WHAT MUST WE EAT? (Part 1-10)

(The True Living Bread & Water)


WHAT MUST WE EAT? (Part 1)

Our Scripture reading for this day is taken from the gospel of Matthew where it is written:

“Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become BREAD.” But he answered and said, “It is written, “Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:3-4).

We THANK God for bringing us this far and for leading our hearts, minds, and thoughts to the right path through His Word so that we can understand His “WILL” and the will of the enemy called the Devil. And by being able to differentiate between the two, we will be able to walk wisely and overcome the evil creature who came “to STEAL, and to KILL, and to DESTROY” (John 10:10).

In our previous studies, we learn a lot about what God commanded the Devil to “EAT” according to his evil desires in all the days of his life which God appointed for him. But what do we ourselves “EAT,” and what are we supposed to “EAT?” We now know what Satan will “EAT” all the days of his life, but what about us? What must we “EAT” all the days of our life?

As humans, what we “EAT” actually depends on our belief in God, in His Word, and how we exercise our free will (volition) to either “EAT” what He has provided or what the Devil provides. This free will is something that we saw in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve chose to “EAT” what the Devil gave to them and rejected the “WORD” of God. It is very unfortunate that Man did not “EAT” the delicious and the life-giving “Tree of Life” which was also in the midst of the Garden.

God has given us His “WORD” to -“EAT”_ as our spiritual nourishment and for survival. Can we then say that God gave Adam and Eve His _“WORD”_ to _“EAT?”_ Yes, that is true! If the Bible says, _“The Tree of LIFE was also in the midst of the garden” (Genesis 2:9),_ and JESUS also says, _“I am the way, the truth and the LIFE” (John 14:6),_ then obviously the _“Tree”_ refers to JESUS CHRIST, and He is the _“WORD”_ according to John 1:1.

God created us with His “WORD,” and we can only survive by EATING this “WORD.” This is the reason why JESUS is saying in our Scripture reading that, “Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Our Lord said this due to the existence of our flesh, and so He was drawing our minds to the fact that “Man” is not only “flesh,” but he is composed of “soul” and “spirit” as well.

Therefore whiles our “flesh” survives by feeding on physical “BREAD,” our Lord is telling us that the most important part of our spiritual existence which is our “soul” and “spirit” can never survive on physical “FOOD,” but its survival depends on being fed by the “WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God.” This is our spiritual “FOOD.”

But because the Devil does not want us to “EAT” this spiritual “BREAD” of God, he always try as much as possible to give human beings what is deadly to “EAT” by playing his tricks in order for them to be “carnally minded” which is “DEATH” (Romans 8:6). This is the reason why when the “tempter” who is also called the Devil came to JESUS, he told Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become BREAD.”

Satan has so many strategies to lead humans beings astray from EATING what is “good.” And because he is the “Serpent of Old” (Revelation 12:9) who remains the same as he was in the Garden of Eden, he wanted to lead JESUS astray as he did to our first ancestors.

If JESUS had been “carnally minded,” He would have surely “command that these stones become BREAD.” This is because, first of all He was very hungry. Secondly, He has the POWER to easily turn the stones to become “BREAD.” But because our Lord was “spiritually minded,” He told the Devil, “Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God.” The Apostle Paul said that this spritual mindedness which emanates from the “WORD” of God gives “LIFE” and “PEACE (Romans 8:6).

The reason why Paul said in Romans that being “spiritually minded” is “LIFE” is because spiritual mindedness can only be obtained through the “WORD” of God, and this “WORD” is JESUS CHRIST, and He is “the LIEF” as He told us in John 14:6.

If we are “carnally minded,” the truth is that we will “EAT” the wrong MEAL which leads to “DEATH.” For example when the Scripture says in Genesis, “So the woman saw that the tree was good for FOOD, that it was pleasant to the EYES, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ATE. She also gave to her husband her, and he ATE” (Genesis 3:6), then we must know that it is because Eve became “carnally minded” through what she saw with her EYES rather than depending on the spiritual “WORD” which God spoke to her.

Brothers and Sisters, we must “EAT” the “WORD” of God alone and nothing else. However this is utterly impossible if we are “carnally minded.” In fact if somebody were to be “carnally minded” right now, he or she will ask me, “So are you saying that we should not even “EAT” anything at all for our bodies?” This happens because “carnally minded” people do not understand the “WORD” of God which is the spiritual “FOOD” for all men.

Examples of “carnally minded” people who could not “EAT” the “WORD” of God includes Nicodemus. When JESUS told him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3), he was “carnally minded,” and so he asked the LORD, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” (John 3:4). But THANKS be to God that later Nicodemus threw away his fleshy thoughts, and he believe in the “WORD” of the Spirit, and he followed the “WORD” even to His grave (John 19:39-40). This man really ate the “WORD” by faith.

Another example of “carnally minded” people includes the Jews who murmured and quarrelled among themselves saying, “How can this Man gives us His FLESH to EAT” (John 6:52). But in order to help them understand, JESUS told them, “It is the Spirit who gives LIFE; the flesh profits nothing. The WORDS that I speak to you are spirit, and they are LIFE” (John 6:63). However unlike Nicodemus, this people could not embrace the “WORD,” they did not “EAT” it by faith, and they did not follow the “WORD.” Therefore the Scripture says that, “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more” (John 6:66).

The truth is that unless a Christian is “spiritually minded,” he can never “EAT” the “WORD” of God which gives him the “remission of SINS” (Acts 13:38), the “gift of the Holy Spirit”  (Acts 2:38), and for his name to be written in “Heaven” (Luke 10:20) and in the  “Book of Life” (Revelation 3:5). We can only receive all these BLESSINGS when we “EAT” the “WORD” of God by our spiritual faith.

When it says in the Book of Revelation that, “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the LAMB slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8), then we must know that such people did not “EAT” the pure “WORD” of God, but they were FEEDING ON the words of false prophets given to them by Satan in their “carnally” mindedness. Such people oppose the gospel “WORD” of being born again of the water and the Spirit of CHRIST.

Therefore God is teaching us today that if we are “carnally minded,” we will never know what we are actually supposed to “EAT,” and we will end up EATING the wrong MEAL which is provided by Satan. But THANKS to Him that we have chosen to “EAT” His “WORD” alone. That’s why He has also given us “The True Living Bread & Water” which is given to us by the same “WORD” (JESUS CHRIST).

Our study continues..............







(The True Living Bread & Water)

WHAT MUST WE EAT? (Part 2)

We are taking our Scripture reading once again from the previous one where it says:

“Now when the TEMPTER came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become BREAD.” But he answered and said, “It is written, “Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:3-4).

Brethren, God always has something to tell us from the Holy Scriptures which is full of mysteries. And no matter how we read the “WORD” many times, there are more hidden things in the “WORD” than what we think. So we give THANKS to Him once again for giving us that enablement to dive deeper into His “WORD” in order to unearth the ways, knowledge and power of the Lord which makes us triumph over the Devil.

In our previous studies, the “WORD” taught us that if we are “carnally minded,” we cannot “EAT” the spiritual “BREAD” of God because it prevents us from understanding His spoken and the written “WORD.” On the other hand if we are “spiritually minded,” then we can “EAT” the “WORD” because whatever He says will make sense to us. When this happens, we can receive and enjoy all the spiritual blessings in the Heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3).

