The bread, He said, is His body; it shall forever speak of the outward form in which His life was contained on earth. The wine, He said, is His blood; it represents to us the soul of Jesus of Nazareth, the essence of the inward life of a Man who lived totally after the Spirit. All that could possibly be pressed and wrung from Him, all His flavour and savour is in The cup of the New Covenant. It was as though He was saying, 'bury my body and lo, it shall rise up into the bread of everlasting life; liquidate Me and I shall but turn into the wine of spiritual life. Bruise Me, crush Me, grind Me, destroy Me in this form, bury Me and I shall rise, springing up again to become the indestructible life of millions more'.
In that Man was stored the covenanted Man. That life will only nourish and stimulate new men. None but they can partake of it. What He gives at His table will not feed flesh, nor does it fill the stomachs of men. It is only a token to the bodily appetites. The bread is a crumb, the wine a sip, but to those who see and understand in heart it is the feast of the Lord. To these all the loving appeal of Him attracts and commands their beings; they feel it in His voice, they see it in the bread and cup in His hand. 'Do this in remembrance of Me' He says. He is love, but He is the Lord of love. He is to be obeyed. 'Do it', He says.
But Lord, what is it Thou hast done? 'I saw the bread lying upon the table, I saw the cup standing by its side and I took the bread and broke it. I knew it was myself, so I took and broke it myself. I broke myself for thee. I knew that thou couldst not take me until I broke and gave myself to thee personally. I likewise took the cup. I knew the wine in it was my blood and the cup was the New Covenant in it. I knew that it had to be shed on the cross, but I poured out myself, my life, my all, for thee beforehand, and I took the cup of my life and drank it to covenant with thee in my blood. I knew that unless I did so thou couldst not live. That is what I did and this is what I still do. Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake as I did for thee? Wilt thou do this in remembrance of me?' If we do it, let us do it with understanding.
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G.W. North (1913 - 2003)
G. W. North was born in London England in 1913. As a young man he became aware that the Lord was calling him into the work of the ministry. At timely stages the Lord placed folk in his path who were able to direct him into the truth of heart purity and a more expansive understanding of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He held pastorates in Kent and Bradford. By the late 1960s, following a significant period of ministry in Liverpool, he began a more itinerant ministry. This led him to many parts of the world, and occupied him until well into his eighties. His powerful preaching and the unique sense of the Lord's presence, which seemed to brood over his meetings, were always intensely challenging.The true secret of his remarkable ministry stemmed from his personal communion with the Lord Jesus. To him, 'entering the holiest' was not merely a theological concept; it was a distinct spiritual reality - and the central feature of his spiritual life. It was here, in the place of worship, that his revelatory ministry found its source. He preached from understanding and conviction. He was never the echo of another, nor did he take on board the ebb and flow of various contemporary emphases. He was not a man of 'books'; he soaked himself in Scripture and allowed it to saturate his heart and mind. Truly, this is a man who has lifted up a standard for the people. Mr North went to be with the Lord on 29th April 2003, shortly after his ninetieth birthday.