Christian Mission Outreach

Have you longed for the day when the breach between Protestants and Roman Catholics will be repaired? I have – for many years! That is one of the reasons why I wrote JESUS THE BRIDGE, Volumes One and Two.

       “Those from among you shall build the old waste places;

       You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;

       And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,

       The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.” (Isa. 58:12)

In the books, I address things which have separated us for years and propose Scriptural solutions. They were written for both Protestants and Catholics, especially Spirit-filled ones who “Seek the LORD while He may be found.” (Isa. 55:6) If we seek, we will find. Thanks be to God!

Besides many things in Volume One, near the end of Volume Two, I address one of the main stumbling blocks. Since I was a youth, I have longed for the day when we could all receive communion together. I remember Encounter ’68, when I was at university; we had an ecumenical service at which for the first time I experienced Catholics and Protestants receiving communion together. For me, it was so wonderful! I longed for the day when this would be a regular practice, and prayed into it. But it was not until many years later when I would realize that

       true unity in the body of Christ comes not when we just believe the same thing as each other, but when we both believe the same thing as Jesus. We must “prepare the way of the LORD.”

I relate how the Lord began to teach me to shift my views about communion in the early nineties. I desperately wanted to believe what He believed and to do what He would do. But what He was teaching me took a little time to sink in because I had been a firm believer in transubstantiation – that when a priest prayed for the bread and wine to be changed into the body and blood of Jesus, that it actually happened. I would reverently go down on two knees and try to adore Him through the elements. But the Lord began to teach me that this was not what Jesus intended, and it rocked my world.

       “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” (Heb. 12:26) I wanted to do as Jesus said, “Repent and believe the good news.” (Mark 1:15)

First the Lord began to magnify the words, “Do this in remembrance of Me,” especially on communion tables in Protestant churches. At a certain point, I asked for prayer at an Aglow women’s workshop, that the Lord would bring unity to Catholics and Protestants about communion. A leader had a word for me: “Study the gospels.” So I went home and did that. Most importantly of all, I realized that the Last Supper was a Passover Seder at which all the ceremonial foods, including the matzoh bread and wine, were symbolic of the first Passover time. I had been to a few Messianic Jewish Seders, and I had witnessed this. Plus, Jesus often spoke in parables – word pictures.

Just as easily as Jesus had said of the bread and wine at the Last Supper, “This is My body,” and “This is [the cup of] My blood,” He could have put His hand on a grapevine and said, “This is My body,” and “This is the vessel of My blood and you are the branches.” But that would not mean that the grapevine turned into the physical body of Jesus, nor the sap into His blood. And the branches do not turn into people in His body. Jesus spoke in word pictures. Likewise, at the Last Supper, when Jesus, the Lamb of God, spoke, it was in symbolic language – giving the elements new meaning looking ahead to the crucifixion. Plus, the apostles did not go down on their knees or faces and worship the bread and wine. But a time came when most recognized who Jesus was, and “worshiped Him.” (Matt. 28:17)

Jesus can let believers become members of His body. But then as they grow, He brings further revelation and knowledge of Him. If people refuse to believe in His truth, they become offensive to the rest of the body and in danger of being cut off. There is a time not to take offense. But there can also be a time when it is necessary to protect members of the body.

       “‘But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the midst of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.’” (Matt. 18:6-9)

How surprised I was when I realized that the Protestant church had cut off Roman Catholics at the time of Martin Luther! Cut off body parts and branches can wither. But Jesus is able to reattach repentant, revived, body parts just as live branches can be grafted into the vine and living stones can be placed into the wall. We had a wonderful Charismatic Renewal a few years ago. Holy Spirit brought many of us to life again,  we don’t want to just renew things which are not fully pleasing to the Lord. It is far better to be revived in full surrender to Jesus and His ways – which are higher than ours. He is the “Way” and the Waymaker. Let Jesus be Lord of your life. The Good Shepherd “restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” (Ps. 23:3)

       “Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God; on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.” (Rom. 11:23)

       “Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days.” (Hos. 3:5)

       As Mary told Elizabeth, "'His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.'" (Luke 1:50)