So going back to our Scripture reading, it says, “Now when the TEMPTER came to Him.” We all know that this person refers to no other person but Satan, and so the passage is revealing to us that God does not “TEMPT” us, but it is Satan who “TEMPT” us to lead us astray and to fall from the “GRACE” and the “TRUTH” which is in CHRIST JESUS and which saved us (Ephesians 2:8). This is why the Apostle James declared, “Let no one say when he is TEMPTED, ‘I am TEMPTED by God.’ For God cannot be TEMPTED by evil, nor does He Himself TEMPT anyone” (James 1:13).

The Bible verse above is very clear about the fact that it is not God who “TEMPT” us, and that it is the Devil who does so. What God does is that He ALLOWS the “TEMPTATION” to come, but He is not the one who masterminds or create it. Paul the Apostle explains this when he said, “No TEMPTATION has overtaken you, except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not ALLOW you to be TEMPTED beyond what you are able, but with the TEMPTATION will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

We must therefore know that our Lord God Almighty “TEST” us but He does not “TEMPT” us. That’s why it is written in Genesis concerning Abraham who is the Father of Faith, “Now it came to pass after these things that God TESTED Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am” (Genesis 22:1). This is what God does. So let us know the difference between these two words which are to “TEMPT” and to “TEST.”

So whiles Satan the Devil “TEMPT” us, the Lord God Almighty “TEST” us. In other words, whiles the Devil make use of the former, God uses the latter. Secondly, the main purpose for which the Devil deploy “TEMPTATION” is to lead us into “SIN” and to make us lose “FAITH” in the “WORD” of God. But the purpose for which God “TEST” us is to lead us into His “RIGHTEOUSNESS” and to strengthen our “FAITH” in His “WORD.”

For this reason, after God “TESTED” Abraham by giving him orders to go and sacrifice his only begotten son Isaac on the Mount of Moriah, He revealed to Abraham His “RIGHTEOUSNESS” which His only begotten Son JESUS will come on this Earth to fulfill in the future through His water and blood. Therefore Abraham saw the “RAM” or “the LAMB of God who takes away the SIN of the word” being “caught up in a thicket by its horns” (Genesis 22:13).

Our Lord JESUS confirmed this when He said, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and he was glad” (John 8:56). And let us take not of the fact that this only occurred after Abraham was “TESTED” by God. So knowing and understanding the difference and the two opposite results when we are “TEMPTED” by the Devil and when we are “TESTED” by God is very important for our spiritual discernment.

My beloved Brethren, today it may seem as if I am emphasizing so much on “TEMPTATION” and “TEST” than our main topic of study, but we are not moving away from our theme. That is not the case at all! The LORD is the One who teaches us, and so He is teaching us these things in order for us to understand His “WAYS” and the ways of the Devil very well. He is doing this in order for us to “gain a heart of WISDOM” (Psalm 90:12).

When our Scripture reading says that “Now when the TEMPTER came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become BREAD,” and JESUS also responded by saying, “Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God,” then this scenario is revealing to us that the Devil is an evil creature who prevents us from EATING the true “WORD” of God which is the true “BREAD” for our “soul” and “spirit.”

Do you think that when the Devil told JESUS, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become BREAD,” he was showing concern and care for the hunger which JESUS was going through and therefore he wanted to give Him something to “EAT?” Not at all! The Devil does not care about our “soul” and “spirit.” On the contrary, he always maneuver and deploy his strategies by making use of the FLESH so that he can destroy our spiritual “FAITH” and to prevent us from EATING the true spiritual “BREAD.”

Satan is somebody who deceives people including many Christians by using his agents such as the “FALSE prophets” to give them the things of the “FLESH” so that he will achieve his aim of denying them the opportunity to “EAT” the spiritual “WORD” of the “BREAD” of God. This explains the reason why majority of Christians are “carnally minded.” Therefore when God speaks to such people about the BLESSING of being born again and the remission of SINS, they only understand it in “CARNAL” terms.

It is very unfortunate that even though JESUS told us that “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth” (John 4:24), many believers in Christendom have opened only their physical ears to hear the “WORD” of God. So they understand it in carnality and they apply it in carnality. They bring the “WORD” of God to their own level so that it will suit their situations. This is very horrible because when the “WORD" of God is being mess up like that to suit the carnal desires of people, then it is no longer the pure “WORD” of God, but the words of Satan who works through human beings.

Such people will perish even if they are Christians. This is because they are not able to discern the “true BREAD” from the “false BREAD.” As a result, they have been EATING the wrong MEAL which is full of the poison asps of the Devil. And the most dangerous part of it is that they don’t even know that they have been FEEDING on such a poisonous BREAD.

But THANKS be to God that we have discovered the true MEAL and the true “BREAD” for our “soul” and “spirit.” Also the LORD Himself has taught us and He has made us to understand the fact that Physical BREAD is just like the grass which “withers” and “fades,” but the “BREAD” of the “WORD” of Jesus Christ which God gives to us “stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8).

Our study continues............





(The True Living Bread & Water)

WHAT MUST WE EAT? (Part 3)

Our Scripture reading remain the same in the Matthew account where it says:

“Now when the TEMPTER came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become BREAD.” But he answered and said, “It is written, “Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:3-4).

From our Scripture reading, we don’t really know and we are not quite sure whether Satan was holding the “stones” in his hand or whether he was just pointed them to JESUS when he told him to turn them into “BREAD” in order to satisfy His hunger. However, what we know for sure is that “TEMPTER came to Him.” But as to whether Satan spoke to JESUS in His mind or whether he had the conversation with Him face to face we cannot really tell. But it is possible in either ways.

Whatever be the case, our Bible reading is telling us that the Devil is a creature who speaks, leads, and give things to people so that he can deceive and prevent them from EATING the spiritual “BREAD” of God and lead them to their spiritual “death.” He does this by trying everything possible to make us lose spiritual focus and bring our concentration only on the things of the FLESH. The Devil does this always, and when he succeeds, such people cannot “EAT” the spiritual “BREAD” of life.

The Devil does not give things to people without his evil aim. Even if he gives us FOOD to “EAT” whiles we are hungry, his aim is to attack and destroy us. Therefore unless people including Christians understand his satanic NATURE, they will be deceived by him with a “strong delusion” through his “unrighteous DECEPTION” which makes them believe in a “LIE” through “signs and lying wonders” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-11). This is prevents them from EATING the true “BREAD” from Heaven by receiving “the LOVE of the TRUTH.”

The Devil can never give anybody the true spiritual “BREAD” to “EAT,” he only gives them a defied or concocted “BREAD” which is full of impurities. And because he works through his own servants such as Pharisees, Sadducees, false apostles, pastors and prophets to give this deadly “BREAD” to people and “kill” them, JESUS warned His disciples when He admonished them, “Take heed and beware of the LEAVEN of the Pharisees and the Sadducees” (Matthew 16:6).

Our Lord JESUS is telling us that Satan works through his own servants to give people a fake “BREAD” which destroy the “soul” of human beings. When JESUS says “LEAVEN,” he is referring to the kind of “BREAD” which contains some substances which have been added to produce fermentation and to make it rise. Spiritually speaking, this only means that such a “BREAD” is not from the pure “WORD” of God, but it comes from the words of Satan.

