Aren’t you glad that God has made it possible for you to see yet another new year 2016? The journey through 2015 was a memorable one but we are convinced 2016 and ahead is going to be greater, only if you keep the faith.
Our theme for this year is “Giving back,” God has indeed been gracious to us through our “Saved to Serve” season and indeed our faith needs to be put to test, we should join hands and help the kingdom grow through our areas of gifting.
Many of us have no clue who God is and what he is capable of doing, not just to the world but in us and through us and thus this year we seek to unfold the basic truth on who God is and why He is an integral part of your spiritual journey through this season for we find our being in Him.
God is LIFE.
Many people have God by their side but because of their ‘limited’ knowledge of God they are living below par as they are not maximizing on their relationship with God to make an impact to this world. Is this your case?
Exodus 3:14 “..And God said unto Moses, I Am that I Am: Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you…”
John 6:35 “..And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that beliveth in me shall never thirst…”
We see that during the Time of Moses, God tells him to tell the Israelites I Am has sent him. In the book of John, Christ further reveals himself by giving the deeper meaning of the I AM by saying ‘I Am the bread of Life.’
Jesus Did miracles in the bible so that people may believe and as humans we have a tendency of focusing on the miracles and not on Christ Himself. One of the Miracles that Jesus did and which we want to zoom into, is when He fed the 5,000 people with 5 barley loaves and 2 fish.
The multitudes had come to Jesus for healing and being fed wasn’t close on their Agenda but we see Jesus had compassion on them and felt it would be quite unfair for the people to go back home hungry after such a long day. Therefore, he put to test his disciple’s faith and asked them to go ahead and feed the crowd. To one of them his view was that even if he had a wage for 6 months he couldn’t feed the crowd but to another who had faith came up and said that there was a boy who had bread and fish and Jesus prayed and fed the crowd. Jesus thus was simply trying to show people that He isn’t always there to meet their needs even though He has the capability and capacity to do that.
When all this happened and the people looked at the prophecies told in scripture, they now saw that Jesus was the political Messiah that had now come to deliver them.
Jesus told them not them to work for food that perishes for we shall eat to our fill but in the end still die, but instead strive for food that endures to eternal life.
Many at times we spend so much time working for money so we can buy food that will benefit our bodies by nurturing it to good health but then one day we will hit the ground and die. Jesus says He is a different kind of food and thus you need not sweat your brow daily working for food that you will eat and eventually die but simply work towards food that endures unto eternal life. Jesus thus reveals that He is the source of eternal life.
The eternal life that we receive is not out of physical work but simply as a bi product of your faith based on the work that God has done. You do not work for eternal life but you simply receive it because God has already done the work for you. God did the miracle so they may BELIEVE.
What good is it to you to get all that you want in this world only for you to end up dead and buried after that? Of more importance is that you getting eternal life.
The most important thing you can start this new season with is CHRIST, The bread of Life.
John 17: 3…… Eternal Life is that You Know God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. You need to know God intimately and personally for this is where the real value lies.
Eternal life is both here and in heaven for we are living for God here on earth with the power of His Knowledge dwelling in us here on earth benefitting us here and also in heaven when we depart.
God is challenging us today that He is the bread of Life. We serve a God who can bless you beyond your expectations. God never blesses you because you have been good or bad but simply because He is gracious. Focus not on your needs alone but on the bigger plan where He is the Bread of Life.
The same way the multitude ate to their fill on the bread and fish that was broken and spread out to them so shall His body be put up on the cross and it shall be broken down for us and we shall all access his grace, eternal life, and we shall have it to the full measure.
God has been knocking on your door and requesting for access into your life. All you need to do is respond on your own volition so you can access Eternal life. May God favor you and above all may you have eternal life.
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