Spiritual Food for Women

John 7:7-10

7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.

8 You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.” 

9 When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee

10 But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

“The Hatred of the World For Jesus…..and God’s Perfect Timing”– The World’s Persecution and  The Divine Timing of God

In these verses, Jesus is in the middle of a conversation with His unbelieving brothers. In verses 6 and 7, Jesus says paraphrasing, “It is not time for Me to go to Jerusalem, but you all can go anytime you want. The people of the world don’t hate you, but they hate Me because I tell them about all the evil things they are doing. I am honest with them, and they hate Me because of that. You guys go along with the evil that everyone is doing, and that is why they don’t hate you.” Let’s personally ask ourselves these questions: What about me? Am I going along with the world too much? Does the world hate Me, because I am honest about the truth of God’s Word? 1 John 3:13 tells us this, “Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.” We shouldn’t be surprised if we are made fun of, mocked, or treated scornfully by the world. Jesus told us we would be. 2 Timothy 3:12 says this, “…..all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” It doesn’t say we “might” suffer persecution. It says we most definitely “will” suffer persecution. We are not supposed to blend in with the world. We are supposed to “stick out like a sore thumb” as the saying goes. Now, are we supposed to act “holier than thou” or “beat people over the head with the Bible” so to speak? Well…..not if we want to win anyone to Christ. We should “stick out” by the way we live our lives…..by our language, our actions and behavior, our reactions when things don’t go our way, our kindness towards everyone, our understanding towards others, our adherence to God’s Word, and our willingness to help others. Most of all, we are to stick out because of our honesty with others, but not honesty just to prove someone wrong…..honesty in order to save someone’s soul. We need to “stick out” in such a way that others will want what we have. Am I “sticking out” enough? Personally, I am a work in progress. I do “stick out” more than I used to! But, I need to do more to let people know that I belong to Christ, and not the world.

Then, in verses 8-9, Jesus tells them to go on ahead to the feast, but that He would not be going yet. It was not the right time for Him, so He stayed in Galilee. Jesus was on the Father’s perfect timetable, and nothing else mattered. We need to realize that we are also on the Father’s perfect timetable. We all get impatient when things aren’t going our way. We all want our prayers answered now, don’t we? But…..we have to wait on the Father’s timetable. It takes patience which I am lacking in for sure. Jesus was God so He knew the Father’s timetable. He was in perfect harmony with it. We don’t know what God’s timetable is so sometimes we lose patience, and try to do things on our own without God. Let’s just remember to be patient, and wait on the Lord to do His thing. Let’s all remember Isaiah 40:31, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” What a beautiful verse! If only I could live by it all the time! And here is one more beautiful passage about waiting on God’s timetable, “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:25-26) 

In verse 10, we see that Jesus eventually went to the feast, but not in a public way. He went in secret, but not because He was afraid of the Jewish leaders who were after Him. He went in secret so that He would be ready to reveal Himself when it was the Father’s perfect timing, and not a minute sooner. 

1 Peter 4:14 says this, “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” 1 Peter 4:16 says this, “ Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.” It is very hard to endure the hate of the world as a Christian, but the reward of heaven will be worth every ounce of hate that we receive. So Sisters…..let’s encourage each other to be brave! And remember, Jesus is right by our sides through it all.

“And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10:22)

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about how to be saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus, and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves…..and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t or you are not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are…..believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better…..to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat wondering what is going to happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you Father for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

John 7:3-6

3 His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. 

4 For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.”

5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him.

6 Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.

“Stop Hiding and Prove it IF…. You are the Son of God”

The world’s unbelief in Jesus was growing. Let’s look at the pattern. First, His own countrymen, the Jews, did not believe Him. They were so against Him that they were already plotting to kill Him. Next, some of His own disciples stopped following Him. And now, the ultimate betrayal, Jesus’ own family members, His flesh and blood brothers, did not believe in Him. When you read verses 3 and 4, it might sound for a moment like they do believe, but when I picture this scene in my head, I sense a sarcastic tone, and a condescending attitude from Jesus’ brothers. I can just see them cutting their eyes toward one another,  snickering to one another, and making fun of their older brother. You see…..all they saw was their older brother whom they had grown up with…..possibly whom their parents had treated with extra special care. Do you think that Mary and Joseph told the other children who their brother Jesus was? Did she tell them that He would be the Savior of the world? I would think so, but we don’t know for sure. Jesus’ brothers only saw the boy who had worried their parents to death when He was twelve years old when He went to “show off”, as the brothers might have seen it, for the teachers of the law at the temple. I can just picture the sibling rivalry. Now, they saw their older brother stirring up all kinds of trouble with the Jewish leaders that could possibly have an impact on them. I can see some of the unbelieving Jews saying to these brothers of Jesus, “Aren’t you the brothers of this Jesus character who says He’s the Son of God? Surely you don’t stand for this kind of blasphemy.” And I’m not trying to put words in the Bible. I’m just trying to picture how it might have been for Jesus’ brothers. “Your brother says He is the Son of God! Does that mean you guys are sons of God too?” So here is what Jesus’ brothers said to Him in verses 3 and 4 in my own words, “You need to go on to Judea so your followers can see all these miracles you are supposedly performing. If you are the Son of God, then why are you hiding from everyone? Why don’t you go prove it to everyone? Why are you afraid to go to Judea if you can do all these great things? There will be so many people there for the feast. This is your opportunity to show everyone what you can do, and prove it…..if…..you are actually the Son of God.” Of course, verse 5 plainly says that they don’t believe in Him. Jesus knows they don’t, because He can read their thoughts. Then, He says something interesting in verse 6, paraphrasing, “It is not time for the world to see Me yet…..” Jesus was on a strict timetable which came straight from His Father. Every move He made, every person He met, and every place He went was mapped out perfectly. Jesus’ brothers were tempting Him to stray away from that timetable, and do His own thing. This was not possible for Jesus. Jesus was immersed in the Father’s will and plan for Him, and nothing else. Jesus was tempted in this way once before by Satan himself. In Matthew 4:5-6, it says, “Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” Satan was tempting Jesus to show off His power, just like His brothers were doing. Let’s finish verse 6, Jesus says, paraphrasing, “It is not my time yet, but it is certainly always your time.” This statement means more when it is put together with verse 7. He is telling His brothers that it is always their time to be of the world. He is basically telling them that they are not of God, but they are of the world. We will discuss this concept more in the next few verses. 

