Come to Jesus, the Bread of Life
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 6:35 ESV)
I have a daily relationship with food. In fact, I typically eat multiple times every day.
I eat and feel satisfied, but in a matter of hours I begin to feel hungry again. That’s how my relationship with Jesus is.
Some people mistakenly think that “coming to Jesus” is just describing the moment that a person gets saved, as if that one moment is supposed to sustain you for the east of your life.
Of course, receiving Jesus as your Savior is the greatest decision you will make, but your relationship with Jesus is not merely built on that one decision. Coming to Jesus is something we do all the time, for our entire lives!
If someone prepared a feast just for you, a banquet table filled with every possible delicacy you can imagine, and you ate until you couldn’t take another bite, it would still only temporarily sustain you. Bread (food) is intended to be a part of your daily life, not a one-time event.
Jesus is the bread of life. He is able to sustain you and strengthen you…every day!
I know a lot of people who came (past tense) to Jesus. I also know a lot of people who come (present, continuous) to Jesus. The strongest believers are those who consistently and continually come to Jesus.
It’s so easy to come to Jesus. Take some time to Worship Him, spend some time in His Word, give some time to Prayer.
Those who come to Jesus leave filled.
So come every day, as many times as you need!
Athletes will tell you that, when you are in training and in competition, your boys demands more fuel. The same is true in your spiritual life. When you are being pressed, when you are engaging in warfare, when you are in particularly difficult seasons of life, your spirit needs more fuel.
Does your spirit feel strong and sustained right now? Really. Right now, how do you feel in your spirit? Maybe you just need to come and eat from the Bread of Life.
Father,
Thank You for giving me unlimited access to the Bread of Life – Your Son, Jesus. Today I come to be sustained, strengthened, and filled.
Amen!
Delivered from Distress!
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. (Psalm 107:6 ESV)
In repeating this exact statement four times within this one Psalm, it is clear that the Holy Spirit (who inspired all Scripture) intended this statement to be the cornerstone of Psalm 107.
In fact, in order to begin to understand the power of that Scripture in your own life, perhaps you should go back and read it out loud at least four times.
My immediate response is: “Thank You, Lord! You heard my cry and have delivered me from my distress! I trust in You!”
As I looked at this passage more closely I noticed that, following each of these occurrences, a specific testimony is given as to how God delivered His people.
1. He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in. (Psalm 107:7 ESV)
2. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart. (Psalm 107:14 ESV)
3. He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. (Psalm 107:20 ESV)
4. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. (Psalm 107:29 ESV)
You know what that tells me?
1. If you are lost and wandering…
2. If you are bound and in darkness…
3. If you are broken and destroyed…
4. If you are tempest-tossed by life’s storms…
God can and will deliver you.
Cry out to The Lord in your times of trouble! He is a Mighty Deliverer!! And He has come to save you!
Father,
Today we cry out to you from the midst of our trouble. Deliver us by Your strong hand!
In Jesus’ name, amen!
My Experience In Hezekiah’s Tunnel
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. (Isaiah 60:1 ESV)
There we were – laughing with excitement as we walked the ramparts of Jerusalem and into the City of David located immediately outside the walls.
My wife and I were leading a 10 day tour of the Holy Land of Israel. This happened to be our “free day,” when several of us were walking together toward our goal: Hezekiah’s Tunnel.
One of Israel’s Old Testament kings, Hezekiah had the insight and ingenuity to dig a tunnel through massive amounts of rock in order to access water within the protective walls of the city.
My group and I arrived ready for the adventure! We descended a myriad of steps and finally located our entrance into the dark cave, through which water still flows today.
I stepped in first. The water was cold and flowing rapidly. My shoulders neatly fit between the narrow walls, and I was forced to stoop a bit because of the low “ceiling,”
Carrie entered the waters, took three steps and said: “Nope. No way!” and backed herself right out of the cave. Adventure over!
It took her a few minutes, but she decided to trust me and make the journey – whatever it would bring.
Our group, which had been filled with such excitement only moments earlier, was now a bit nervous. Still, we were determined.
One by one we entered the cave. Single file line. Very narrow. Low ceiling. Water up to our thighs. Darkness like none we had ever experienced.
The water became more shallow as we walked, now only above our ankles. At points the ceiling became quite high, making us a bit less claustrophobic. The walls remained fairly tight against us on either side – comfortable to walk through, but forcing us to remain single file.
