1. “And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. “ 2 “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst….
John 6:22–40 describes the initial aftermath of Jesus’ feeding of thousands the previous day. The crowd’s actual desire is for another supernatural spectacle and more free food. In this passage, Christ begins to explain the true meaning behind His miracle and His ministry. This includes the first of seven ”I AM” statements in the gospel of John—moments where Jesus declares His own divinity. Jesus clarifies that physical things such as bread are meant to be symbols of a spiritual truth….
Jin S. Kim said: “Today, we are seeing growing impatience with the institutional church’s accommodation to temporal power. Younger generations, no longer willing to give the church the benefit of the doubt, are driving the mass exodus out of the Western church, which they see as a primary source of pain and abuse in the world. But for those who have not given up on the church as a vessel of God’s grace and transformation, the contours of a new…
1. “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” 2 “But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word…
Oh yes, John 6:41–51 uncovers the true motivation of the crowd following Jesus: selfishness. This passage is part of a long dialogue where Christ elucidates the meaning of His miracles. Jesus has just explained that He, Himself, is the ”Bread of Life” which people are meant to seek. In response, the people complain amongst themselves. Jesus will further explain what He means by claiming to be the ”Bread of Life.” This, as it turns out, will make the crowd even…
The manna form in the Old Testament was implied to be a revelation of Jesus Christ. Its properties indicated the nature of Jesus: small (indicating humility), white (indicating purity), round (symbolic of eternity), and arriving at night (spiritual darkness). Manna, like salvation in Christ, could only be received—it could not be earned or made. Manna also provided the people with only two options: accept it and live or disrespect it by walking right over it. The same choice—and only those…
1. “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” 2 “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver…
Yes, call it to learn religions or a core attitude of protecting the powerless. It is central to the kingdom of God! Mark 10:13–16 proceeds with Mark’s portrayal of what Christ-supporters resemble by showing Jesus’ demeanour toward children. While in Capernaum, Jesus showed the followers that in the Kingdom of God, the frail, similar to kids, are generally welcome (Mark 9:36–37). The kingdom is available to the individuals who come unassumingly without any dreams of having a place there. Here,…
Rachel Carson said: “A child’s world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement. It is our misfortune that for most of us, that clear-eyed vision, that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring, is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood. If I influenced with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense…
1. “Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice! And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” 2 “And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. You shall not offer unauthorized incense…