In Mark 6:3, when Jesus was rejected in His hometown of Nazareth, it lists the brothers of Jesus: James, Joses, Judas (Jude), and Simon. It also says that He had sisters. We know that Jesus’ brothers eventually believed in Him. In Acts 1:14, we read, “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.” Jesus’ brothers were with the apostles in the upper room praying after Jesus’ ascension. Jesus’ brother Jude wrote the book of Jude, and then there was James. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Paul is listing all the people whom Jesus appeared to after He rose from the dead. He apparently appeared to His brother James alone, and then to the rest of the apostles. (1 Corinthians 15:7) Wouldn’t you have liked to have heard that conversation between Jesus and His brother James? James became an elder of the Lord’s church, and also wrote the book of James. Wonder what He said to James? Maybe something like this, “James, I’m counting on you, brother. I need you to be a servant and a leader in my kingdom.”

One lesson we can take from these verses is to always give glory to God, and not seek glory for ourselves for things we accomplish, whether it is accomplishments in the world or in the church. Our accomplishments are for His glory. Everything we accomplish is only because God has allowed us to accomplish it. We are nothing without Him. Jesus’ brothers wanted Him to seek glory for Himself. They wanted Him to “show off”. It’s interesting that they said all this to Him, when they didn’t believe in Him in the first place. They had no faith in their brother. “Prove it!” they said. Well…..Jesus would prove it, but it would be the will of the Father as to when and how He would prove it. It would be on and after that third day…..when that tomb was empty, and His resurrected body was seen. That is when Jesus would truly reveal Himself. Jesus brought glory to God in everything He did, especially His crucifixion, His resurrection, and His ascension back to the Father. Question for myself: How do I bring glory to God through my life? 

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about how to be saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus, and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves…..and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t or you are not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are…..believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better…..to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat wondering what is going to happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you Father for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

John 6:71-7:2

71 He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. 

2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand.

John’s Symbolism and God’s Amazing Word

Chapter 6 ends with John revealing that Judas Iscariot was the disciple that Jesus referred to in verse 70 as “a devil”. He would be the one who would betray Jesus. 

Chapter 7 begins with Jesus walking or traveling in Galilee. It was not safe for Him in Judea anymore. The Jewish leaders wanted Him dead. They did not believe He was the Messiah, and saw Him as a blasphemer.

In verse 2, it says that the “Feast of Tabernacles was at hand”. This was also referred to as the “Feast of Booths”. The Feast of Tabernacles or “Sukkot” was instituted by God in Leviticus 23:33-44. It was celebrated in the seventh month beginning on the fifteenth day of that month. It was an eight day celebration where people would live in tents or “booths” during the feast to remind them of the time when their ancestors were wandering in the wilderness living in tents after Mt. Sinai. This feast took place at the end of the harvest, and was a time to give thanks for all of God’s blessings. We have learned that John’s gospel has lots of symbolism in it, and holds much deeper spiritual connections than the other three gospels. In chapter 6 John used the Passover feast as a symbolic backdrop for the miraculous feeding of the 5000. The Passover commemorated God delivering the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage. The connections that John makes to the exodus from Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, the mountain at Sinai, the wilderness wanderings, and the manna from heaven in his account of this miracle are amazing. This miracle or “sign” as John called it, led up to Jesus’ revealing and teaching throughout the rest of chapter 6 that He is the “bread of life”. The mention of this “Feast of Tabernacles” at the beginning of chapter 7 will hold this same type of symbolism as we read and write through this chapter and the next two. 

