Ministry

Mark 6:31,

"And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat."

MATTHEW 14:13-21;

MARK 6:30-44;

LUKE 9:10-17;

JOHN 6:1-14

Jesus often separated Himself from others so that He could spend time with the Father.

Jesus called His disciples apart for rest and leisure. Many zealous Christians have neglected the needs of their physical bodies and have cut their ministries short through death or severe illness.

Many have failed to take the time to be still and know God (Psalm 46:10).

One of Satan's deadliest weapons against those involved in ministry is busy-ness.

We must balance our time ministering to others with our time of being ministered to by our Father.

If the devil can't stop you from "getting on fire" for God, then he'll try to stop you by getting you "burned out."
The reason Jesus and His disciples were going to this remote place was to get away from the multitude for awhile and rest.

This rest was not optional, but rather, a necessity. Jesus and His disciples were taking a much needed vacation.

Butthe multitudes followed them and their vacation ended even before it began.

Jesus and His disciples were just as disappointed as you or I would have been.
But instead of anger or bitterness, Jesus was moved with compassion.
Later on in the evening, Jesus went up into a mountain and prayed until the fourth watch (3 to 6 a.m.).

The Lord intends for us to take care of these physical bodies as seen by Jesus' taking His disciples aside for rest.

But when this purpose was frustrated by the demands of the ministry, Jesus gave priority to the spirit man and stayed up all night praying and getting the spiritual rest He was needing.

We need to put the needs of the spirit ahead of the needs of the flesh.

Herod

Luke 9:7,

"Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some that John was risen from the dead."

MATTHEW 14:1-12:

MARK 6:14-29;

LUKE 9:7-9

Others may have thought Jesus was John the Baptist risen from the dead, but as can be clearly seen by looking at Matthew's account and especially Mark's record, Herod was convinced of this personally.

This illustrates Herod's own conviction of the sin John had rebuked, his guilt and torment over his even greater sin of beheading John, and his fear of John and the God he represented.

In Mark 6:20, Herod once listened to John gladly.
It is certain that John was preaching his favorite message of, "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

For Herod to hear him gladly, he must have been under deep conviction from God.
Herod feared his wife and the opinion of others more than he feared God.
Herod was not as Festus, who told Paul he was mad for speaking of the resurrection from the dead.
Herod knew the truth personally, was exceedingly sorry, and yet chose death - both John the Baptist's and his own spiritual death.

Apparently, seen in this instance, Herod lacked peace after his fatal choice.
According to the world's mentality, peace is the absence of problems.

God's peace is not dependent on circumstances.
It is dependent only on God Himself who is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

A Christian can have great peace even in the midst of terrible problems because his faith is in God. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee" (Isaish 26:3).

Let His peace rule today. Trust Him.

Jesus

Matthew 16:21,

 "From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day."

MATTHEW 16:20-28

Despite the abundant and clear prophecies about His death and resurrection, Jesus' disciples didn't understand or remember Jesus' words until after His resurrection (Luke 24:5-9).

Luke records twice that Jesus' sayings about His resurrection were hidden from the disciples.

It is interesting that the chief priests and Pharisees remembered Jesus' prophecies about His resurrection (Matthew 27:63) when His disciples didn't.
One of the great truths of the Bible is that Jesus died for our sins, not for His own.

Jesus was totally sinless.

This is one of the major differences between Christianity and the religions of the world.
No other religious leader has ever claimed to be sinless, no other religious leader is even in the same class with Jesus.

Also, no other religious leader has ever given his life in sacrifice to atone for the sins of others.
It wouldn't have done any good if one had.

The religious leaders were sinners themselves, their lives weren't worth any more than any other sinner.

But, since Jesus was the sinless Son of God, His life was worth more than all of humanity throughout the ages.

Every detail of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection was already prophesied in scripture before it happened.

All the events of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection had fulfilled scripture.

God's Word is the ultimate authority and only through His Word can we receive faith to be born again.

We must preach the Word, not experiences.

Experiences are only useful to illustrate that God's Word is true.

Jesus is alive from the dead.
His tomb is empty.

Jesus provided us with the ultimate verification of His authority.

He arose from the dead.

Satan

Mark 8:33,

"But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men."

MARK 8:30-33

Jesus was not implying that Peter and Satan were one-and-the-same, but was referring to the fact that Satan had inspired Peter's statement.