Therefore when JESUS tells us to “Take heed and beware of the LEAVEN of the Pharisees and the Sadducees,” then we must do this without any hesitation. We must really be on guard, cautious and alert about this. This is because if we are careless, we will end up eating a “LEAVENED BREAD” that has been prepared by Satan through his servants who are very religious and who behave as if they obey the “LAW” of Moses just like the “Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

When JESUS told the disciples to “Take heed and beware of the LEAVEN of the Pharisees and the Sadducees,” initially they thought that the LORD was talking about physical “BREAD.” For this reason, they were thinking that it is because they have “forgotten to take BREAD” (Matthew 16:6). But JESUS explained the enigma (mystery) when He told them, “How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning BREAD –but to beware of the LEAVEN of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matthew 16:11).

The words “I did not speak to you concerning BREAD” means that JESUS was not talking about physical “BREAD” per se, but He was referring to the spiritual “BREAD” which Satan has been given to people through his religious servants such as Pharisees and Sadducees. This is because if JESUS says in our Scripture reading that “Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God,” then it is clear that any “TEACHING” or words which also proceeds from the mouth of false religious leaders is also another form of “BREAD,” but it is a false “BREAD” which He refer to as “LEAVEN.”

When the disciples understood this, the Scripture testified, “Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the LEAVEN of BREAD, but of the DOCTRINE of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matthew 16:12). Here if it says that JESUS did not tell them to “beware of LEAVEN of BREAD,” it means the LORD was not talking about fleshly “BREAD,” but the spiritual “BREAD” which either comes by “every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God” or from the mouth of false religious pastors and prophets who have become the servants of Satan.

Every Word of JESUS is full of mysteries. By telling us to “Take heed and beware of the LEAVEN of the Pharisees and the Sadducees,” He was also revealing to us that those who are arrogant, and who think they can obey the Ten Commandments and the 613 Articles of the “LAW” can never “EAT” the true “BREAD” of the “WORD” of God which is from Heaven. In order words JESUS was saying that the Pharisees and the Sadducees themselves have been EATING a concocted spiritual “BREAD” that is “LEAVENED.” The Devil gives this to people by using the false religious Christians leaders who are becoming unbecoming (indecent) nowadays.

Nobody can “EAT” the “UNLEAVENED BREAD” of God if he does not believe in the “GRACE” of salvation which is not by works, but through faith in CHRIST (Ephesians 2:8). Therefore since the Pharisees and Sadducees did not submit themselves to the “RIGHTEOUSNESS of God” (Romans 10:3) which was clearly fulfilled by the water baptism of CHRIST in the Jordan River (Matthew 3:15), JESUS is saying that all that pharisaic Christians believe and “EAT” are nothing more than the dangerous satanic “LEAVEN BREAD.”

We must know the difference between “LIVING BREAD” and “LEAVEN BREAD” without getting confused. Both actually sound similar, but they are completely different in reality, and they produce different results. The difference is that the former is from God whiles the latter is from Satan. Also the former gives “life” whiles the latter “kills.”

Knowing the difference itself is even a BLESSING to us.

Our study continues..................





(The True Living Bread& Water)

WHAT MUST WE EAT? (Part 4)

Let us look at our Scripture reading once again where there was an encounter between JESUS and the Devil. It says:

“Now when the TEMPTER came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become BREAD.” But he answered and said, “It is written, “Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:3-4).

Today I want us to look at what actually will happen to us if we “EAT” a concocted false “BREAD” which is produced by Satan in the kingdom of darkness. Our previous studies have revealed to us clearly that the Devil also has something to offer. So what will happen to us when we “EAT” the spiritual manipulated “BREAD” which the Devil gives?

 The truth is that we will get spiritually “SICK” and consequently we will “DIE.” This is the reason why God said in Isaiah, “From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but WOUNDS and BRUISES and putrefying SORES; They have not been closed or bound up, or soothed with ointment” (Isaiah 1:6).

The “WORD” of God above is unveiling to us that the reason why humans are “SICK” is because they have EATEN the wrong and false “BREAD” produced by the enemy. In other words the Devil has given what will actually make people spiritually “SICK,” and it all started in the Garden of Eden when he gave Adam and Eve a death “FOOD” to “EAT.”

Yet even though the “MERCIFUL” God wants to “HEAL” the spiritual “SICKNESS” of human beings by giving them the healing “BREAD” of JESUS to “EAT,” it is very saddening that they have rejected it by shutting their “EYES” and closing their “EARS.”

Therefore JESUS spoke concerning such people when He said, “Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive. For the heart of this people have grown dull. Their EARS are hard of hearing, and their EYES they have closed, lest they should see with their EYES and hear with their EARS, lest they should understand so that I should HEAL them” (Matthew 13:14-15).

In our previous studies, through the “WORD” of God we were able to draw the clear line of difference between the “LIVING BREAD” and the “LEAVEN BREAD.” However based on what JESUS is saying above in Matthew, it is clear that those whose heart have “grown dull,” and who have “closed” their “EYES” cannot see the difference between the “LIVING BREAD” and the “LEAVEN BREAD.” Therefore Satan gives them the “LEAVEN BREAD” to “EAT” by deceiving them, and he makes them believe that it is the “LIVING BREAD.” But this is far from the Truth.

If a Christian has therefore “closed” his “EYES” even though it has been revealed to him clearly that when JESUS went to John the Baptist for baptism, He went there to fulfill “all RIGHTEOUSNESS” as it recorded in Matthew 3:15,  then such a person can never be able to differential between the “LIVING BREAD” and the “LEAVEN of the Pharisees.” Such a person does not know the difference between CHRIST baptism (Matthew 3:15-17) and the baptism of repentance which John the Baptist was giving to sinners (Mark 1:4-5).

If a person does not know the difference of division between a believer and unbeliever, righteousness and sin, light and darkness, CHRIST and Belial, the temple of God and temple of idols (2 Corinthians 6:14-16), then such a person will “EAT” any “BREAD” which the Devil gives to him. Therefore many Christian believers have been eating “the LEAVEN of the Pharisees” without knowing. And the outcome of this phenomenon only leads to the spiritual “SICKNESS” which God was talking about in Isaiah.

But thanks be to God that our “EARS” were not hard of hearing, and we did not close our “EYES,” but we opened it in order to hear the “WORD” of the “BREAD” of God which is revealed in the authentic gospel salvation. Due to this, we now know what we are supposed to “EAT,” and no one can deceive us. We will therefore “EAT” this “BREAD” all the days of our life since we are no more interested in the earthly “LEAVEN BREAD,” but only the heavenly “LIVING BREAD” of God which has rejuvenated our “soul” and “spirit.”

My dear Brethren, we must know that even in this world, if we “EAT” any food or “BREAD” that is prepared under unhygienic or ill-fated conditions, then we will surely get “SICK”  physically. It is the same spiritually if we “EAT” the kind of “BREAD” which the Devil has prepared and which is in circulation through the false pastors and prophets. Anybody who “EAT” that will get spiritually “SICK” in no time and face his ultimate “DEATH” in the end.