If the world could only see the magnificence of the Bible…..the connections between the Old and New Testaments, the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, the common thread throughout its entirety, the providence of God working throughout it, and the grace and mercy that God has shown humankind since the beginning. If only the world could see that everything God has done has been to bring salvation, through His Son, to His created people whom He loves beyond measure. He did all this for us, even though we don’t deserve any of it. God could have given up on us, but He didn’t. He hasn’t. He is such a patient Father, and I am so thankful for Him. God’s Word is perfect, and has everything in it that we need to know in order to live a blessed life while we are here, and then live eternally with Him in heaven. 

Below are two of my favorite verses. Together they express how I feel about God’s Word. His Word is my lamp. It sheds light on which path I need to take, and keeps me on that lighted path. I believe 100% of God’s Word to be truth, because it is inspired by God Himself. It is 100% perfect. God’s Word convicts me when I need it, completes my life, and equips me for anything that I might have to face in this life, and finally……it lights the path to heaven for me.

“Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man (or woman) of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

I have one piece of advice for everyone reading this right now. Find a way to let God speak to you through His perfect Word every day. You need it. You crave it, and you don’t even realize it. We don’t miss what we never experience. Find a way to experience His Word, and let it work in your life. You will never regret the time that you spend with Him. 

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about how to be saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus, and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves…..and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t or you are not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are…..believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better…..to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat wondering what is going to happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you Father for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

John 6:68-70

68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 

69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?”

“Jesus…..the Only ONE With the Words of LIFE”

As some of Jesus’ disciples turn away from Him and walk with Him no more, Jesus turns to the twelve, “Will you all leave too? Is following Me too hard for you as well?” At that point, Peter speaks up as He so often will in the future, and answers a question with a question. Peter says paraphrasing, “Lord, who else would we follow? There is no one else who speaks as You speak. You are the only one who offers eternal life. Why would we walk away from eternal life?” (vs. 68) Then, in verse 69, Peter spoke that beautiful confession…..that confession which, if we are Christians, we have all spoken on the day we were baptized. He confessed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. I love how Peter says, “We have come to believe and know…..” The words “believe” and “know” prove that Peter’s heart had been transformed. But there is something else that sticks out to me in Peter’s statement. Peter made himself the spokesperson for the other eleven men when He used the pronoun “we”. Peter had all the qualities of a leader in the making, and Jesus knew this. This is why Jesus changed his name from Simon to Peter, which means “rock” or “stone”. Peter would be a “rock” solid leader in the church one day. But Jesus knew that Peter had to be humbled. He had to be molded into a humble leader the way an elder in the church is supposed to be. In verse 70, Jesus let Peter know very quickly that He didn’t know the hearts of these other eleven men. Jesus let Peter know that He was the only one who truly knew the hearts of the men standing before Him. Jesus spoke of one of them being “a devil”. It is as if Jesus was saying, “Peter, you don’t know all of the hearts of these eleven men like you think you do…..but I do, and one of them has a heart of stone.” Peter was an impulsive person who sometimes jumped to conclusions, and sometimes tried to take over in situations where he shouldn’t. We saw Him do this at the transfiguration when He wanted to build the temples to Elijah, Moses and Christ. Before Peter could even get all the words out, God spoke out of a cloud and said, paraphrasing, “This is my Son whom I’m pleased with. Stop making all these big plans, Peter. Listen to Him, Peter!” (Matthew 17:1-9) We saw this again when Jesus predicted His own death, and Peter spoke up and said that he would not allow that to happen. Jesus actually called Peter “Satan”, and told him he was only concerned with worldly things. Peter was interfering with God’s plan by trying to stop the inevitable. (Matthew 16:21-23) Then again in the garden when Jesus was arrested, and Peter drew his sword, cutting off the ear of one of the Roman soldiers. Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?” (John 18:10-11) Of course, Peter meant well in all of these situations, but just because he meant well, didn’t make him right. So where am I going with this? Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Don’t we see this in the religious world today? For example, a person or a group of people decides to establish their own church with their own doctrines and practices. I mean…..they are still talking about Jesus in their assemblies, right? Don’t they mean well? I’m sure they do, but does it make them right? When we look at all the denominations in the world, that is exactly what has happened down through the ages. One day someone thought, “If we add musical instruments, people will enjoy the service more. We will get more people to show up.” Another person thought, “If we have special guests come and perform, maybe people will enjoy worship more.” Then someone in the Lord’s church thought, “Hey, I have an idea, let’s add an extra contemporary service for people who enjoy the accompaniment of instruments in the worship. We will still have the traditional acapella service for those who want it. We are still the Lord’s church.” No, you are not. That is man’s idea, not God’s. Back to Peter, “Hey, I have an idea, let’s build temples to Elijah, Moses, and Christ to honor them.” No Peter, that’s not what God wants. That is your idea…..not God’s. Do you see the connection?

