Bread of Life

Bread of Life

Bible Reading: John 6:10-14; 24-27; 35

Focus Verse: John 6:35 "Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

What is your definition of a miracle?  It is something that only God can do.  When God decides to make a miracle, he has a purpose.  In the scripture reading above, we read about how Jesus fed over 5,000 people by multiplying the food.  The people were happy to have been fed and followed Jesus.

The focus of this event isn't the food or that people were fed, but that Jesus was teaching something about Himself.  He wants us to hunger for Him and to seek Him first.
 
Be hungry, not because of the blessing of the food, but to understand the Giver. The good things in your life are not for the sole purpose of your enjoyment, but that our Lord has decided to reveal Himself to you.  Over the next few days, challenge yourself to pray that God will open your eyes to understand more about who He is.  He reveals Himself clearly in the Bible.

What are you learning lately?  Hunger for God and seek Him first.  He will leave you satisfied because He is the Bread of Life!


Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Can Anyone Be Saved?

Scripture Reading: Acts 26:9-18

Focus Verse: Acts 26:9  “I used to believe that I ought to do everything I could to oppose the very name of Jesus the Nazarene.”

I went to a conference recently and our speaker shared some of his testimony on how he came to Jesus.  He mentioned how he was involved in drugs, alcohol and sexual misconduct before his salvation.  As I listened I thought how unlikely it was that he would come to Jesus and be saved. 

 

All of us can probably think of someone that we know who is unlikely to become a Christian. Our scripture reading is about one of those people.  The apostle Paul was actually chasing down Jesus followers, putting Christians in jail, having them punished and voting for their death.  But then he had an encounter with Jesus as he was traveling on the road and that changed his life forever. Jesus appointed him to be His servant and witness so that people would turn from darkness to light.

You might say you don’t have a testimony of being saved from all kinds of rough sins like drugs, theft, and murder.  If you’re a born again Christian, it doesn't matter if you had big sins or small sins, you have a powerful testimony of how you came to Jesus.  Your testimony is not about "you", but it's about God's saving grace in your life.  There is someone out there who needs to hear your testimony of how you came to Jesus!  Who knows, but they may be the most unlikely to be saved.

 

  Lastly, I want to answer the question asked at the beginning of this devotion.  YES, anyone can be saved, but only through the grace of God through Jesus and a repentant heart toward God.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

Respecting Poor Authority

Respecting Poor Authority

Scripture reading: 1 Samuel 24

Focus verse: 1 Samuel 24:5-6  " Now it happened afterward that David’s heart troubled him because he had cut Saul’s robe.  And he said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.”"
also: Ephesians 6:5 "Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ;"

David had been anointed by Samuel the priest to be the next king (1 Samuel 16).  He would rule after king Saul died.  David knew how to wait and patiently honored his king, his authority.  This was not always easy for him.  King Saul was often depressed and had a troubling spirit ever since he disobeyed God (1 Samuel 15).  Once, he threw a spear at David as he played music for the king. (1 Samuel 18:10-11) He even spent time hunting David down.  This is what was going on when we come to read 1 Samuel 24.

David could have easily killed Saul and become king, but he chose to cut off a piece of his robe.  Even this action caused David regret.  David knew the Lord would want him to have total respect for authority, even though the King was doing a poor job and even though the King was hunting him to kill him.

David's life is a good example of how we can obey and respect authority that we don't agree with or think is wrong.  I am not responsible for how our authority behaves, but I am responsible for how I react and respect that authority.  Pray that God will give you the grace and mercy to respect and obey the authority that has been placed over you.

Author's note: Realize that this is not talking about following a leader that prevents you from obeying God's commands or leads you into sin.  This does not include false prophets either. That is a different subject.  You might also like reading Romans 13 that relates to authority.

Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries