is healing, there is deliverance. It is powerful. 

Correspondingly, if we fail to discern the Lord's presence in Holy Communion, we miss the blessing He offers. Next time, at the gathering of the church, when the Lord's Supper is celebrated, set yourself to BELIEVE and RECEIVE. This is the communion of the body of Christ.