I may be “reaching” with what I am getting out of these verses, but this is where my mind went. This is what I got out of these verses. I believe Jesus began Peter’s training in leadership and humility right here in these verses that we are writing today. Jesus began His lesson on humility with Peter by letting Him know that he didn’t know as much as he thought he did about the hearts of the other eleven men. Jesus said, paraphrasing, “You don’t know this, Peter, but I chose y’all. And one of you is a devil.” Lessons in humility would be ongoing for Peter. In Matthew 26:31-35, Jesus told His disciples that “all would stumble” on the night Jesus was arrested. Peter said that everyone else might stumble, but not Him. (Because Peter was so much stronger than the other disciples, right? Nope.) Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him three times. To which Peter said, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” Well….we know what happened. Do we sometimes think that we know more than God about a situation? Do we, like Peter, speak or act impulsively without knowing all the facts? Do we try to fix things without consulting God? Do we think that we can’t fail as Christians? Let’s all remember Paul’s words, “Take heed lest you fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). On that day, when Peter spoke for the twelve, and said “we” believe and know that you are the Son of God, I’m sure that He didn’t think that he would ever deny Christ. “I’ll die with you!”, he said. What about me? Can I say that I would die for the cause of Christ? Only Jesus knows if I truly would or not. And when Jesus said, “one of you is a devil”, I wonder, did Peter give that much thought at the time? Probably not, but I bet he remembered it later. Peter was an amazing Christian and leader in the first century church, only because Jesus reprimanded him, and put him in his place every time he tried to overstep. Peter’s personality was not a humble one in the beginning, but he learned to be humble. Some people are more naturally inclined to humility than others. Peter was not naturally humble, but his heart was soft and pliable for Jesus to mold and shape into the leader that He knew he could be, and that is all that matters. 

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about how to be saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus, and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves…..and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t or you are not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are…..believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better…..to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat wondering what is going to happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you Father for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

John 6:65-67

65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”

66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 

67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”

“Do You Also Want to Go Away?”

 In verse 65, Jesus, the Master Teacher, reviews something He taught earlier in this chapter. In John 6:37, He said, “All that my Father gives me will come to Me, and the one who comes to me, I will by no means cast out.” In John 6:44, He said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” This is just another reminder to the people that Jesus and the Father are united in all things. In order to belong to Jesus, we must belong to God, and vice versa. John 6:45 explains how we are drawn to God. Jesus quoted Isaiah 54:13 saying, “And they shall be taught of God.” In order to be “taught of God”, we have to hear and learn from God’s Word. (John 6:45) We have to be in God’s Word regularly in order for Him to draw us to His Son. Jesus’ ability to tie everything together perfectly using Old Testament scripture and just the right amount of repetition is amazing! As a teacher myself, I am in awe of how He gets His points across. 

In verse 66, we see it confirmed that some of His disciples “went back and walked with Him no more.” How sad! They heard the words of life, yet turned away. When they counted the cost of truly following Jesus, it was too high for them. It reminds of the rich young ruler that wanted to know how to have eternal life. When Jesus told Him to sell all He had and follow Him, he went away sorrowful. (Matthew 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31, Luke 18:18-30) The price was too high for Him. He wasn’t willing to give up his material wealth for Jesus. Jesus knew his heart which is why he told him he had to be willing to give up his earthly possessions. Jesus knows what truly means the most to me. Am I willing to give up the things I hold most dear for Jesus? 

There are so many who become Christians, but don’t remain faithful to Him. They are like these disciples who walked with Him no more. They started the journey with Christ, but realized that the cost was too high. It was too hard. What does the Bible say about people who leave Christ? 2 Peter 2:20-22 tells us, “For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.” It says it would have been better for them to have never known. Why will it be worse for them? Here is what I think this means. If this were me, and I were standing before God on judgement day, after falling away, all I would be thinking about is how I had salvation in the palm of my hand. I knew the truth. I obeyed the truth, but I loved the world more than I loved Jesus. Oh, the regrets! And…..on top of that…..the influence that my falling away may have had on my husband and my children, possibly even my grandchildren as they stood before God. It makes me shudder just to think about it. Throughout my life, up until around 10 years ago, I had fallen away, and came back more than once. And I don’t mean that I completely quit going to church. I fell away in my heart. I fell away in my behavior as a Christian. I was a fake, and I hid it well. But I could never hide from God. This is why I frequently mention that showing up to the building does not make us faithful Christians. I can honestly say that I finally see the magnitude of what falling away does, not only to the person who has fallen, but to all who are in their sphere of influence. I will never fall away from My Savior again. Ever. 

Jesus then turned to the 12 and asked them, “Are you all going to leave me too?” Can you imagine being one of the twelve at that moment? Jesus knew from the beginning who was going to stay with Him. He knows right now who is truly with Him, and who is going to leave Him. How would I have responded? I can imagine Him asking me that now. Actually, He does ask me every time I am faced with trials and temptations…..”Greta Hoover, will you leave Me? Will you let yourself be pulled away from Me? Is it too hard to follow Me?” What is my response? Is He asking too much of me? 