This type of metaphor was used elsewhere in scripture such as when God spoke to the serpent in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15) as though addressing Satan.

The serpent was merely the vehicle of communication Satan used to tempt Adam and Eve, while Peter was the vehicle Satan used to tempt Jesus.

Ephesians 6:12 reveals that our warfare isn't with people, but against the spiritual powers who inspire and use people.

Jesus recognized that Peter's reaction to His prophecy about His death was motivated by His enemy, Satan, so He went right to the source.
Every Christian is at war.

There is a perpetual struggle against Satan and his kingdom.
Our enemy goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).

Those who resist the devil will see him flee
(James 4:7).
Some of us believe that anger will put others in their place.
But "the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God" (James 1:20).

Anger against people makes us play right into the hand of the devil.
The way to overcome the spiritual powers that come against us through people is to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39).

This makes the demons flee in terror.

We cannot win a spiritual battle with carnal weapons. We must realize who the real enemy is and fight with the spiritual weapons the Lord has given us.

Many suppose that the higher of the devil's spiritual authority, it takes more power to rebuke or remove.

That's not true.

There is no demonic power, including the devil himself, that will not flee at the name of Jesus when faith is put in that name.

What a wonderful name!

Self-denial

Luke 9:23,

"And he said to them all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."

MATTHEW 16:16-26;

MARK 8:30-37;

LUKE 9:21-27

Self-denial is an important part of the Christian life. Jesus sacrificed His life for us and He demands that we die to ourselves that we might experience the new life He has provided for us.

We do this first by recognizing that we can't save ourselves by our own effort and, second, by trusting God - not self - for salvation.

Then daily, we need to deny our own wisdom and seek God's wisdom and direction for our lives.
Self-denial is only good when we are denying ourselves for the singular purpose of exalting Jesus and His will for us in some area of our life.

Some have made a religion out of self-denial and find pleasure in their denial - not in Jesus'lordship.

This leads to legalism and bondage, which Paul condemned as will worship (Colossians 2:23).

We are told not only to deny ourselves, but to "deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus."

The cross is what Jesus died on.

There are circumstances in our lives which, like the cross of Jesus, give us the opportunity to die to ourselves each day.

These are not things like sickness, poverty, etc., for which Jesus' atonement provided redemption, but rather things like persecution (which we are not redeemed from) and the constant battle between our flesh and our born again spirit.

The cross that we must bear is to take God's Word (which is His will) and exalt it above our own will in each situation every day.

The Rock

Matthew 16:18,

"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

MATTHEW 16:13-19

Some people have mistakenly interpreted this passage to say that Peter was the foundation on which Christ would build His Church.

That would violate many scriptures that refer to Jesus as the "chief cornerstone."

Ephesians 2:20 does mention the apostles as being part of the foundation stones of Christ's church, but it doesn't single Peter out above any of the other apostles, This same scripture once again mentions Jesus as the "chief cornerstone."

There are two different Greek words used for "Peter" and "rock" respectively in verse 18.
The word used for "Peter" means "rock" but signifies a piece of rock like a pebble.

The word translated as "rock" signifies a massive rock which certainly refers to Jesus, the "chief cornerstone."

Some have suggested that the foundation rock referred to was the confession that Peter made saying that Jesus was "the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16).

Although it is true that, to enter God's kingdom, we do have to confess that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9-10), in light of the Old Testament prophecies and New Testament references to Jesus being the "chief cornerstone," this passage of scripture must be referring directly to Jesus as the "rock" upon which He will build His church.

One of the greatest differences between the New Testament believer and the Old Testament believer is the fact that New Testament saints are the temple of God.
God Himself actually indwells us.
God does not dwell in a building made by man's hands.

He now lives in the hearts of those who make Jesus their Lord (Rom. 10:9).

The cornerstone of our lives in God must be an ever-increasing revelation of His Son.
If we had a real understanding of the reality of Christ in us (Colossians 1:27), it would drastically change our attitudes, emotions, and actions.

Perseverance

Mark 8:24-25,

"And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly."

MATTHEW 7:7-11;

MARK 8:22-25

It was unusual for Jesus to inquire about the results of His ministry as He did in verse 23.
It was even more unusual that Jesus laid hands on this man a second time.