The “good” LORD does not want this to happen to us, and this is why He is admonishing us through our Scripture reading to “EAT” the only HEALTHY FOOD which JESUS refer to as “every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God.” By this, the LORD has revealed to us the dangers of EATING any spiritually UNHEALTHY BREAD which proceeds from the mouth of Satan through his cunning craftiness and trickery. No wonder he tried to outwit JESUS when he told him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become BREAD.” He uttered these words so that JESUS will inderectly “EAT” his words which is completely opposite to the “WORD” and “will” of God.

You and I are blessed to receive these teachings from God through His “Spirit.” This is because knowing these things is the key to overcome the false prophets who are working as agents and representatives of Satan on this earth to give the false “BREAD” to people. And it is very unfortunate that many believers in Christianity are EATEN the kind of “BREAD” which is contaminated by the Devil, and which is rotten and full of worms. There is nothing good in this kind of “BREAD,” but only spiritual illness of “WOUNDS and BRUISES and putrefying SORES.”

That’s why God said that for those who “EAT” this kind of “BREAD”  their condition is such that, “From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it.” This is what Satan the stealer, killer, and the destroyer has done to humanity. He has no love or pity for the humankind who were created in the image of God. Hence he persuaded them to “EAT” the deadly and devastating MEAL of death.

JESUS is telling all of us that those who are not truly born again must “EAT” the true “BREAD” of God and they will be healed in their salvation from SIN through His water and blood. And he is also telling those of us who are already born again that if we do not want to get spiritually “SICK” and -“DIE,”_ then we have no any other option than  EATING _“every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God”_ alone.

We thank Him for giving us this “BREAD” of His own body.








(The True Living Bread & Water)

WHAT MUST WE EAT? (Part 5)

It is written in the Gospel of Matthew:

“Now when the TEMPTER came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become BREAD.” But he answered and said, “It is written, “Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:3-4).

Today we will look at how our Scripture reading above reveals God’s “Unsearchable WISDOM” and how the “FOOLISHNESS” of the Devil is revealed in the passage. Yes, the passage actually reveals these two differences, and when we get to know of it, we will PRAISE the God of the “WORD”  who has become “BREAD” for us to “EAT.”

But in order to “EAT” this “BREAD” of the “WORD,” we must take an honest look at the “WORD,” know who He is such as His omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, what He does and what He did for the mankind who fell into the “transgression” of “disobedience,” and how He (the “WORD”) became FLESH to dwell among us (John 1:14) with a divine aim of redeeming and restoring our former dominion in the blissful Garden of Eden where there was nothing like sickness, suffering or pain.

If we therefore want to know the “WISDOM” of God which is revealed in our Scripture reading which I mentioned earlier, then we have to understand the phrase “The WORD of God.” So what does this phrase mean? The expression “The WORD of God” means that when God speaks, He speak JESUS CHRIST who is “LIFE” (John 14:6).

Put differently, it means that what comes out from the “mouth” of God is JESUS CHRIST. And He is the “BREAD” who “proceeds from the mouth of God” and who descended on this earth so that human beings may “EAT” Him. That’s why He said, “For the BREAD of God is He who comes down from Heaven and gives LIFE to the world” (John 6:33). He also added in the same chapter, “I am the BREAD which came down from Heaven” (John 6:41).

Here is the “WISDOM” of God and the “FOOLISHNESS” of Satan which I was talking about: If JESUS is the “WORD” according to John 1:1, and He became “FLESH” according to John 1:14, and He said that He is the “BREAD” which came down from Heaven according to John 6:41, then it is an utter nonsense and foolishness when Satan say to JESUS, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become BREAD.”

Brothers and Sisters, I hope you are getting the picture very well which God is portraying to us. If JESUS says “I am the BREAD which came down from Heaven,” and the Devil also tells Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become BREAD” does it make any sense to you? It simply doesn’t make sense for the Devil to tell the supernatural God who came as “BREAD from Heaven” to turn “stones” into “BREAD” and “EAT.” It is “FOOLISHNESS” for Satan tell the “BREAD” of God that He should turn “stones” into “BREAD” and “EAT.” This is because JESUS Himself is already “BREAD” in by all standards.

Have you ever seen “BREAD” eating “BREAD?” And don’t make that mistake to compare “snake” swallowing or eating “snake” because we are not talking about animals, but we are talking about the Supernatural God in the person of CHRIST.

The conversation between JESUS and the Devil reveals God’s “Unsearchable WISDOM” and the “FOOLISHNESS” of Satan in our Scripture reading. We must remember that when Lucifer was serving God in Heaven, God Himself bore witness about him that he was very “WISE.” He said, “You were the seal of perfection, full of WISDOM and perfect in beauty” (Ezekiel 28:12). Just look at how God testifies about the “WISDOM” an “beauty” of Lucifer.

But what happened to Lucifer when He challenged God and His throne? What happened to Him when he refuse to abide by the borders and boundaries which God set for him? First of all, he lost his pisition in Heaven. Secondly his “WISDOM” changed into “FOOLISHNESS,” and his “beauty” changed into “ugliness.” This is the reason why God said this about him, “All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you; you have become a HORROR, and shall be no more forever” (Ezekiel 28:19).

After Lucifer became Satan the Devil when he rejected his Creator, he became a “FOOL” even though he was “WISE” in the beginning. That is why in our Scripture reading, he was telling JESUS who is “BREAD” to turn “stones” into “BREAD” and “EAT.” If the Devil was living and operating in God’s “WISDOM” as he was in his former dominion, then he would not have spoken such senseless words to JESUS. He failed to realize that JESUS who is the “Living BREAD” does not seek for a “perishable BREAD.”

The Devil, his angels, and human beings became a “FOOL” because he rejected JESUS CHRIST who is “the WISDOM and POWER of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24). That’s why it is written, “The WISE men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the WORD of the LORD; so what WISDOM do they have? (Jeremiah 8:9). This is how Satan became a “FOOL” when he “rejected the WORD of the LORD” JESUS.

When this “TEMPTER” came to JESUS to tempt Him, he thought he was still “WISE.” But how can creature be WISER than his Creator? Before the LORD, Satan was nothing more than a “FOOL.” This is what happens to those who don’t believe in the “WORD” of God and who reject His “RIGHTEOUSNESS” as it happened to the Devil.

The moment Satan began to perceive that something is “WRONG” with his Creator JESUS CHRIST, and that He was not “RIGHT” to rule, he rejected the “WORD” of God and the fact that He is “RIGHTEOUS” God. If the Devil had believed that JESUS is the “RIGHTEOUS” Creator who made him, and that it is because of JESUS that he exist, then he wouldn’t have challenged JESUS CHRIST in Heaven and on Earth.

Even until this day, many people including Christians challenge the “WORD” of God by following the footsteps of Satan. Therefore when the “WORD” tells them that they were born with SINS in their hearts which defile them (Mark 7:21-23), and that they cannot keep the LAW (John 7:19), and that nothing “good” dwells in them (Romans 7:19), they challenge the “WORD” just like Satan, and they stand against His “RIGHTEOUSNESS.” They challenge JESUS the “WORD” by claiming that they have obeyed the LAW from their childhood (Luke 18:19-20).

Such people are servants of Satan who do not “EAT” the “BREAD” of God, but they are always feeding on the poisonous “BREAD” of Satan. They have been bitten by the Old Serpent (Numbers 21:5-6), and they refuse to seek RESTORATION from God whiles they live hypocritical lives. This is the reason why when God throws Satan into hell, his followers will also enter this place of torment along with him.