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about how to be saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus, and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves…..and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t or you are not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are…..believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better…..to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat wondering what is going to happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you Father for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

John 6:62-64

62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 

63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 

64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him

“Words of Spirit and Life”

Jesus is dealing with unbelief, not only from the people He had fed miraculously, but also from people who were supposed to be His disciples. Jesus was expecting more of them than they thought they could give. These “disciples” were having commitment issues. This is why they said that Jesus had said “a hard saying”. (vs. 60) In verse 62, Jesus asks, paraphrasing, “What if you were to see Me ascend back to where I came from? Then would you believe that I came down from heaven? Then would you believe that I am God?” He is speaking of His ascension back to the Father after His crucifixion and resurrection. If they couldn’t accept Jesus as their “bread” of life…..the only “bread” they truly needed, then there is no way they believed that He was actually God in the flesh who created the earth and everything in it. (John 1:3)

In verse 63, Jesus refers back to His discussion with Nicodemus about spirit and flesh in John 3:6-8. He takes this idea a little further when He says, paraphrasing, “It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh is worthless. My words are spirit-filled. They are the words of eternal life.” Looking back at John 3:6, Jesus says, “Flesh is flesh”, meaning it is weak or frail. We are no more than a sack of bones, muscles, etc. without the Spirit. Remember Ezekial and the dry bones? God said He would give them a “new heart” and put a “new spirit” within them. Their heart of stone would be replaced with a soft heart like flesh……a heart that would follow God. This is a prophecy about the coming of the Messiah. The people who truly become followers of Jesus will have their heart changed from stone to soft pliable flesh, and their dead bones would be filled with life. (Ezekiel 36:26-27) Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:8 that the wind blows where it wants, but we can’t tell where it is going, because we can’t see it. Nicodemus was like we are when it comes to the wind. He couldn’t see/understand what Jesus was saying about the spirit…..yet. The unbelievers in these verses were in the same boat. Just like we can’t see the wind, they refused to see the spiritual things that Jesus was speaking of. They refused to even try to see it. The world today also refuses to rely on the spiritual things that bring eternal life, and continues to rely on the physical things that only lead to spiritual death. 

In verse 64, Jesus acknowledges the problem. Jesus’ sayings were “hard” sayings to these “disciples”, because they didn’t truly believe in Him. They were false disciples…..pretenders! Maybe they wanted the status of being a follower of Christ, but didn’t want to actually follow what He said. Maybe they wanted to be seen with the “miracle man”, but when He started speaking about spiritual things, and true commitment to Him…..aka. “eating His flesh and drinking His blood”, they were done following Him. Doesn’t this sound familiar within the world today, and even in the church today? “I’ll follow Christ when it is convenient. I’ll follow Christ when it suits my lifestyle. I attend church so that makes me a follower of Christ.” I completely agree we need to be in the assembly every time the doors are open, but there is so much more to being a Christian than just showing up at the building. It certainly took me a while to figure that out. 

The second part of verse 64 says that Jesus knew all along who was going to forsake Him, yet He still allowed them to follow Him as His disciples. He knew who the pretenders were from the start. It also mentioned that He knew who would eventually betray Him. He knew Judas’ heart. Judas obviously didn’t stop following Him on this particular day, but Jesus already knew that His heart was hard. Maybe some of these people who were false disciples at this time, became true disciples later on when the church was established. I hope so. But, we know what happened to Judas. So very sad. It blows my mind that Jesus has always known my heart. He knew back when I was just a pretender, whether I would get my act together and become a true follower or not. He knew the exact moment that my heart would start to soften and change. He sees past everything …..all the way to what I am capable of doing for Him, just like He saw all that Simon would do on the day that He changed his name to Peter. 

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about how to be saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus, and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves…..and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t or you are not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are…..believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better…..to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat wondering what is going to happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you Father for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

John 6:58-61

58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”

59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?”

61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? 

“Does the Truth Offend You?”

Jesus, the Master Teacher, reviews the key point of His entire sermon in verse 58. Paraphrasing, “I, who stand before you, am the bread which came down from heaven. I am not the bread like the manna that your fathers ate to keep their physical bodies alive for they are now dead. Anyone who eats this bread, which is My flesh and My blood, will live forever.” The people whom Jesus had fed with the 5 loaves and 2 fish the day before had gone looking for Jesus that day, not because they wanted fulfillment of their souls, but fulfillment of their bellies. They found Him in the synagogue. I am sure there were Jewish leaders, teachers of the law, and scribes present who were listening as well. 

Verse 60 was really eye-opening for me. I had never thought about people who were already disciples doubting and complaining about Jesus. I have read the book of John more than once, but failed to see the significance of this before. What is a disciple? According to Blueletterbible.org, a disciple is a learner or pupil. These people who were supposedly His “disciples”, said that Jesus was saying a “hard saying”, and they were asking the question, “who can understand it?”. They were supposed to be committed students of the Master Teacher. Obviously, they were not true disciples. True disciples realize that they can’t live without Jesus. True disciples would be defending their teacher’s words, not doubting them. True disciples are dedicated, and nothing anyone could say would be able to stifle that dedication. 

In verse 61, we see that Jesus reads their thoughts, and asks “Does this offend you?” This question is very significant. Here is the statement and question that the false disciples said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?”. This was not actually what they were thinking. They understood what Jesus was saying to them. They wanted to act like they didn’t understand, but they did. Or else why would Jesus ask if He had offended them? Wouldn’t He have said, “Do you not understand?”, if they had truly been confused. The word “hard” means offensive, stern or intolerable. (blueletterbible) It did not mean it was difficult to understand. In today’s language, verse 60 means, “I’m out guys! This Jesus fellow is expecting too much from me! This is too hard. Who can even do what He is asking us to do?” The bottom line is this…..Jesus was speaking the truth to them, and they were offended by the truth, just like so many people today are offended by the truth. 