This is the only example in the New Testament where Jesus had to minister to any need more than once to affect a total healing.
Many people request things from God and then look at their circumstances to see if God answered their prayer.

That is walking by sight and not by faith.

If they can't "see" God's answer, then they pray again asking for the same thing.
This is not the way Jesus taught us to pray and receive.

We can be sure that Jesus didn't lay hands on this man a second time because He thought His Father hadn't heard Him the first the time.

Since the man received partial sight, it is evident that God's healing power was at work in him.
Jesus was not petitioning His Father again for healing.
Through His spirit, Jesus knew that unbelief was hindering a perfect manifestation of God's power in this man, and He simply gave him another "dose" of the anointing power of God.

Satan may hinder, but cannot overcome someone who continues resisting him. 
Perseverance in prayer is the key to overcoming Satan - not God.

Symptoms

Mark 8:17,

"And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?"

MATTHEW 16:1-12;

MARK 8:11-21

Just a few days before this instance, hardened hearts caused Jesus' disciples to be amazed when they saw Jesus walk on the water to them.

Jesus' statements reveal some of the characteristics of someone with a hardened heart.
First, a hard heart keeps us from perceiving spiritual truths.
This is why everyone in a church service hears exactly the same message but, some will receive while others won't.

It's not the Word that is the variable, but rather the condition of the hearts.

A hard heart stops spiritual perception.

Second, a hardened heart stops us from understanding spiritual truth.

When a person doesn't understand God's Word, Satan finds no resistance when he comes to steal it away.

Third, a hard heart keeps us from remembering.
This isn't to say that we can't recall facts or scriptures.

In Mark 8:19-20, the disciples remembered the facts of the two miraculous feedings, but they had forgotten any spiritual lessons they might have learned.

Some people can quote scripture or remember what the sermon was about, but they can't perceive the spiritual life in the message or retain what they did perceive.
A hardened heart blinds us to any spiritual perception and keeps us thinking only in the natural realm.

Small faith and a hardened heart are the same. Hebrews 3:12-13 an evil heart of unbelief to a hardened heart.

It takes great faith to keep our heart sensitive to God.

Religion

Matthew 16:1,

"The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would show them a sign from heaven."

MATTHEW 16:1-4

The Sadducees were a Jewish sect (Acts 5:17), of both a political and religious nature, that was best known for its opposition to the more popular party (the Pharisees), because of differences in various doctrinal and political questions.

Sadducees rejected the oral tradition of the Pharisees who made a "mountain" of burdensome laws.

We are told they believed there is "no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit" (Acts 23:8).

From Josephus, we learn that the Sadducees believed that the soul perishes with the body (Antiquity XVIII. 1.4) and, can receive neither penalties nor rewards in an afterlife (War II. 8.14).

The most significant mention of the Sadducees in the Gospels concerns their interview with Jesus in Jerusalem.

They tried to trap Jesus with a crafty question concerning the resurrection.

Jesus accused them of not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God (Matthew 22:29).

He then proceeded to quote from the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) out of Exodus 3:6 in support of the doctrine of the resurrection.

The Sadducees became alarmed and decided to take action (John 11:47), as Jesus posed a threat to their security and position (as in the cleansing of the temple; Mark 11:15-18).

Confronted with Jesus and His claims, the Sadducees were able to unite with their traditional enemies, the Pharisees, for the purpose of disposing of Jesus.

Both parties worked together for the arrest and trial of Jesus by the Sanhedrin.

These religious leaders were only aware of external actions and ignorant of the issues of the heart.

Religion (man trying to approach God) will always differ with Christianity (God coming to man) in this respect. "Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).

Intercession

Mark 8:12,

"And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation."

MARK 8:11-13

The Greek word used here for "sighed deeply" means an intense grieving, inaudible prayer, or groan.

This is intercession of the Holy Spirit, with groanings that cannot be uttered.

Some Spirit-filled Christians believe this means groanings that cannot be uttered in normal speech and that this refers to speaking in tongues.

This actually refers to a type of intercession different than speaking in tongues.

In John 11:33 and 38, Jesus groaned in the Spirit twice, and in those cases there were no words uttered.

It was exactly as the Scripture states, a groaning in the Spirit.

Everyone who has the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit has or will have this happen to them.

