Crowd's Unbelief - Lent 2016

Living Bread ~ Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of Life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” John 6:35    

                                                                                   

During this season of reflections and renewal, join me in exploring the Bread of Life. When we encounter Jesus Christ, this Living Bread feeds, satisfies, and transforms us. Come on this journey and remember this True Bread “is broken for you”. ~ Donna Oswalt

The people began to murmur in disagreement… We know his father and mother. How can he say, ‘I came down from heaven?’ John 6:41-42 NLT

Unbelief denies even the possibility of Jesus’ divinity. Hostility towards Jesus grows even more during His last months on earth. How could this man, a carpenter from Nazareth, be the Son of God, how could he come down from heaven? Strong rejection of Jesus’ revelation spreads through this crowd. What makes believing so difficult?

Some 2,000 years later, the crowd still struggles to believe in the authenticity of Jesus’ identity. The Good News remains the same today ~ Believe in Jesus and have everlasting life! Some want proof, others want more miracles. Many simply ignore the message and create their own truths. Hostility towards Jesus grows as the days until His return shorten. Christians do not know when Jesus will come back to earth or exactly how that will look, but we do believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Living Manna from heaven for a hungry world.

Lord, there are crowds wandering, murmuring unbelief, and its people suffer great injustices. Without everlasting hope, the possibilities are few and the disappointments are many. Starving spiritually and unaware, anger and rage take control. “Lord, always give us this bread.” Help me feed this hungry world. – dho

Focus Point: Christians do not know when Jesus will come back to earth or exactly how that will look, but we do believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Living Manna from heaven for a hungry world.

All rights reserved; copyright 2016 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove Ministries/Christian blogger and author;  Breathing Room For My Soul (blog)~ Follow on Twitter @soulchat

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3rd Sunday of Lent - Mystery of God's Infinite Love

 Living Bread ~ Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of Life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” John 6:35         

                                                                              

During this season of reflections and renewal, join me in exploring the Bread of Life. When we encounter Jesus Christ, this Living Bread feeds, satisfies, and transforms us. Come on this journey and remember this True Bread “is broken for you”. ~ Donna Oswalt

When we understand the mystery that we are loved not for what we do but because of who God says we are, we are free to love others in a similar way.   Henri Nouwen

God showed how much He loved us by sending His only son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 1 John 4:9-10 NLT

While revelations of God’s character and redemption find expression in the Holy Scriptures, humanity struggles to find words that completely define or describe the glory of God. As one begins to recognize the splendor of God, the soul discovers the mark of God’s love permanently etched, the image of the Creator forged inside, a remnant of God’s life-giving breath. The heart overflows with emotion; the mind strives to comprehend. The mystery of God’s infinite love exceeds explanation. - dho

You Are Loved ~ Laura Story (click here for video)

God of the Heavens, You find me here, right now. My hunger for more and my dissatisfaction with less struggles to ignore Your everlasting, never ending, all-consuming love! “Lord, always give us this bread.”; You complete me! – dho

Focus Point: “Everlasting, never ending, all-consuming, You are love!” ~ Laura Story

All rights reserved; copyright 2016 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove Ministries/Christian blogger and author;  Breathing Room For My Soul (blog)~ Follow on Twitter @soulchat

For more information about this ministry visit ~

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Bread of Life - Lent 2016

Living Bread ~ Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of Life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” John 6:35               

                                                                        

During this season of reflections and renewal, join me in exploring the Bread of Life. When we encounter Jesus Christ, this Living Bread feeds, satisfies, and transforms us. Come on this journey and remember this True Bread “is broken for you”. ~ Donna Oswalt

Yeshua told them, “I am the bread of life…” John 6:33-40

Every year at Passover the Jewish people remember God’s protection as they recall putting the blood of an unblemished lamb over their doorways for the angel of death to pass. Religious rituals of removing all leaven from their homes and eating only unleavened bread during this time reminds them of God’s promise and God’s plan for His people. God provides.

God’s redemption of Israel from Egypt and hope of a Promised Land finds the people full of weariness and fear, struggling with disobedience and consequence. Historical retelling of daily manna from heaven for the forty years in the wilderness reveals a God of faithfulness. Centuries later, Jesus enters this world and becomes God’s living manna from heaven, God’s promise of redemption for all, for you and for me. Jesus, Bread of life, broken for you; broken for me. God provides.

Bread of life, I need a God of promise and hope, faithful and true. “Lord, always give us this bread”. – dho

Focus Point: God provides.

