The Gospel 5

The Gospel 5

By Apostle Felix

25  When they finally found him, they asked him, “Teacher, how did you get here?”
26  Jesus replied, “Let me make this very clear, you came looking for me because I fed you by a miracle, not because you believe in me.
27  Why would you strive for food that is perishable and not be passionate to seek the food of eternal life, which never spoils? I, the Son of Man, am ready to give you what matters most, for God the Father has destined me for this purpose.”

John 6: 25 – 27

Jesus is the bread of life. He is the bread that came from the Father in heaven. Jesus gave a contrast between the bread Moses gave and the bread God gave. The bread that Moses provided had no power to impart life upon the recipients. It only gave a temporal satisfaction. Israel ate manna in the wilderness but it did not give them permanent satisfaction. The manna Israel ate only gave temporal relieve but Jesus gives eternal life. Everything God does is permanent. We have manna churches today that are been fed on Moses’ meal that does not have the power to  save souls of men. The manna was provided daily except Saturday, which was a sabbath, a day of rest. The people collected twice as much on Friday so that they may have food the following day, Saturday. The people were not allowed to collect more than one needed per day. It was a daily meal, and had to be collected according to the number of people in a particular family. It was a daily exercise.

On the contrary, the bread that came from heaven was delivered once and for all. You eat the bread of life only once and you do not need to be coming every day for bread. Jesus admonished the people to seek the bread from above rather than the bread that perishes. They saw how Jesus multiplied bread and fish the previous day and the people saw another Moses who will be able to provide free food daily. The church of Jesus Christ is forever satisfied on Jesus’ meal. Jesus said, whom the Son has set free is free indeed.

36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
John 8: 36

The gospel message sets people free permanently. It’s not gradual deliverance. You cannot contact Jesus and remain bound in the yoke of slavery. Israel had manna only in the wilderness. When they crossed the Jordan river into the promised land, manna stopped.

11  And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day.
12  And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. 

Joshua 5: 11, 12

The promised land was a typology of rest. God had promised the promised land to Israel as their rest. Manna was not food for rest. And when they ate bread from the promised land, manna ceased. Jesus is the promised Son, and He is our rest.

1  Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
2  For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
3  For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

Hebrews 4: 1 – 3

The wilderness was not God’s plan for Israel. They went around in circles in the wilderness for forty years, not because God had planned it that way. The journey was supposed to take eleven days, but their unbelief in the gospel, the good news of the promised land, the land of rest made them to wander for forty years. God’s plan was to deliver them out of Egypt and deliver them into the promised land. The deliverance of God is not a process. That’s the result of unbelief from pastors and church members too. The manna is not God’s ideal. The bread of life is God’s ideal.

31  Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
32  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
33  For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
34  Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
35  And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst again.

John 6: 31 – 35

We have many thirsty and hungry believers who are patronizing every house of deliverance. People have become projects of other men and women. They are like Israel in the wilderness. Eating manna but not fully satisfied. These people are from house to house looking for freedom when freedom is in them. The bread God has given to His children satisfies eternally. Any gospel that promises temporal relieve is not the gospel of Christ.

47  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
48  I am that bread of life.
49  Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
50  This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
51  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 

John 6: 47 – 51

The gospel is the ministry of life that imparts everlasting life. It is unthinkable for anyone to think that the everlasting life of God can be resisted by the devil and demons. This is the life of God imputed on a believer. There is no way one can be possessed by the life of God and yet is struggling with demonic residues. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation.

16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Romans 1: 16