Paul was referring to this in Galatians 4:19 when he spoke of travailing in birth for the Galatians.

This groaning of the Holy Spirit is not just a grief but a groan of anger and resistance against Satan's devices in our lives.

Many times, Christians don't discern this because they think it is just their own grief over the situation. But, this is the Holy Spirit desiring to intercede with us against our problems.

Jesus drew on this ministry of the Holy Spirit.

John 11:33 and 38 says, that Jesus groaned in the Spirit twice when He raised Lazarus from the dead.

What infirmity did Jesus have that He needed this ministry of the Holy Spirit?
Jesus had no sin, but He did have an infirmity.
It was His physical mind.

Even a sinless human mind could not comprehend raising a man from the grave after four days.

If Jesus needed the Holy Spirit to help Him when He didn't know how to pray, then this should certainly be an important ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Humility

Matthew 15:27,

"But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it unto the dogs."

MATTHEW 15:21-39;

MARK 7:24-37; 8:1-10

It is very clear in the Bible that Jesus was sent to fulfill God's covenant to the Jews.

It was also clear that Jesus would open up faith to the Gentiles.

Jesus knew this, and had already ministered to many Gentiles without the disdain that we see here with the Syro-Phoenician woman.

Jesus could not have been forced into ministering to this woman's daughter if it was not His will to do so.

His silence and rough answer to this woman must have been designed to accomplish a positive result.
Humility is an important ingredient of faith.

This woman was a stranger to the covenants of promise and had no right to demand anything.

Jesus' silence and then comparison of her to a dog would certainly have offended an arrogant person, and it is possible that for this very reason, Jesus tried her faith.

Jesus didn't need to do this with the centurion in Luke 7:6-7 because the centurion had already humbled himself.

An major part of faith is seeking God alone with our whole heart.
 
If we are concerned about what people think and gaining their approval (or honor), we will never take a stand in faith for anything.

After all we might be criticized for it.
This one thing has probably stopped as many people from receiving from God as anything else.

We  cannot be  "men-pleasers" and please God at the same time.

Satan uses persecutions to steal away God's Word and stop our faith.

To see faith work, we must say with Paul, "let God be true, but every man a liar" (Romans 3:4).

Attitude

Mark 7:21,

"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders."

MARK 7:17-23

These verses (21-23) further establish the fact that our heart includes more than just our spirit.

Even Christians still struggle with things like pride and foolishness, which Jesus said comes out of our hearts.

It's certain that our born again spirit is not the source of these sins; therefore, the heart includes more than our spirits.
The word "spirit" is used in different ways in scripture.

The most frequent use refers to either the Spirit of God or the spirit of man.

In that context, it refers the person of the Holy Spirit or identifies a part of our three-part being (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

But the word "spirit" can also describe a mental attitude.

In Ephesians 1:17, Paul is praying that what is already true in our spirit will become our "mental attitude."

He's praying for a release into the physical of what is already present in our spiritual being.

The Christian life is not an attempt to get more faith, or more anointing, or to get closer to the Lord.
We already have these things in their fullness.

We just need a revelation of what is already ours.

Understanding this takes a lot of frustration and doubt away.

It's much easier to release something you already have than to try and get something that you don't have.

And why would anyone doubt whether or not he could receive what he already has?

Through Christ, we are already blessed with all spiritual blessings.
All we have to do is appropriate what is already ours, through the renewing of our mind.

If we will change our thinking to believe what God says in His Word about who we are and what we have, then this agreement between our spirit and soul forms a majority, and our flesh will experience the life of God that has been deposited in our spirit.

Holiness

Mark 7:15,

"There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man."

MATTHEW 15:1-20;

MARK 7:1-23

All of the Old Testament dietary laws were shadows (or pictures) of spiritual truths which would become realities in the New Covenant.

The Pharisees (as well as many Christians today) missed all of the spiritual significance of these laws and saw only the physical act.
The real spiritual meaning that these Old Testament dietary laws symbolized was that we were supposed to be holy (separated) unto God in everything - even what we eat.

Under the Old Testament law, it was forbidden to eat or to touch certain animals, not because there was anything wrong with the animals, but to illustrate the point of being separated unto God and to serve as a constant reminder of this separation.

Under the New Testament, we see that no animal is, or ever was, unclean of itself.

