By Rhoda Collins

According to God’s Word, the practice of taking Communion originated at the Last Supper. Jesus passed the traditional Passover unleavened bread and wine around the table and explained to His Apostles that the bread represented His body and the wine His blood. This same Jewish Passover feast continues to this day unchanged with the mandatory drinking of wine with dinner.

Sadly, the same can’t be said of Christianity.

Following what was taught to us by Jesus, wine was used in Communion for almost 2000 years. In 1869 things changed.

“In 1869, Thomas Bramwell Welch invented a method of pasteurizing grape juice so that fermentation was stopped, and the drink was non-alcoholic. He persuaded local churches to adopt this non-alcoholic “wine” for communion services, calling it “Dr. Welch’s Unfermented Wine.”” Wikipedia

Today, grape juice has become the accepted norm as the replacement for wine in Communion, with many even substituting wine with any liquid such as tea, apple juice or water. One woman I know takes vitamins and calls it communion! Once a false, man-made road is built, others soon follow with their own roads.

Not a surprising tactic of satan, as he’s been convincing people to water down, replace and ignore God’s Word since Adam and Eve. We can see this satanic tactic throughout Christianity as in adult water baptism exchanged with sprinkling infants; ignoring the Holy Spirit baptism; ignoring deliverance; ignoring Holy Spirit gifts; setting up new a new temple system (“churches”/”holy” buildings) with a new priest system (pastors); ignoring equipping the saints to operate in the supernatural… turning them into spectators, and so on.

Many view wine as some terrible, sinful thing invented by the devil.

Many skip Communion altogether.

Satan has done his job well.

No. God invented wine to be used for many occasions.

• King Melchizedek served wine to Abram after returning from a battle (Genesis 14:17–18).
• In Exodus 29:40 we see God commanding the use of wine as part of the Levitical sacrificial system, and when David was made king, his men feasted for three days with food and wine (1 Chronicles 38—40).
• Psalm 104:15 tells us that God made wine that gladdens the heart of man. And we also see the LORD preparing a feast for His people someday of rich food that includes a “banquet of aged wine” (Isaiah 25:6).
• In the New Testament turning water into wine Jesus’ first miracle at the wedding at Cana (John 2:1–11). And our Lord Himself not only drank wine (Luke 7:34), but He said He would also drink it in heaven with us (Matthew 26:29).
• Additionally, the apostle Paul instructed Timothy to use wine instead of “only water” so as to make his stomach better (1 Timothy 5:23).
• Additionally, the apostle Paul instructed Timothy to use wine instead of “only water” so as to make his stomach better (1 Timothy 5:23).

The Bible doesn’t say don’t drink wine, it says don’t get drunk with wine. Drunkenness is never acceptable in the body of Christ. In fact, Ephesians 5:18 states it quite succinctly: “Don’t drink too much wine, for many evils lie along that path; be filled instead with the Holy Spirit and controlled by him.”

God clearly teaches, that wine, when used properly and in moderation, is a holy and worthwhile substance.

Sadly, many have such an anti-wine mindset that it has become part of their religious stronghold. Excuses against wine for Communion range from, they don’t want to sin by drinking alcohol or believe it will drive them into addiction.

Such miss out on not only additional blessings but are rebelling against the process that God has designed.

Nancy Coen, who has travelled all over the world for God for decades, used to have this anti-wine mindset. In her YouTube testimony, she tells of the time she had Communion with Jesus on a plane. Wine and bread were put down for her by a red-haired flight attendant (she finds out later is an angel). Jesus comes and sits next to her and says, “I came to serve you Communion”. She says, “I hadn’t had a drop in 25 years. I’m sorry I don’t drink”. He looked at her, smiled and said, “So, what’s good enough for Me is not good enough for You”? She says, “He unravelled a whole lot of religious stuff that was in me concerning Communion. That broke away from me a religious tradition.”

Switching out what God has designed is worthless.

“Therefore, whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy (worthless) manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy (worthless) manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason, many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep (die). For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.” 1 Corinthians 11: 27-32

If it were not for the shed blood of Jesus Christ, we would not be able to enter into the presence of our Father.

“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,  by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,  and having a High Priest over the house of God,  let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”  Hebrews 10:19-24

Beware! Any religious practice that takes one away from God’s Way, such as the true Communion with Christ, takes one down a dark way that exposes one to curses.

“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:6-9

Compromising with God and His Truth doesn’t work.

When you have Communion with Jesus, use His Way, not yours!