I have written many articles on health over the years. I have focused on exercise, eating whole foods, avoiding GMOs, eating healthy fats, getting enough sleep, drinking pure water, avoiding the majority of cooking oils, getting plenty of omega 3’s, and others. But I believe this article to be the most important of all.

In our small group at church we begin class with praying for the special needs of our friends and acquaintances. Why are so many of our Christian friends afflicted with cancer, diabetes, arthritis, heart problems and other maladies? We read in the Bible that everyone who came to Jesus for healing was cured. As Christians today we actually have the Holy Spirit living inside of us. We are the temple, so why are we so sick? It doesn’t make sense.

It is amazing that God’s word (the Bible) clearly specifies the one reason why so many Christians are sick and die early. Is it because we have been disobedient? No. Is it because we don’t pray enough? No. Is it our diet, lack of exercise, or failure to choose the right supplements? No. This one reason has never been explained in our church, ever, and I doubt that it ever has in your church either.

What is this one reason?? It is our failure to properly discern the Lord’s body at communion. What? That’s the reason so many of us are sick? Yes, that’s what God’s word tells us. Read it for yourself in I Corinthians chapter 11, verses 29 and 30. We participate in the Lord’s Supper “unworthily”. And that does not mean that there is some sin in your life that you have forgotten about. It means that you are lumping the bread and the wine together without the proper distinction of the two.

We properly recognize that the wine symbolizes Jesus’ blood that He gave for us at Calvary to wash away our sins, and that it accomplishes that miracle today even though it happened two thousand years ago. But why did not Jesus go directly to the cross, why did He first allow Himself to be ripped open so may times at the scourging post? The Bible says that He was barely recognizable as a man after the severe beatings.

The answer to that is found in the verses that tell us that we are healed“by His stripes”. (Isaiah 53:4 and I Peter 2:24) Our diseases are removed by his beatings. His blood erased our sins. His wounds removed our diseases. We must make that distinction.

How often do you take communion? Every week? Once a quarter? You can take it “as often as ye will”, (I Corinthians 11:25)  even daily. You can take it at home or anywhere. You can use “official” communion elements or you can use crackers and grape juice, or wine. If I had a chronic health problem, I would take it every day, believing that I was on the path to healing.

Oh, here’s one more thing. When Jesus took the bread, He gave thanks and broke it, and said “Thus do  in remembrance of me”. (I Corinthians 11:24) Maybe that means that we are to break the bread in our hands, symbolizing His broken body, before we partake.

With Jesus it’s “come as you are”. That’s true regarding salvation, as He came to justify the ungodly (we all qualified) and it’s true of communion. If you are saved, if you are a member of God’s family (communion is only for those who have been “born again”) then you can come to the Lord’s table as you are, but express your thanks for all He has done for you, and don’t forget to recognize that the bread represents Jesus’ body that was beaten and shredded to provide good health for you!

Blessings,

Dr. J.