The Old Testament designation of certain animals as unclean was purely symbolic, and this is why Jesus could make this statement.
Jesus' statements here refer to more than just the clean and unclean beasts of the Old Testament.

He said nothing which enters into a man through his mouth can defile him.
This statement cannot be interpreted as condoning any type of abuse we would like to give our bodies such as gluttony, drug abuse, etc.

Jesus is simply explaining that the condition of the heart of man should be given preeminence over the physical body.

The heart of man controls the body of man, not the other way around.

Sin doesn't make our hearts corrupt, but a corrupt heart makes us sin.

God looks on our hearts.

Our cleanliness or defilement in His sight is dependent solely on whether or not we have been made clean in our spirits by the blood of the Lamb.

The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

Traditions

Mark 7:13,

"Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye."

MARK 7:1-13

Deuteronomy 4:2 clearly states "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it . . . ."

This same thought is repeated in the New Testament in Revelation 22:18-19 with very stiff penalties.

Religious man is very quick to observe the part about not diminishing any of God's commandments, but there seems to be an unwritten law that adding to them is okay.

Every denomination has its own set of "do's and don'ts" which aren't found in scripture, and like those of the hypocritical Pharisees, their unwritten laws usually have to do with outward appearance.

We need to remember that adding to God's commandments is just as bad as taking away from them.

We need to speak when the Bible speaks, and be silent when the Bible is silent.

The commandments of God and the traditions of men are not the same thing and must always be clearly distinguished.

Any attempt to place them on the same level will always result in making the Word of God of none effect.

We have to either "lay aside" the commandment of God to keep the traditions of men or we have to "lay aside" the traditions of men to keep the commandments of God (Exodus 20:3).

Church liturgy is tradition, as well as many of the "do's and don'ts" taught by churches today.

We can neutralize the positive power of God's Word toward us, and nothing will do that quicker than elevating man's traditions above God's Word.

God's Word is still true (Romans 3:3-4) and will not return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11).

The Word will not profit anyone who doesn't believe it, but God's Word itself doesn't lose any power.

If some do not believe God's Word, does that make God's Word of no effect?
The answer to this question is a "no!" God's Word still has its power to save, and it will profit us when we mix it with faith.

Hypocrisy

Mark 7:6,

"He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me."

MARK 7:6-9

This is the biblical definition of a hypocrite, "someone whose words and heart (actions) don't agree."

A hypocrite may act the part of a Christian or he may talk like Christ, but he won't do both.
When both confession and action from the heart are consistent with God's Word, there is salvation
(Romans 10:9-10).

The word "hypocrite" comes from the Greek word "hupokrites," meaning "the playing of a part on the stage; an actor."

It was a custom for Greek and Roman actors to use large masks, when acting, to disguise their true identity.

Hypocrisy became "the feigning of beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold or possess; insecurity" (American Heritage Dictionary).
The dictionary defines "dissimulate" as "to disguise under a pretended appearance."

The Greek word means "without hypocrisy, unpretended."
It has become customary in our society to conceal our real feelings behind a hypocritical mask.

Although we should be tactful and not purposely say things to offend people, there is a time and a place for speaking the truth, even if it isn't popular.

In Leviticus 19:17, the Lord said, "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him."
This verse is saying that if we fail to rebuke our brother when we see sin approaching, then we hate him.

Many people have concealed their true feelings about evil under the pretense of, "I just love them too much to hurt their feelings."

The truth is, they just love themselves too much to run the risk of being rejected.
That's hypocrisy.

Motives - not actions - are usually what makes a person a hypocrite.

Defiled

Mark 7:2,

"And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault."

MARK 7:1-7

Man looks on the outward appearance (this is what the scribes and Pharisees were concerned with), but the Lord looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

Jesus looked on men's hearts.

The Old Testament laws concerning washing served a secondary purpose of hygiene, but as stated in Colossians 2:16-17 and Hebrews 9:1,9-10, their real purpose was to shadow or illustrate spiritual truth.

Defiled food may hurt our bodies, but it cannot reach our spirits (John 3:6).

The scribes and Pharisees missed the principle of spiritual purity taught by the Old Testament ordinances and became obsessed with strict adherence to their rituals.

While they relentlessly enforced the laws dealing with the physical realm, they had become completely corrupt in the spiritual realm.