Did I mention that the tunnel zig-zagged it’s way for a distance of about 300 yards? That’s 3 football fields of dark cave-ness!
The darkness only got darker.
With my phone as my flashlight I was leading the way. Carrie was right behind me – and by right behind me, I mean she was in my back pocket trying not to freak out completely.
At one point, I stopped to take a picture. Carrie didn’t like that.
A bit later I stopped again. This time I asked everybody to turn off their flashlights and phones. Carrie was not happy, but at least now, in the dark, I couldn’t see the look she was giving me.
The darkness could almost be felt.
Isaiah lived and prophesied in a time when Israel was in great darkness. His words were piercing, but not without promise.
Isaiah declared: “Arise, shine, for your light has come.” Later he said: “The Word became flesh, and in Him was light – the light of men.”
Israel’s history, in some ways, could be described as a people walking through a dark tunnel. There was excitement at the beginning, and promise for the end, but a dark, difficult journey in between.
Perhaps you are in your own tunnel. Let me tell you from firsthand experience, it can get dark and stay dark for a long, long time.
But this is a tunnel. You will get through. There is another side. Light does await you again.
As we neared the exit of Hezekiah’s Tunnel we all cheered! The glow of light told us that we were almost there. And Carrie even smiled for the picture I took!
The Light of the world will bring you through whatever darkness you are facing today. His name is Jesus.
Father,
For my friends walking in darkness, let them see the glory of Your Son.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
We Can’t Unsay Our Words
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11 ESV)
God spoke. And light pierced through darkness, planets took their places, the ground produced vegetation and animals, and waters teemed with marine life.
Everything that exists came into being by God’s words.
Let me take a trail of logic to identify a truth regarding the power of God’s word being released in your own life. We can discover it in three steps:
John 1 reveals: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
Step 1: Jesus is the Word made flesh. God’s word embodied.
Jesus, then, gave authority to His disciples, revealing that we literally have become a part of Him. Later, in the epistles, we are depicted as being “the body” of Christ. We are IN Christ.
Step 2: We are IN Christ. We are His embodiment on earth.
Back the original verse for today- what kind of word did God promise would not return void, but would accomplish everything it was sent to do? It is the word that comes out of HIs….MOUTH!
There’s no question that God is the source of all authority and His words will always come to pass. But we may not realize that we have a role to play in realizing His promises in our own lives.
If the Word became flesh in Jesus,
And if we are in Christ.
Then we are a part of the process of God’s words continuing to become fleshed out on the earth.
Step 3: We are God’s mouthpiece in the world. By our words our worlds are formed.
Proverbs says it this way: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”
Think about the power of your words. What if the promise of Isaiah 55:11 – that GOD’s words will not return void once they are uttered from His mouth – was also a principle of life – that OUR words, once uttered, will accomplish what we declared?
We can’t unsay our words.
Beginning today, make your words count. Declare God’s promises despite of your predicament. Confess His strength where you are weak. Speak life where there is death.
You will have what you say. God gave you the power of words. Use them wisely.
Father,
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight. I choose to speak life.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Seeing an Invisible God
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, (1 Peter 1:8 ESV)
We experience physical life through our physical senses – we taste, touch, smell, feel, and hear.
So, how do we experience spiritual life? Through our spiritual senses.
Life in the Spirit invites us to go beyond physical limitations. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we can “see” things through divine revelation and spiritual discernment, “hear” the voice of God through His Word and His Spirit, “taste” and see that The Lord is good, “touch” the heart of God and the hearts of other people, and “smell” the sweet aroma of worship as we “feel” His presence.
We don’t base our relationship with God on our physical senses or our emotions, yet we understand that God indeed created us spirit, soul, and body. We can – and should – experience God in each!
People have asked: “How can you believe in a God you have never seen?”
Oh, but I have seen him!
I see Him every time my wife tells me she loves me.
I saw Him on the days my children were born.
I saw Him when He healed a friend of mine a few weeks ago.
And I see Him right now. He is in Starbucks with me. And He is right there with you, wherever you are.
You don’t have to see Him (physically) to love Him. In fact, there are unique blessings reserved for people who have not seen, yet still believe!
Father,
Help me to walk by faith and not by sight.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Pastor Dale Jenkins 