Brothers and Sisters, knowing the “WISDOM” of JESUS CHRIST and the “FOOLISHNESS” of Satan as revealed in our Scripture reading really helps us to make the “RIGHT” choice of eating “every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God,” and to reject all the words which proceeds from the mouth of the Devil. Through our Scripture reading God has exposed the "FOOLISHNESS" of Satan, and so we must not allow him to "FOOL" us to make a wrong choice.

The right choice makes us “EAT” the “WORD” of God’s “BREAD” by believing that when the “WORD” came in the “FLESH,” He accepted all our SINS unto His body when He received the laying on of hands from John the Baptist during His baptism, and after that He was immersed into the “water” (died), and He came out of the “water” (resurrection). Therefore “lack of knowledge” and faith in His “water” is what prevents people from EATING the “BREAD” of God, and they perish in destruction as a result (Hosea 4:6).

Anyone who does not “EAT” this “BREAD” is missing eternal BLESSINGS.




WHAT MUST WE EAT? (Part 6)

Let us take the 6th look of our Scripture reading in Matthew account where it says:

“Now when the TEMPTER came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become BREAD.” But he answered and said, “It is written, “Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:3-4).

We are now going to see how the Living “WORD” of God prove Himself when He says that man shall not live by EATING physical “BREAD” alone, but by every “WORD” that proceeds from the “mouth” of the Omnipotent God. When I say how the “WORD” prove “Himself” and not “itself,” I am underscoring the fact that the “WORD” is a Being and a Persons who is called JESUS CHRIST and not just a mere thing. In other words, the “WORD” is God who exist as “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14).

So what is the proof or the factual evidence which establishes the fact that Man shall not live by “BREAD” alone, but by every “WORD” that proceeds from the mouth of God?
The first (1st) proof is found in Exodus Chapter 16 when God gave the people of Israel “BREAD” from Heaven to “EAT” which was called “Manna.” Therefore it is written, “And the children of Israel ATE manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ATE manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan” (Exodus 16:35).

Brothers and Sisters, for the Israelites to “EAT” the heavenly food called “manna” which was not made with any flour, yeast, baking powder, sugar, honey or anything for “forty (40) years” without depending on any other source of food really proves without any shadow of doubt that “Man” shall not live by “BREAD” alone, but by every “WORD” which proceeds from the “mouth” of God.

Probably some people may not see anything special or unique about this, but it is. Do you think that you can “EAT” the “BREAD” that is made in your own country such as Ghana (in Africa), Europe, Asia, North America, South America and Asia for “forty years” without EATING any meat and other foods such as fruits, vegetables, and cereals such as wheat, rice, oats, maize, millets? Is there any BREAD in your country which has such capabilities? There is no BREAD in this world which has that capacity.

Please let us be honest with ourselves regarding this QUESTION: Can we “EAT” the BREAD that is made by a baker in our country in the morning, afternoon and evening consistently for 40yrs? This is not as easy thing as it may sound to some people. Do you think that “forty years” is something that is easy to come by? Let me break it down for you so that you will understand what I am try to say here. A year alone consist of 365 days, 52 weeks and 12 months. If you multiply this by 40yrs, it is a huge numbers.

This “forty years” which the BIBLE is talking about is not just talking about someone’s age, but it is talking about how God FED the people of Israel with a heavenly FOOD called “manna” for 40yrs without depending on any other source of FOOD.

We must think deeply about what JESUS is saying in our Scripture reading in order to discover the reason why He is saying that “Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God.” If you are not aware that for God to “FEED” the people of Israel with “manna” for a period of 40yrs is a MIRACLE, then from now onwards, you must see it as such and give all the praise to JESUS CHRIST for giving Himself as the “BREAD” for us to “EAT” through His body which received the baptism for our SINS to be laid on Him before shedding His blood on the Cross.

Brethren, when we read the BIBLE which is the “WORD” of God, we must not read by skipping over the chapters, verses, and the pages as if we are in a HURRY to reach the last page the Book of Revelation. But when we read the “WORD” of the “BREAD” which JESUS is telling us to “EAT,” we must ponder about it, and we must be spiritually inclined in order for the “Spirit of God” of whom we were “SEALED” with for the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13) will give us the enlightenment and understanding. This is very important because unless we understand the “WORD,” we cannot “EAT.”

Moses himself saw that their EATING of the heavenly “manna” for 40yrs was special, exceptional, surpassing and great. This is the reason why he confessed to the Israelites in Deuteronomy, “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and FED you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might let you know man shall not live by BREAD alone; but man lives by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years” (Deuteronomy 8:3-4).

From the above passage, we can see that the words that JESUS spoke to the Devil in our Scripture reading was actually quoted from the passage in Deuteronomy. So was JESUS quoting the words of Moses? Not at all! It is JESUS Himself who gave that “WORD” to Moses and to make he (Moses) and the Israelites to understand that “Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

This is the reason why the Israelites were able to “EAT” the heavenly “manna” which was a “shadow” of JESUS CHRIST for 40yrs. Now if Moses tell the Israelites that their “garments did not wear out” and their “foot” did not “swell these forty years,” do you think it was a mere coincidence? Is there any BREAD in our country of residence that when we “EAT” whiles walking for 40yrs, it will prevent our “foot” from swelling? Is there any BREAD which has the “POWER” to do this? There is none! No, not one.

Dear beloved, the fact that Moses and the Israelites walked by depending on the heavenly “BREAD” of “manna” for 40yrs whereby their “garments did not wear out” and their “foot” did not “swell” is enough proof that “Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

If God permits we will look at the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and probably the 5th proof in the BIBLE that surely man shall not live by depending on “BREAD” alone for survival, but by every “WORD” which emanates from the “mouth” of the almighty God in the Person of JESUS CHRIST.

JESUS is the “WORD” of “TRUTH,” and whatever He says stands forever. No one can prove Him wrong!

Our study continues...................





WHAT MUST WE EAT? (Part 7)

It is written in the Gospel of Saint Matthew:

Now when the TEMPTER came to Him, he said, If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become BREAD. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:3-4).

In our previous studies on this topic, we were looking at how the WORD of God prove Himself when He says that man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD which proceeds from the mouth of God. So in the first (1st) proof, we saw how Moses and the Israelites walked by feeding on the heavenly BREAD of manna alone for 40yrs whereby their garments did not wear out and their foot did not swell.

This we learnt was not a mere coincidence, but rather it was the miraculous POWER of the WORD of God given to them as manna from Heaven which made it possible. Having known this, let us now look at other proofs in the Bible which shows that surely man cannot survive by feeding on the FOOD of the flesh alone, but by every WORD which proceeds from Gods mouth.

In our second (2nd) proof, after Moses broke the tablets of the LAW which God gave to him to be given to Israel, God told him to come to Mount Sinai again, and this is what the Scripture says about Moses, So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he neither ate BREAD nor drank WATER. And He (God) wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:28).

According to scientific research, a human can survive for more than twenty one (21) days without FOOD, but WATER is completely a different story. This is because it is said that anybody who is deprived of WATER will die after twenty (20) days. And even though scientists such as doctors give different views with different calculations concerning this, you and I should be sincere to ourselves without relying on what others are saying.

So what do I mean by this? What I am trying to say is that do you think you can survive without eating any BREAD and drinking any WATER for 40 days and 40 nights? When I was a Pharisee Christian, I also did a lot of fasting and prayers, to be honest with, I was only able to fast from 6am to 6pm for 40 days, but when it comes to dry fasting, I couldnt do it. The only thing I was able to do was fasting for a week (7 days) without FOOD, but I could not do this without WATER.

However, there are some people who even claim they can also fast for 40 days and 40 nights without BREAD and WATER as Moses and JESUS did. But let us forget about what others are saying and be sincere to ourselves because humans are full of lies.” Humans say and do things just to make a name for themselves in pride and arrogance. Even if there is any Christian who is so pious and religious and who thinks he can fast for 40 days and 40 nights without FOOD and WATER, the truth is that such a person cannot talk nor walk after such a fast, but he will lose 100% of ENERGY. No iota of ENERGY will remain in him.

But after Moses and JESUS fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, the Scriptures tells us clearly that they were able to speak and walk. In fact Moses was even holding the two tablets of stones in his hand when he was descending from Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:29). Do you think that naturally it would have been easy for Moses to walk whiles holding the stone tablets in his hand whiles he had not eating any BREAD or drank any WATER for 40 days and 40 nights?

If Moses was walking down from the Mountain with his own strength whiles holding the two tablets of stone, he would have fell down and die in the process. But that ENERGY (a healthy capacity for vigorous activity) which Moses had came from the WORD of God who is spirit and life (John 6:63). Moses himself knew that under normal circumstances, it would have been IMPOSSIBLE for him to descend from the Mountain with his own strength when he had not eating any FOOD or WATER for 40 days and nights.

And when he came from the Mountain, the Scripture says, So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the SKIN of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him; and Moses TALKED with them (Exodus 34:30-31).

Is there any BREAD in this world of which if Moses had eating, it will make the SKIN of his face shone? This is humanly impossible. Rather, it was the spiritual BREAD of the WORD of God which Moses ate on top of the Mountain which made it possible. And when our Scripture reading above says that Moses TALKED with them, it means that Moses spoke to them and interacted with them as if he had not even done any fasting at all. This ENERGY was by the WORD of God and not by physical strength.

Therefore when Moses told the Israelites, ...that He might make you know man shall not live by BREAD alone; but man lives by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD (Deuteronomy 8:3), he knew what he was talking about from personal experience. Does this then mean that we must also fast for 40 days and 40 nights in order to TEST the WORD of God and see whether we will survive or not? Should we try this to gain the same experience?

It is the unwise who will do this. Thats why Moses told the Israelites, You shall not TEMPT the LORD your God as you tempted Him in Masseh (Deuteronomy 6:16). Also when Satan told JESUS, If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: He shall give His angels charge over you, and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone, our LORD replied by saying, It is written again, You shall not TEMPT the LORD your God (Matthew 4:6-7).

Yet despite this, many blind Christians who are not truly born again of the water and the Spirit of JESUS CHRIST make attempts to TEMPT and TEST the LORD by putting out the fleece as Gideon did in Judges 6:39-40. But JESUS told us clearly that, Blessed are those who have not SEEN and yet have BELIEVED (John 20:29). Such Christians read the Bible with vague mentality, and based on what they are reading, they claim that if what they want or what they are saying does not come to pass, then they will throw the Bible away. Such foolish Christians must know that they can throw the Bible away alright, but they must get themselves ready to burn in hell.

We must believe in the written WORD when JESUS says that, Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God. This is because it is the Truth which is established beyond doubt in the Bible. Therefore we must not TEMPT or TEST the Lord our God, but we must BELIEVE in the BREAD of the WORD as it is even as we EAT by faith.

Our study continues and we shall look at the third (3rd) proof...............





WHAT MUST WE EAT? (Part 8)

Let us take another look at our Scripture reading from the synoptic Gospel of Matthew:

“Now when the TEMPTER came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become BREAD.” But he answered and said, “It is written, “Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:3-4).

How wonderful it is to hear such a “WORD” of reply from our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST. This “WORD” is so delicious (delightful and yummy) when we understand it in God’s pefect will. That’s why God Himself keeps on giving us “mysteries” upon “mysteries” based on this single Scripture passage of our reading. We are THANKFUL we are to God for speaking these precious words of “LIFE” to us.

You and I have tasted this “BREAD” of the Living “WORD” of God, and we can testify deep down from our heart in an evident manner that this “BREAD” is truly satisfying in abundant nourishment to the inner man of our spiritual being. And the “WORD” has given us rest, joy, and peace which is indescribable. The “WORD” is so lively (Hebrews 4:12).

So today we are going to look at the third (3rd) proof that surely when JESUS says that, “Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God,” it is established on God’s unfailing promise which is real and not just a theoretical statement.

Therefore our third (3rd) proof comes from the Book of the Kings where the Word of God came to Elijah after he prophesied to Ahab saying to him “there shall not be DEW nor RAIN these years, except at my word” (1 Kings 17:1).

When the “WORD” of God giving to Elijah says that “there shall not be DEW nor RAIN these years,” it signifies that there is going to be a sever FAMINE (shortage of FOOD resulting in violent hunger and starvation) in the land of Israel. And after Elijah spoke these words, the “WORD” of God came to him saying, “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan” (1 Kings 17:2-3).

When the humble prophet Elijah heard these words of God, he did not worry about “FOOD” and “WATER” saying, “How can I go to the eastward to hide by the Brook Cherith which is full of uncertainties? First of all the place is not safe because a beast or some animal may hunt or kill me there, and I am not even sure of any FOOD there.” Such things did not come in the mind of Elijah, but He believed in the “WORD” of God as it is, and He obeyed God just like how Abraham did by moving to wherever God told him to go (Genesis 12:1-4).

Elijah therefore went and stayed by the Brook Cherith which flows into the Jordan because He believed in the WORD of God when He told him, “And it shall be that you shall DRINK from the Brook, and I have commanded the ravens to FEED you there” (1 Kings 17:4). And because God is not a son of man that He should lie, or a son of man that he should repent (Numbers 23:19), He fulfilled His “WORD” as it is written, “The ravens brought him BREAD and MEAT in the morning, and BREAD and MEAT in the evening; and he DRANK from the brook” (1 Kings 17:6).

Brothers and Sisters, what is this event telling us? It is conveying to us that truly, “Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God” according to JESUS CHRIST who is the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). Elijah did not know where the “BREAD” and the “MEAT” came from. The man of God had no idea about where the “raven” took the food from, but he believed very well that it was by God’s providence.

It is important for us to pay a close attention when we read the Word of God. When it says that, “The ravens brought him BREAD and MEAT in the morning, and BREAD and MEAT in the evening; and he DRANK from the brook,” then we must know that this happened exactly according to the “WORD” which God spoke to Elijah. It came from the “mouth of God,” and it establishes and confirms the fact that man shall not live by “BREAD” that is prepared or provided by humans alone, but by every “WORD” which proceeds from the “mouth” of the heavenly Father.

Is there any human or some scientific genius and power which can command a “raven” to bring us “BREAD” and “MEAT” to eat when we hungry? Only God can do this. When FAMINE that is controlled by the Antichrist hits this world according to the Bible prophecy in Revelation 13:16-17, it is said that we cannot buy or sell anything including FOOD unless we receive the mark of the Beast. In such a situation can we even depend on technological advancement to command a “raven” or a bird to bring us FOOD to “EAT” when we are indoors or hidden in some caves, catacombs or forest? Obviously not. In su h a time, we can only depend on “every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

That’s why in respond to our previous studies which was the Part 7, our beloved Brother Okorie was saying that we don’t know how long the days of the tribulation will be, but the Lord God promised to shorten it for His elects sake. And he concluded by saying, “With this second proof, we are sure that the Lord God will take care of us in whatever means He wants. Amen.” Therefore what our Brother was saying has been STRENGTHENED even the more by the third (3rd) proof which has been revealed to us today in the Book of the Kings concerning how God fed Elijah with “bread, meat” and “water” from the Brook.

No matter the situation of famine and dryness, JESUS want you and I who believe in His RIGHTEOUSNESS to know that our God can even command an animal to bring us FOOD to “EAT” on that fateful day of the tribulation. That’ is why He is telling us in our Scripture reading that, “Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

A time is coming, and it is just around the corner, when Satan the Devil will approach us through the Antichrist, and he will tell us to denounce our “FAITH” in the water and the blood of CHRIST, else we cannot buy any “FOOD” to quench our hunger or any “WATER” to quench our thirst. But JESUS has set an example for us in our Scripture reading which we can stand upon to overcome the Antichrist, the beast, and the false prophets.

He is telling us that when the Antichrist and his agents come to “TEMPT” and lure us with the material things of the flesh such as FOOD, we must reply to him, “Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God.” In fact the Lord our God can even command your stomach saying, “Don’t get hungry again,” and it shall be like that just as He commanded that, “Let there be light;” and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). Nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37), and He will do whatever He pleases.

We must therefore know emphatically that the only way for us to overcome the Antichrists who are already in the world (1 John 2:18) in these END TIMES is by depending and feeding on “every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God.” We must “EAT” this food continuously, and we will taste and see that LORD is God, and that we are His people, and we are the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3).

Our study continues and we shall look at the fourth (4th) proof ............




WHAT MUST WE EAT? (Part 9)

Our Scripture reading tells us that:

“Now when the TEMPTER came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become BREAD.” But he answered and said, “It is written, “Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:3-4).

In our previous studies, we saw in the third (3rd) proof that man shall not live “by BREAD alone,” but by “every WORD” which proceeds from the “mouth” of God when there was a severe famine in the entire Land of Israel, and the “WORD” of God came to Elijah to go to the Brook Cherith where He fed him by sending a raven to bring him “BREAD and MEAT in the morning, and BREAD and MEAT in the evening” and he also “DRANK from the Brook.”

So we are now going to look at the fourth (4th) proof, and it actually follows after the incidence above when God fed him by His “WORD” spoken to him. However, after this incidence there was another crises. The crises according Scripture is that, “It happened after a while that the Brook dried up, because there had been no RAIN in the land” (1 Kings 17:7).

Due to this, the “WORD” of the LORD therefore came to Elijah once again, and He told him to rise up and go to Zerephath which belongs to Sidon, and He told him to dwell there. In addition, God told Elijah, “I have commanded a WIDOW there to PROVIDE for you” (1 Kings 17:9). Brethren, we must ponder about these words of God spoken here very well.

If God speaks to Elijah and He tells him that “I have commanded a WIDOW there to PROVIDE for you,” then we must surely know that this is another proof by which JESUS is telling us that, “Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

Also when God mentions a “WIDOW,” we all know that widows are people that most of the time we pity and sympathize. This is because for most of them when their husband dies, living alone with their children becomes very difficult because they have to provide for themselves and their kids. However God used such a “WIDOW” who herself was also lacking in order to teach Elijah and all of us that nothing is IMPOSSIBLE with Him, and His “WAYS” are higher than our “ways,” and His “THOUGHTS” are higher than our “thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).

Elijah then obeyed the voice of God once again as he always does, and when he was on his way to Zerephath and came to the city, he saw the “WIDOW” gathering sticks. Elijah then requested water from her saying, “Please bring me a little WATER in a cup that I may DRINK,” and whiles the woman was on her way going, Elijah made another request saying, “Please bring me a morsel of BREAD in your hand” (1 Kings 17:10-11).

But what was the woman’s response after hearing these things from Elijah? She replied, “As the LORD your God lives, I do NOT have BREAD, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar, and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may EAT it, and DIE” (I Kings 17:12).

Brothers and Sisters, is it not pity when we read this from the above? This confirms what I was saying earlier, that “WIDOWS” are people who most of the time attract pity and sympathy due to their situation. Secondly, there was even FAMINE in the whole Land of Israel which even made the situation worse. Yet in such a situation, JESUS our God wants those of us who believe in His RIGHTEOUSNESS to understand that, “Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

Therefore because Elijah believed in “every WORD” that proceeds from the “mouth” of God, he told the woman, “Do not FEAR; go and do as you have said, but make me a small CAKE from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD God of Israel: “The bin of flour shall not be USED up, nor shall the jar of oil run DRY, until the day the LORD sends RAIN on the earth” (1 Kings 17:13-14).

What a word from God’s servant Elijah! But Brethren, before we move on, let me emphasize here that there are many Christians who are only interested to read biblical stories about Elijah and the prophets, and they interpret those Scripture passages to suit their CANAL thoughts, but they have no interest in the “mystery” of SALVATION revealed in those passages. What do I mean by this?

First of all, many Christians do not know that John the Baptist came in the same spirit of Elijah as recorded in Malachi 4:5 and Luke 1:17. In fact JESUS Himself told us that John the Baptist was the Elijah who had already come (Matthew 17:12-13). Secondly, many Christians do not obey the “WORD” which John the Baptist who is Elijah and servant of God spoke to them. They don’t obey him at all, and the treat him as a failure.

But we must know that just like Prophet Elijah, when John the Baptist told us, “Behold, the LAMB of God who takes away the SIN of the world” (John 1:29), God was speaking to us about the spiritual “CAKE” and the spiritual “BREAD” which was already prepared, and therefore all that we are supposed to do is to “EAT” this living “BREAD” of the “BODY” of Jesus Christ which received the transfer of all our SINS when the WORD was baptized by John in the Jordan River.

The work of John the Baptist did was that he passed all our SINS onto JESUS in the form of the laying on of hands, and he pointed out clearly to us that the spiritual “CAKE” and the “BREAD” which we must “EAT” for our soul to get satisfaction is the BODY of JESUS CHRIST. That’s why he said, “Behold, the LAMB of God who takes away the SIN of the world.” This is the real spiritual “CAKE” and “BREAD.”

But sadly, many Christians are not interested to “EAT” the “BREAD” of the “BODY” of Jesus Christ, but they are only interested to “DRINK” His “BLOOD” on the Cross. As a result, they cannot obtain the true remission of SINS because they ignore His water baptism. However, JESUS did not tell us to “DRINK” only His “BLOOD,” but He told us, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you EAT the FLESH of the Son of Man and DRINK His BLOOD, you have not life in you” (John 6:53). It means that we must “EAT” the spiritual “CAKE” first before we “DRINK” the blood.

John the Baptist did a work that is similar to Prophet Elijah, but his work was even greater than what Elijah did. JESUS confirmed this when He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one GREATER than John the Baptist...” (Matthew 11:11). If you are therefore a Christian and you don’t know that John the Baptist is “GREATER” than Prophet Elijah who commanded “fire” to come from Heaven, then the “WORD” is speaking to you about it.