"The law is not of faith."

When combined with Romans 14:23 which says, "...whatsoever is not of faith is sin," this statement must have been near blasphemy to the legalistic Jews, just as it is to legalistic Christians today.

It is sin for the New Testament believer to try to relate to God by attempting to keep the Old Testament law.

The law itself is not sin (Romans 7:7).
But it is sin to try to use the law for justification with God.

This was never the purpose of the law.
Under the law a person got what he deserved.

Under faith, the New Testament believer receives grace because of what Jesus did for him.

Any departure from faith, especially a departure back to the Old Testament law, voids the work of Christ (Galatians 2:21) and is the worst sin of all.

Only faith in Jesus Christ has the key that unlocks the door to the law's harsh imprisonment of guilt and condemnation.
With a great price He has purchased our freedom.

Spirit

John 6:63,

"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."

JOHN 6:40-71; 7:1

Jesus is stating that our spirit, not our flesh, is where our life comes from.

These people were so dominated by their physical lives that they were missing all the spiritual significance of His words.

God's Word does benefit our physical man, the Word is spiritual and must be understood through the spirit.
God's Word is spirit and it takes our spirit to reveal its truths to our minds.

The Word of God is not paper and ink.

Jesus is the Word, and He existed in spiritual form long before any words were inspired to be written down by the Holy Ghost.

The Bible is simply a physical representation of Jesus and spiritual truth.
It is inspired of God and totally accurate and reliable, and until we receive the Spirit expressed in these words the Bible will not profit us.

This is why many people have read the Word, maybe even memorized it, and aren't reaping its benefits.
Just as our physical man receives life from the food we eat, so our spiritual man receives life as we partake of Jesus, the "bread of life.

Jesus plainly stated that the words He spoke were spiritual - not physical.
If we want to know what spiritual truth is, we must believe the Bible, for it is spirit and life.

If we want to be led by the Spirit, then we must follow God's Word.

If we want to hear from the Spirit of God, then we must listen to what God says in His Word.

The Spirit (Holy Spirit) and the Word
(Jesus - John 1:1) are one.

Offended

John 6:61,

"When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?"

JOHN 6:60-69

This scripture, as well as Matthew 15:12, reveals that people will be offended by the Gospel.

As much as possible, we should make sure that it is not ourselves that are offensive.

We can't labor under the deception that everyone will receive the Gospel, even if the truth was presented properly.
We know that Jesus represented His Father perfectly and yet most people rejected His message.

In these two instances, when Jesus realized He had offended the listeners, He didn't apologize and try to make concessions to gain their acceptance.

Instead, He got harder.
This hard message of commitment is not only beneficial to those who receive it, but it serves a double purpose, it exposes the "tares among the wheat."

It is important to be aware that the children of the wicked one are placed among the true believers.

We should be very careful about putting just anyone who professes Christianity into any position of authority (1 Timothy 3:10).

Our best defense is to preach the Word of God without watering it down.

False brethren will not endure sound doctrine
(2 Timothy 4:3).
They leave when the Word, which is sharper than any two-edged sword, begins to expose the thoughts and intents of the heart.
 
There will still be those who are deceived and unaware that they are not born again, remaining among the Church until the end of this world.
As long as Jesus was in the world in His physical body, He was lighting the way to the Father.

He now shines through our lives.
It is our responsibility to be a witness.
The purpose of a light is to dispel the darkness.
So "let your light shine before men...."
(Matthew 5:16).

Change

John 6:56,

"He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him."

JOHN 6:47-59

Many thought that Jesus was speaking of cannibalism, but He was speaking of the spiritual man.

Just as the physical man receives life from the food he eats, so the spiritual man receives life as he partakes of Jesus, the life of men (John 1:4; 10:10; 14:6) or the "Bread of Life."

The Bible presents salvation as a life transforming experience.

Change is one of the distinguishing characteristics of a true believer.

Failure to understand that this change takes place in the spirit first, and is then reflected in the outward thoughts and actions, proportional to the way we renew our minds, has caused much confusion.

This change has to take place in our bornagain spirit. If we were overweight before we got saved, we will be overweight after we get saved. 
Our bodies don't instantly change.

Our soulish or mental realm don't instantly change. How we thought about things before we got saved will be how we think after we get saved, until we start renewing our minds.

The only part of us that is left is our spirit.

It is our spirit that is instantly changed at salvation. It is perfect (Hebrews 12:23).
It cannot sin (1 John 3:9).

Everything that is true of Jesus is true of our bornagain spirit.

Our spiritual salvation is complete.
At salvation, we receive the same spirit that we will have throughout all eternity.

It will not have to be changed again or cleansed again.
It has been sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13) and is therefore sanctified and perfected forever (Hebrews 10:10, 14; 12:23).

Jesus lives in the spirit of believers.
All that He is will be available to us if we will depend on Him instead of our own abilities.

Old and New

John 6:45,

"It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me."

JOHN 6:40-45

The Old Testament prophets prophesied of a new covenant where we would all be taught of God.

This is speaking of revelation knowledge that comes from within, through our spirit.
Under the Old Covenant, God dealt with the Jews through the outer man.

He did this because an Old Covenant man (who was not born again) could not perceive the spiritual truths revealed in the New Covenant by the Spirit
(1 Corinthians 2:14).

This difference between the old and new covenants is the reason why there had to be two covenants.

The Old Testament man was comparable to a child in his ability to grasp spiritual truth.
It is impossible to explain spiritual truth to a young child, and yet, a child must be restrained from submitting to evil.

The Word of God teaches us to use the "rod of correction" (Proverbs 13:24; 19:18; 22:15).

The child may not understand resisting the devil, and yet, when the devil tries to entice him to steal, he will say "No!" because he fears he will get the rod if he does steal.

The Old Testament saints were restrained from sin by a fear of the wrath and punishment of God.
This curbed sin, but it also hindered them from receiving the goodness and love of God (1 John 4:18).

Under the New Testament, which Jesus is speaking of in this verse, the punishment for our sins was laid on Him.

We no longer serve God out of fear of punishment like once we did when we were "children" under the law, but we serve Him out of love; because He has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, making us His sons.

We serve Him because our nature has been changed through the new birth.

We are taught of God through the indwelling presence of Christ.

Bread

John 6:34,

"Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread."

JOHN 6:31-35

It is prossible that these Jews were expecting Jesus to rain down manna on them the way God did before in the wilderness.

Anyone who could feed five thousand men with one small lunch should be able to produce manna.
They were still thinking of physical food.

The word "manna" means literally "what is it?"

The children of Israel said, "It is manna: for they wist (or knew) not what it was." (Exodus 16:15)

Manna was a nutritious food which appeared on the ground every morning shortly after the children of Israel left Egypt and began their 40-year wandering in the wilderness.

Moses called it "bread which the Lord hath given you to eat."

The Lord, speaking to Moses, called it "bread from heaven."
It was small and round, like coriander seed, and was white in color.
The people, after gathering it, ground it in mills or beat it, baked it in pans and made cakes of it.

It tasted like wafers made with honey or fresh oil.

It was gathered every morning and had to be used up that day or it would stink and have worms.
An exception was on the sixth day.
It could be gathered for the Sabbath and wouldn't spoil (Exodus 16:22-26).

Although they were looking for pieces of bread to materialize, which would have been a great miracle, it would have been insignificant compared to the miracle of God being manifested in the flesh
(1 Timothy 3:16).

They were talking to the greatest miracle that God had ever performed, but they were blind to it.

Many times, we get so intent on seeking God in one area that we forget the greatest miracle of all, which is the love and redemption given to us from God through His Son.

Works

John 6:28,

"Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?"

JOHN 6:24-29

All throughout history, mankind has been seeking ways to do the works of God.

Everyone has a knowledge within them of the reality of God (Romans 1:18-20), and a desire to be right with Him.

Just like the Jews, few agree with the Lord as to how to do it.
The Jews were willing to do something to obtain salvation, but they were not willing to commit themselves to Jesus and accept His gift.

This is one of the major differences between Christianity and the religions of the world.

Religion is willing to make sacrifices to obtain right standing with God, but Christianity recognizes our complete inability to ever do enough to save ourselves and calls for total faith and reliance on what Jesus did for us.

No one deserves salvation.

It cannot be earned by what the Bible calls "dead works" (Hebrews 6:1; 9:14).
Dead works include all religious activities, good deeds, or charity that one may do as a means of being justified before God.

