BREAD OF HEAVEN - MAY 13

BREAD OF HEAVEN - MAY 13

John 6:34, "Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread."

JOHN 6:31-35

It is probable that these Jews were expecting Jesus to rain down manna on them the way God did before in the wilderness. After all, anyone who could feed five thousand men with one small lunch should be able to produce manna. They were still thinking of physical food.

The word "manna" means literally "what is it?" The children of Israel said, "It is manna: for they wist (or knew) not what it was." (Ex. 16:15) Manna was a nutritious food which appeared on the ground every morning shortly after the children of Israel left Egypt and began their 40-year wandering in the wilderness. Moses called it "bread which the Lord hath given you to eat."

The Lord, in speaking to Moses, called it "bread from heaven." It was small and round, like coriander seed, and was white in color or yellowish, like bdellium. The people, after gathering it, ground it in mills or beat it in a mortar, baked it in pans and made cakes of it. It tasted like wafers made with honey or fresh oil. It was gathered every morning and had to be used up that day or it would stink and have worms. An exception was on the sixth day. It could be gathered for the Sabbath and wouldn't spoil (Ex. 16:22-26).

Although they were looking for pieces of bread to materialize, which would have been a great miracle, it would have been insignificant compared to the miracle of God being manifested in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16). They were talking to the greatest miracle that God had ever performed, but they were blind to it. Many times, we get so intent on seeking God in one area that we forget the greatest miracle of all, which is the love and redemption given to us from God through His Son.

Praising God

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY AGAINST ANXIETY

 PRAYER FOR TODAY 

BIBLE VERSE:

Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you

1 Peter 5:7 

PRAYER:

Lord, I know you care so much for me and I am very grateful to you. Help me not to be anxious of anything but fully trust in you. Amen! 

 God bless you, Brethren!

DEAD WORKS - MAY 12

 DEAD WORKS - MAY 12

John 6:28, "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?"

JOHN 6:24-29

All throughout history, mankind has been seeking ways to do the works of God. Everyone has a knowledge within them of the reality of God (Rom. 1:18-20), and a desire to be right with Him. However, just as with these Jews, few agree with the Lord as to how to do it. These Jews were willing to do something to obtain salvation, but they were not willing to commit themselves to Jesus and accept His gift.

This is one of the major differences between Christianity and the religions of the world. Religion is willing to make sacrifices to obtain right standing with God, but Christianity recognizes our complete inability to ever do enough to save ourselves and calls for total faith and reliance on what Jesus did for us.

No one deserves salvation. It cannot be earned by what the Bible calls "dead works" (Heb. 6:1; 9:14). Dead works include all religious activities, good deeds, or charity that one may do as a means of being justified before God.

Faith towards God and what He has done through Christ Jesus is the only means of receiving His free gift of salvation. He only asks us to believe.

DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY MAY 12, 2024.

SUBJECT : DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD!

Memory verse: “Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord; and I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the Lord has spoken. (Isaiah 58 vs 14.)

READ: Psalm 37 vs 4 - 5; 145 vs 19:

Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

37:5: Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.

145:19: He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him, He will also hear their cry and save them.

INTIMATION:

To delight in the Lord means to experience great pleasure and joy in His presence. This happens only when we know Him well. Thus, to delight in the Lord, we must know Him better. It’s your quest and thirst to know Him and His ways that commit Him into revealing Himself to you. It’s by God’s grace that we exist. We never entered into any agreements to be created by Him. It’s all His doing, and for His purposes. Therefore, if He has done all by Himself, and for His purposes, it’s obvious that to live and do rightly—living according to His preordained purposes—you must know Him and His ways thoroughly. 

The Scripture tells us to delight in the Lord and commit everything we have and do to Him. And to commit ourselves to the Lord means entrusting everything—our lives, families, jobs, possessions and so on—to His control and guidance. It means to trust in Him, believing that He can care for us better than we can care for ourselves, while we willingly wait patiently for Him to work out what is best for us. The knowledge of God’s great love for us, that love that drove Him to give His only begotten Son as a propitiation for our sins, will indeed make us delighted in Him. Whatever He does is permanent, and His blessings makes rich and adds no sorrow with it.

Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For all these things the Gentiles seek. For your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6 vs 31 - 33.) To “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” means to put God first in your life, to fill your thoughts with His desires, to take His character for your pattern, and to serve and obey Him in everything. God’s righteousness comes through one’s submission to His Will. Seeking the kingdom of God, therefore, must always be first.

He created you and I and has put in place everything we require to live for Him, and according to His purposes. You can only know and have access to His limitless provisions when you delight in Him—strive to know Him and His ways better. Remember He said do this first—seek to know Him and His purposes for you first, and all other things you need, including your desires, will be added to you without struggle. All you have to do is seek Him first, and all other things flows your way as additions!

Before all else, strive after God’s way of doing and being right. Steep your life in God’s reality through the wisdom and revelation of the knowledge of Him, never worrying about missing out. Put Him first in all you do and let Him take the driving seat in your life. Then you find that all your everyday human concerns will be met. Resolve to set aside time each day to read and think about God’s Word, reminding yourself of it day and night, and God will be your constant companion, ensuring your success in carrying out His purposes. You may not succeed by the world’s standards, but you will be a success in God’s eyes, and His opinion is the most important. 

Prayer: Abba Father, uphold me with Your free spirit, and endue me with undying passion for You and Your ways, that I may delight myself in You at all times, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen. 

PRAISE THE LORD!

PRAYER FOR TODAY

 PRAYER FOR TODAY 

BIBLE VERSE:

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own

Matthew 6:34 

PRAYER:

Lord, I commit my day into your hands. Take absolute control of everything. I put all my trust in you, Lord. Do not let me be put to shame. I thank you for answered prayer. Amen! 

 Have a fantastic day,Brethren!

SELF SEEKING NOT GOD SEEKING - MAY 11

 SELF SEEKING NOT GOD SEEKING - MAY 11

John 6:26, "Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled."

MATTHEW 14:34-36; MARK 6:53-56; JOHN 6:22-39

Jesus knew the hearts of all men and therefore, He did not commit Himself to this crowd. Just the day before, these same people tried to take Him by force and make Him their king, but He withdrew and spent the night in prayer.

This crowd looked like they were seeking Jesus, but they were actually trying to use Jesus to seek their own end. It is true that there are many personal benefits to be reaped through serving the Lord, but the benefits are never to become our object. In all things, Christ must have the preeminence (Col. 1:18).

Jesus exposed the true intentions of the people's hearts by preaching a strong message of commitment. Those who were self-centered were offended and left while those who were willing to lay down their lives to experience God's abundant life remained. Commitment to God Himself (not what He can produce) is what always separates the true worshippers of God from the false.

As Jesus began to explain in these verses that He was the only way to the Father (Jn. 14:6) and that they would have to come through Him, the people grew angry. It always angers the flesh to think that all our righteous acts can't save us, but Jesus made it clear that our only part in salvation is to believe. Believe what? Believe on Jesus and His sacrifice - not ours. Salvation is a gift and cannot be purchased (Rom. 10:2-3).

Many times, we get so intent on seeking God in one area that we forget the greatest miracle of all, which is the love and redemption given to us from God through His Son. God loves us so much!