So, was Peter a false disciple when He denied Christ those three times? No, because he knew he was wrong, and he repented of it. Peter messed up, but he made things right, and came back stronger than ever before. We all mess up as disciples of Christ. But, the “many” disciples who complained about Jesus’ words were false disciples. They played the part for a while, but eventually the truth came out, and their true colors were shown. It is significant that John includes this, because there are false disciples today…..sitting in pews…..pretending. I am ashamed to say that I have been one of those in my past. We are not disciples of Jesus just because we show up to the church building. It is an “every day, all day, commitment” of “eating His flesh” and “drinking His blood”. Is this a “hard saying”? It can be hard, but it is not hard to understand. Being a disciple of Jesus is truly realizing that Jesus is all we need. He is our bread. A “hard saying”? Yes, at times it is. But we don’t give up. We continue to follow Jesus, come back to Jesus when we fall, and look to Him when we are struggling. We continually learn from Him, because that is what a disciple is…..a pupil of Jesus. These people in verse 60 gave up on Jesus. We can fail at following Jesus at times. We absolutely will fail sometimes. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t disciples anymore just because we fall short. All have fallen short (Romans 3:23). Jesus knows if my heart is right with Him. And if I’m honest with myself, I know if my heart is right with Him. This makes me think of the word “abide”…..a powerful word. If we abide in Him, we are most certainly His disciples (John 8:31). 

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about how to be saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus, and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves…..and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t or you are not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are…..believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better…..to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat wondering what is going to happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you Father for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

John 6:54-57

54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 

55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 

56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 

57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.

Jesus gave His flesh and blood for us…..to save us from our sins. We would be lost for eternity without the sacrifice of the flesh and blood of Jesus. In verse 54, Jesus says that He will raise up whoever eats his flesh and drinks his blood. We see this same language back in verse 40 of this same chapter where Jesus says, “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” Also, in verse 44, Jesus says, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” So, how do we get Jesus to raise us up “at the last day” to life eternal? These three verses combined give us a clear picture of what is expected of us. We “see the Son and believe in Him”. (vs. 40) This is the beginning. Belief leads to obedience. When we believe and obey Jesus, we are “drawn by God” to Him. Obeying the words of Jesus as we are drawn by God to Him means we are symbolically feeding our souls with His flesh and blood. This is how we will be “raised up at the last day”! 

In verse 55, the word “indeed” means “of a truth” or “truly”. I like the way the ESV translated this verse. “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.” (John 6:55) There is no other food or drink for your soul other than the flesh and blood of Jesus. What Jesus gives us is the real thing…..the genuine article…..the one and only, true food and drink that will forgive our sins and save our souls. When Jesus was scourged by the ruthless Roman soldiers with those horrible scourging weapons, His blood was shed as His flesh was torn away from His body …..for us. His blood was shed as a crown of sharp thorns was forced and beaten down upon His head, nails were driven through His hands and feet, and a sword was shoved into His side…..for us. It only makes sense that Jesus would symbolically refer to His flesh and blood as our “true food” and “true drink”. We have to have food and water to survive physically. In the same way, we have to have spiritual food and water to survive spiritually. Our physical bodies have to have a balanced diet of healthy foods and plenty of pure water with limited “junk food” in order to function properly. If all we ate was “junk food”, we would eventually kill our physical bodies. In the same way, when we turn to the world to solve our problems or fill our voids, it is like we are feeding our souls “junk food”, instead of the “true food” and “true drink”…..the “flesh” and “blood” of Jesus. Sometimes I find myself turning everywhere for satisfaction, except the true food and true drink that I need. When that happens, I have to RESET!

Side note…..Is everything in the secular world “junk food” for the soul? Am I saying that we can’t enjoy anything in the secular world? Not at all. I have lots of things that I enjoy that are secular. It is fine to enjoy sports, music, books, movies, shows, vacations, cooking, etc., just as long as I am not turning to those things for true satisfaction for my soul, and as long as they don’t pull me away from Jesus. Jesus has to be at the center of everything in my life, and He has to regulate what secular things/activities I allow myself to participate in, and how much time I put into them. We can’t let our secular things that we enjoy become our main focus. We can’t become the thorny ground where Jesus is choked out of our lives. Believe me, this can happen before you know it. It has happened to me before, and I have had to get my priorities in order more than once. If we have a good balance with Jesus as our number one priority, we can be a good influence and make a positive impact on  people in the world as well as our sisters and brothers in Christ.

In verse 56, Jesus lets us know that “eating His flesh” and “drinking His blood” is not a one time thing. It is an ongoing way of life. We have to abide in Him no matter what we are doing. He should consume our lives. The beautiful part of this is that as we abide in Him, He abides in us. We can’t become a Christian, and then not nourish ourselves with God’s Word. We won’t grow, and we will eventually die spiritually. 

In verse 57, Jesus says that He lives because of the Father. This means that He lived to do the Father’s will. We have already established that Jesus was with God from the beginning, and was not a created being. Jesus was God. Jesus was completely consumed by the will of His Father, because they are one. Jesus’ food is fulfilling His Father’s will as He said in John 4:34, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” The last part of verse 57 says that “he who feeds on Me will live because of Me”. Just as Jesus’ life was consumed with the Father, our life should be consumed with Jesus. Jesus is our spiritual nutrition. We are spiritually starved and malnourished without Him. Am I getting enough spiritual nutrition? 

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about how to be saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus, and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves…..and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t or you are not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are…..believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better…..to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat wondering what is going to happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you Father for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

John 6:50-53

50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 

51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”

52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”

53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 

“How Can This Man Give Us His Flesh To Eat?”

Remember in John 6:49 when Jesus said, “Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, but are dead.”? Well, He continues this thought process in these next verses tying it all together beautifully. He compares the physical bread that God provided for His people, to the spiritual bread that God sent to earth in the person of His Son. In verse 50, paraphrasing, He continues, (Your ancestors died in the wilderness after eating the manna), BUT, “this (meaning Himself) is the bread that has come down from heaven. If you eat this bread, you won’t die.” Then in verse 51, Jesus explains this in more detail. Paraphrasing, “I am the living bread from heaven. If one eats this bread, he will live forever; the bread that I give is My flesh. I offer My flesh so that the world will live forever.” Jesus is going to give His body so the entire world can live forever. This statement throws the Jews for a loop. They had already been told by Jesus not to murmur earlier in this conversation. But at this point, they weren’t murmuring. They were actually fighting amongst themselves as they tried to figure out how “this Man” could give them His flesh to eat! (vs. 52) These are the people who have murmured against Jesus and questioned Him at every turn, just like the Israelites of old did to God in the wilderness. The apple doesn’t seem to fall far from the tree. The thing that is most bothersome about the attitude of these people is not that they don’t understand. Anyone can “not understand” and need more clarification about what is being said. It was normal that they didn’t understand everything Jesus was saying. It is that they don’t want to understand. They listen with no intention of believing anything He has to say. They didn’t ask Jesus questions with honest hearts wanting to know the truth. They questioned Him in a condescending way. They wanted to prove that Jesus was crazy and make Him look foolish. But Jesus never backed down. He didn’t try to make it easier to understand. He went even deeper in verse 53. In other words, Jesus dropped a spiritual bomb on them in verse 53. Paraphrasing, “Absolutely, listen to Me, unless you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you have no life in you. You are dead.” And why does Jesus not back down? Because of the great love that He had for those people’s souls. Oh, if they only knew! Jesus showed us the example of not backing down. We have to follow His example and not back down today. We get ridiculed by the world for what we believe…..sometimes by people we love the most. We have to continue to stand up for the truth for the same reason Jesus did…..because we love the souls of the lost, whether we know them personally or not. 

Now, interpreting verse 53 might be a bit confusing. The language in the verse sounds like He could be referring to the Lord’s Supper, but He isn’t. Here are some reasons that I found that support that this verse is not about the Lord’s Supper. First, the word “flesh” is not used where the Lord’s Supper is written about. The word “body” is used instead. They are two different Greek words. Second, the people listening would have no understanding of this memorial because it hadn’t been established yet. And third, if this verse were about the Lord’s Supper, then Jesus is saying that taking the Lord’s Supper is the only thing we need to do to gain eternal life. I can see how this could be confusing, but it just doesn’t make sense for this passage to be about the Lord’s Supper. 

What verse 53 actually means is that we symbolically partake of Jesus’ flesh and blood by giving our entire lives to Him. We are supposed to hunger and thirst for Jesus so much that we are continually “eating His flesh” and “drinking His blood” symbolically by the lives that we lead. Jesus is the Word, right? (John 1:1) The Word became flesh, right? (John 1:14) So…..God’s Word is Jesus’ flesh and blood! Don’t you just love connecting the dots of Scripture? It is amazing! When we study God’s Word, we are “eating His flesh” and “drinking His blood”. In fact, everything we do as Christians for the cause of Christ is “eating His flesh” and “drinking His blood”. It is obeying Him in repentance and baptism, and then living a faithful life in service to Him. Jesus is the all-consuming center of our very being. To symbolically “eat His flesh” and “drink His blood” means that we have consumed God’s Word so much, that we have it “hidden in our hearts” so that we carry Jesus (the Word) with us everywhere, and His Word helps us stay away from sin, and stay true to God. (Psalm 119:11) 

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about how to be saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus, and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves…..and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t or you are not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are…..believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better…..to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat wondering what is going to happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you Father for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

John 6:46-49

46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. 

47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. 

48 I am the bread of life. 

49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.

Have You Had Your “Bread” Today?

Jesus continues talking with these people to whom He fed the bread and fish the day before. In the previous verses, He basically told these Jews that they did not have a relationship with God. God had not drawn them to Himself. They were not “taught of God” and had not “heard and learned” from God. Don’t you know this was shocking to these people who thought they were God’s only chosen people? Jesus was God in the flesh, so He was speaking the Words of God. He was God, and they refused to listen and learn from Him. How many people today think they are in a relationship with God, but haven’t truly been taught by God through His word?

In verse 46, Jesus makes it clear again that no one has seen God, except He who is from God. Jesus is the only one who has ever seen God. Humans can hear and learn from God through His Word, but no one has ever been able to see the full glory of God, except Jesus. 

In verse 47-48, Jesus comes back to His main point of this whole scenario…..the miracle with the loaves and fish, and the aftermath…..the conversation with these same people that He fed. He says, paraphrasing, “You will absolutely, 100% for sure, have eternal life if you believe in ME.” He again compares Himself to the bread that He had miraculously fed them the day before. He says, “I am the Bread of Life.” Food is energy for our physical bodies. Jesus gave the people energy (food) to sustain their physical bodies for a short time. But Jesus is trying to get them to understand that He can provide them with spiritual energy that will last an eternity…..spiritual food that will keep them full and satisfied spiritually forever. The spiritual energy that Jesus provides us, gives us the strength to live out His purpose for us in this physical life, as we endure the trials, temptations, and turmoil that we may go through while here. His energy sustains us spiritually to get us through this life. That spiritual energy will then transform us on that last day, and stay with us as we pass on into an eternity with Him. Isn’t that a beautiful thought?

Then, in verse 49, He again makes a comparison to the manna from the old testament. “Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and are dead.” God provided manna to the Israelites to sustain their physical bodies during the 40 years that they were wandering in the wilderness. Those people died in the wilderness after eating the manna that God had provided them all those years. Why did they die? Because of their unbelief in God’s power and promises. How do we know they didn’t truly believe in God’s power and promises? Because, they did not trust God to keep His Word, and bring them into the promised land of Canaan. How do we know they didn’t trust Him? Because of their continuous grumbling and complaining against Him. Just listen to Hebrews 3:16-19, “For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not. So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” Why could they not enter? Unbelief!

I have always wondered…..after all they had seen God do for them already, why couldn’t they trust Him? That is hard for me to understand. God continued to show grace to them in the wilderness, and provide them with physical food, but they died in the wilderness, never getting to experience or even see the promised land of Canaan. These people whom Jesus was speaking with in this chapter are in the same boat as their fathers. They were miraculously fed physical food to sustain them by Jesus. They also saw Him heal the sick. Yet, they still grumbled and complained against everything Jesus tried to teach them. They are following the pattern of their fathers before them. And they would not experience the spiritual promised land…..heaven, if they didn’t change their hearts. It was a heart problem. We can have heart problems today if we aren’t careful to keep God first in our lives, and trust Him to take care of us no matter what happens in this life. Complaining is something that I have to continually fight against. It is habitual, and can cause me to become negative. Ultimately, it will hurt my relationship with God if it goes unchecked. We are all human, and we all complain sometimes. It is when our complaining leads to a negative spirit that hurts our relationship with Jesus, and stifles our effectiveness in saving the lost. The lost need to see that we are satisfied and content just belonging to Jesus. Why would a lost person want to be a Christian if we appear to be miserable?

I noticed that Jesus repeated Himself in these verses. He had said these things before to these people…..”no one has seen the Father, except He who is from God”, ”he who believes in Me has everlasting life”, and “I am the bread of life”. Why is Jesus repeating Himself? Because Jesus is the master teacher, and teachers repeat the  information that is most relevant so the students will sit up and take notice of those things. 

Just as a side note, when I think of repeated statements, I think of Galatians 1:8-9, when Paul said, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” Wow! Paul’s repeating of the words, “let him be accursed” makes an impact doesn’t it! He said it twice…..back to back! How can you miss the impact?

As a teacher myself, I want the important stuff to sink in with my students so they will remember it. These people needed these truths repeated over and over so they would hopefully sink in. Did they sink in? I’m sure it did with some of them, and with some it didn’t. Just like today…..some get it immediately, some don’t get it immediately but eventually do, and sadly, some never get it. How about us? We get it, right? But don’t we still need repetition? We need the truth of God’s Word repetitively to keep our minds renewed daily. We are to be living sacrifices, transformed by the renewing of our minds. (Romans 12:1-2) This is not a “one and done” thing. We will become spiritually stale, and eventually we will die spiritually without God’s Word continually renewing our minds. I encourage you to find a way…..form the habit…..make the time to get into God’s Word every day. Some days are more hectic than others. Believe me, I get it. But…..there is always time to let God speak to you through His Word, and for you to speak to God in prayer. Our lives are empty with Him. Our day is empty without Him. It doesn’t matter if we have 5 minutes, 15 minutes, an hour, two hours, or more. It is different every day for me, depending on the day. But, regardless of how busy my day is, I need my “Bread” every day, and you do too…..whether you realize it or not. Have you had your “Bread” today?

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about how to be saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus, and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves…..and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t or you are not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are…..believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better…..to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat wondering what is going to happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you Father for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)