Faith towards God and what He has done through Christ Jesus is the only means of receiving His free gift of salvation.

He only asks us to believe.

Self

John 6:26,

"Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled."

MATTHEW 14:34-36;

MARK 6:53-56;

JOHN 6:22-39

Jesus knew the hearts of all men and He did not commit Himself to this crowd.
Just the day before, these same people tried to take Him by force and make Him their king, but He withdrew and spent the night in prayer.

This crowd looked like they were seeking Jesus, but they were actually trying to use Jesus to seek their own end.

It is true that there are many personal benefits to be reaped through serving the Lord, but the benefits are never to become our object. In all things, Christ must have the preeminence (Colossians 1:18).

Jesus exposed the true intentions of the people's hearts by preaching a message of commitment.

Those who were self-centered were offended and left while those who were willing to lay down their lives to experience God's abundant life remained. 

Commitment to God Himself (not what He can produce) is what always separates the true worshippers of God from the false.

As Jesus began to explain in these verses that He was the only way to the Father (John 14:6) and that they would have to come through Him, the people grew angry.

It always angers the flesh to think that all our righteous acts can't save us, but Jesus made it clear that our only part in salvation is to believe.

Believe what?
Believe on Jesus and His sacrifice - not ours. Salvation is a gift and cannot be purchased
(Romans 10:2-3).
Many times, we get so intent on seeking God in one area that we forget the greatest miracle of all, which is the love and redemption given to us from God through His Son.

God loves us so much!

Salvation

Mark 6:54,

 "And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,"

MARK 6:53-56

The word "know" can mean many things from as little as "to perceive with the senses or the mind" to a much deeper meaning of "a thorough experience with."

This knowing, then, is not just intellectual, but a personal, intimate understanding.

Jesus defines eternal life as knowing God the Father and Jesus Christ.

Eternal life is having an intimate, personal relationship with God the Father and Jesus the Son. This intimacy with God is what salvation is all about.

Forgiveness of our sins is not the point of salvation. This intimacy with the Father is.

Jesus did die to purchase forgiveness for our sins because unforgiven sins block us from intimacy with God.
Sin was an obstacle that stood between God and us. It had to be dealt, with and it was.

But anyone who views salvation as only forgiveness of sins and stops there is missing out on eternal life.

Salvation was intended to be presented as the way to come back into harmony with God.

Instead, it has often been presented as the way to escape the problems of this life and later the judgment of hell.

It is possible to get born again with that kind of thinking, but more often than not, people who get saved through that type of ministry, view the Lord as someone to help them through times of crisis and not someone to know in an intimate way.

Jesus died for us out of love (John 3:16) - a love that longed to have intimate communion with man.

Most non-believers are so occupied with their "hell on earth" that they don't really think or care about their eternal future.

They are fed up with religion.

They are looking for something that will fill the emptiness inside.
Only an intimate relationship (eternal life) with our Father can do that.

We need to tell them.

Hardened Hearts

Mark 6:52,

"For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened."

MARK 6:45-52;

JOHN 6:15-21

Most of the time, we think of a person with a hard heart as being someone who is in terrible rebellion to God.

While it is true that a rebellious person does have a hardened heart, in this instance, the Word is referring to the disciples' hearts being hardened. They were, "sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered" at Jesus walking on the water.

The word "hardened" as used here, means "to make calloused, unyielding or cold in spirit, or insensitive to."

The disciples were not God haters, but rather they had become so sensitive to the natural world and its limitations that they were overwhelmed to see Jesus supersede these laws. Therefore, they had a hardened heart.

If they had kept in mind the miracle they had just seen Jesus perform (the feeding of the five thousand), then they wouldn't have been amazed to see Jesus walking on the water toward them.

After all, He had commanded them to get into the ship and so was responsible for them.
He was just a short distance away from them, and was in the same storm, so they knew He was aware of their situation.

They should have been expecting Jesus to come and save them, even if He had to walk on the water to do it.

Many of us are more sensitive to fear and doubt than we are to the truths of God's Word.

This is because we have thought more on things that minister fear and doubt.

We can take these laws about hardening our hearts and use them in a positive way.
We can actually harden our hearts to doubt by considering only God's Word.

It is a possible and obtainable goal to become just as sensitive to God and faith as we have been to Satan and doubt.