Prophet Elijah told the “WIDOW” at Zerephath to prepare the “BREAD” for him first before she prepare some for herself. But John the Baptist whose is “GREATER” than Elijah did not tell us to prepare any “BREAD,” but he just pointed out the spiritual “BREAD” to us, and he told us to “EAT” it straight away. But somebody may asked, “Did John the Baptist tell us to also DRINK the BLOOD of Jesus? Of course he did. When John immersed JESUS under the water which signifies His death on the Cross, he was telling us to “DRINK” (believe) in the death of JESUS by which His “BLOOD” was shed.

As Christians, we must never overlook the work of John Elijah who baptized JESUS. This is because if we do, then we can never “EAT” the spiritual “CAKE” or the spiritual “BREAD” of God. If the “WIDOW” at Zerephath had overlooked or rejected the “WORD” which God spoke to her through Prophet Elijah, then she would have “DIED” out of physical hunger. In the same way, if we also reject or overlook the “WORD” which God spoke to us through John the Baptist, then our “soul” will also “DIE” out of spiritual hunger.

This is what God is revealing to us in the event of the FAMINE which hit Israel as recorded in the Book of the Kings.

Our study continues...........




WHAT MUST WE EAT? (Part 10)

It is written in the Holy Scriptures:

“Now when the TEMPTER came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become BREAD.” But he answered and said, “It is written, “Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:3-4).

Previously on this topic, we saw how the “WORD” of God came to Elijah when the Brook Cherith dried up and he was told to go to Zerephath where God used a “WIDOW” to provide for him there in the midst of the extreme FAMINE which affected the entire landscape of the Nation Israel.

Such incidence is one of the proofs which confirms and justifies the words of our blessed Lord and Saviour JESUS in our Scripture reading, that truly, “Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by every WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Therefore when the widow told Elijah that she is going to prepare her last meal of “BREAD” so that she and her child will “EAT” and “DIE,” we didn’t see them “DIE” even in the midst of the devastating FAMINE.

This was because the “WORD” of God worked miraculously when the widow believed in the “WORD” spoken to her through God’s servant Elijah. And because she acted by faith, the Scripture testifies that, “The bin of flour was not USED up, nor did the jar of oil run DRY, according to the WORD of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah” (1 Kings 17:16).

In fact the preceding verse in the same Chapter tells us that the widow, her household, and Elijah “ate” from that bin of flour and the jar of oil for many days. So without the “WORD” of God, neither Elijah, the woman or her child could have survived in a time of severe shortage of food. But through the providence of the “WORD,” they lived, and did not die.

When it says, “The bin of flour was not USED up, nor did the jar of oil run DRY, according to the WORD of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah,” then we are being told to believe in the invisible “WORD” which made it happen like that. We must therefore depend on this “WORD” more than the visible things which we see with our naked eyes including food. That’s why “FAITH comes by hearing, and hearing by the WORD of God” (Romans 10:17).

As believers in God’s RIGHTEOUSNESS fulfilled by the water and the blood of CHRIST, we must understand that the Bible was not written for written sake, but all the events which took place beginning from Genesis speak about our SALVATION, and it provides so much LESSONS for our admonition (1 Corinthians 10:11). I therefore wants us to look at some of the lessons.

LESSONS FROM WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN ELIJAH & THE WIDOW

1. God can use anyone who believe in His “WORD” as His instrument to fulfill His will. An example is the “WIDOW” who availed herself by believing in the “WORD” which God spoke to her through Elijah. It is therefore an undeniable fact that such a person also believed in the sacrificial system of atonement which saved the Old Testament people including Elijah from their SINS.

2. We must learn to give and to share what we have with our fellow Saints and others when they are in “NEED” and they ask for our assistance. Without such a heart, the “WIDOW” could not have prepared or shared her MEAL with Elijah. This is exactly what the disciples of CHRIST did in the Early Church as it is written below:

“Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had NEED. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking BREAD from house to house, they ATE their FOOD with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all people...” (Acts 2:44-47).

For this very reason, the Apostle Paul said that if we have the opportunity, we must do “GOOD” to all, especially those who are of the household of FAITH (Galatians 6:10). Due to this, the born again Saints who were in Macedonia made contributions for the “POOR” among them who were in Jerusalem (Romans 15:26). And not only this, but the Apostle Paul and his colleague co-workers also suffered “NEED” on different occasions, and sometimes the Churches of Macedonia joined hands together to make a contribution to help and assistance them (2 Corinthians 8:1-4).

In fact JESUS did not only tell us to love and to do “GOOD” to our Brethren in the FAITH, but He even told us to go beyond that because the tax collectors also do the same. In other words, JESUS told us to do “GOOD” even to the outsiders just as God makes His rain and sunshine fall on both the righteous and the sinners (Matthew 5:44-47). But let us remember that the best of all “GOOD” which we can do to SINNERS is to share the “RIGHTEOUSNESS” of God with them.

NOTE: We don’t do “GOOD” in order to become RIGHTEOUS, but we do it because we have already been made RIGHTEOUS by the water and the blood of Christ. Therefore we do “good” because it is “good” to do “good.”

3. When any of the servants of God or a born again Saints suffer “NEED” and he or she ask something from you, it doesn't mean he does not “TRUST” God or he is depending on you. Please it is a wrong thought. If that were to be the case, then we would also conclude that Elijah did not “TRUST” God but he depended on a “WIDOW” for food.

4. When we give, we don’t have to think that we are “LOSING” what we have, but rather we are giving out what God has already given to us. This is what the “WIDOW” did towards Elijah and she was “BLESSED” even more because her flour did not “USED up,” and her jar of oil did not “RUN dry.” This is why the Apostle Paul quoted from the words of JESUS when he said, “It is more BLESSED to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

BUT BEWARE OF THIS:

Some false pastors and prophets have been using the encounter between Elijah and the Widow to exploit their Church members in order to consume their hard-earned money with a pretext of receiving more BLESSINGS from God as Brother Frank (Narrow) told us in his response to the previous message. These false prophet and pastors do not teach anything about God’s free gift of “RIGHTEOUSNESS” to their Church members, but they are only interested in money and in material possessions. For such people, the Bible says that their “god is their belly” (Philippians 3:19).

Notwithstanding this, the fact that the false pastors and prophets are misapplying the Bible does not mean we should not practice and apply our FAITH in doing what is RIGHT. There is nothing wrong if members or congregation contribute to support their leader, anybody, or for a particular course. However, if it becomes the order of the day when they have not even received the “LOVE” of God which is the “REMISSION” of their SINS, then even if they give all their goods to feed the poor, the Bible says it profits nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2-3).

In our next study, we will look at the seventh (7th) proof. But let me remind you that the fifth (5th) proof was when God sent a “raven” to bring Elijah “BREAD and MEAT in the morning, and BREAD and MEAT in the evening,” and the sixth (6th) proof is what we learnt previously and today concerning the widow’s “bin of flour” and the “jar of oil” which she used to prepare the “CAKE” and “BREAD,” but it was not “USED up” and it did not “run DRY” according to the “WORD of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah.”

So the seventh (7th) proof continues..............