July 23, 2020
FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:
WHAT TO EAT THE HEAVENLY MANNA MEANS.
“Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
Matt. 4:4; cf. Deut. 8:3, A.V.
Jesus said, “the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.” Find time, with all the downtime afforded by this pandemic crisis, to prayerfully read John chapter 6.
“The life of Christ that gives LIFE to the world is IN His Word. It was by His Word that Jesus healed disease and cast out demons; by His Word He stilled the sea, and raised the dead; and the people witnessed that ‘His Word was with power.’
“He SPOKE the Word of God, as He had spoken THROUGH all the prophets and teachers of the Old Testament.”
“The whole Bible [not just favorite selected verses] is a MANIFESTATION of Christ, and the Savior desired to fix the faith of His followers on the Word. When His VISIBLE presence should be withdrawn, the Word must be the source of their power. Like their Master, they were ‘to live by EVERY Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ Matt. 4:4.
“By looking constantly to Jesus [in the Word, not on self or others] with the eye of faith, we shall be strengthened. God will make the most precious revelations to His HUNGERING, THIRSTING people. They will find that Christ is a PERSONAL [not vicarious] SAVIOR.”
“As they FEED upon His Word, they find that it is spirit and life! The Word DESTROYS the natural [carnal, worldly], earthly nature, and imparts a NEW life in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit comes to the soul as a Comforter. By the TRANSFORMING AGENCY OF HIS GRACE, THE IMAGE GOD IS REPRODUCED IN THE DISCIPLE: HE BECOMES A NEW CREATURE.”
“Love takes the place of hatred, and the heart receives the divine similitude. This is WhAT IT MEANS to ‘live by every word hat proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’ This is EATING the Bread that comes down from heaven.” Desire of Ages, pp 390, 391.
Be sure you know how “to rightly divide the Word of God,” so you can be “a workman that needs not be ashamed” in “handling” the Word! NMF