All rights reserved; copyright 2016 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove Ministries/Christian blogger and author;  Breathing Room For My Soul (blog)~ Follow on Twitter @soulchat

For more information about this ministry visit ~

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Soul Food - Lent 2016

Living Bread ~ Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of Life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” John 6:35        

                                                                               

During this season of reflections and renewal, join me in exploring the Bread of Life. When we encounter Jesus Christ, this Living Bread feeds, satisfies, and transforms us. Come on this journey and remember this True Bread “is broken for you”. ~ Donna Oswalt

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. John 6:38 NASB

Reinforcing His relationship to the Father, Jesus explains His purpose fulfills God’s plan and does not include a personal agenda. While God’s sovereignty never changes, Jesus reveals a unity with the Father. Together, the plan of salvation unfolds before the people. Living Manna from heaven brings redemption to a lost people. God’s soul food!

God provides the food, but humanity still gets to choose. God’s sovereignty allows us to come to Christ by faith, each individual by personally believing. Verse 40 explains God’s plan: believe in Jesus, the Son of God, and have eternal life. Grace comes through faith in Jesus. Perfect Love demonstrates obedience to the Father’s plan. God chooses each of us. How will you reply?

Lord, I struggle to lay down my agenda, my plan, my dreams. Sometimes, I want life to evolve on my terms, my timetable, my truth. You call me by name and invite me to call You Father, to rest in Your purpose. You ask me to believe! Teach me how to pray “Lord, always give us this bread” so that I find Living Manna. - dho

Focus Point: Perfect Love demonstrates obedience to the Father’s plan.

All rights reserved; copyright 2016 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove Ministries/Christian blogger and author;  Breathing Room For My Soul (blog)~ Follow on Twitter @soulchat

For more information about this ministry visit ~

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I Am the Bread of Life - Lent 2016

Living Bread ~ Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of Life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” John 6:35    

                                                                                   

During this season of reflections and renewal, join me in exploring the Bread of Life. When we encounter Jesus Christ, this Living Bread feeds, satisfies, and transforms us. Come on this journey and remember this True Bread “is broken for you”. ~ Donna Oswalt

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”   John 6:35 NKJV

Teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum, telling those who crowd in to hear, Jesus explains the bread of God comes down from heaven. The crowd says, “Lord, always give us this bread.” Recognizing their spiritual blindness, Jesus clarifies, “I am the bread of life.” The Bread of heaven is spiritual food that completely nourishes the soul. Jesus declares “I am this bread!”

Listening but not understanding, the people struggle with the spiritual concept. Jesus, the Messiah, the Bread of heaven, sits in front of them, speaks directly to them; yet, they do not believe. Today, the Living Bread of heaven still calls each person into a relationship with Him, offers to love us, to meet all our spiritual needs, but like these people 2,000 years ago, we hesitate and sometimes we step back further into the crowd. Jesus sees our uncertainty but repeats believe in Me. Jesus waits, and we remain hungry!

Bread of life ~ sometimes my thoughts are dull and shallow. I say, “Lord, always give us this bread”, but I miss Your point. Believing doesn’t mean the answers will be simple or the questions easy, doesn’t come with a guarantee of life without difficulty or disappointment. As I find my nourishment in You, I discover new strength for the sadness, fresh hope for the hard times, and  inner joy for the journey. Jesus, I believe! – dho

Focus Point: The Bread of heaven is spiritual food that completely nourishes the soul. Jesus declares “I am this bread!”

All rights reserved; copyright 2016 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove Ministries/Christian blogger and author;  Breathing Room For My Soul (blog)~ Follow on Twitter @soulchat

For more information about this ministry visit ~

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True Bread - Lent 2016

Living Bread ~ Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of Life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” John 6:35      

                                                                                 

During this season of reflections and renewal, join me in exploring the Bread of Life. When we encounter Jesus Christ, this Living Bread feeds, satisfies, and transforms us. Come on this journey and remember this True Bread “is broken for you”. ~ Donna Oswalt

[the crowd says] Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT.’… [Jesus replies] “For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”  

John 6:31,33 NASB

More than1400 years earlier, Israel refuses to enter the Promised Land, fearing their enemies and not trusting God and spends forty years wandering in the desert wilderness. With Moses leading their ancestors, God provides daily manna, or bread, for each person (Exodus 16:4). These present-day Jews all know about the provision of bread from heaven. Jesus makes it clear, “My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.”

Jesus expresses two important concepts in verse 33. First, the life-giving bread of God comes down out of heaven. Secondly, this bread comes with a purpose; this bread gives life to the world. The manna from heaven of the Old Testament symbolizes a daily, but temporary provision meeting physical needs. Through Jesus, God gives life-sustaining, everlasting true bread for spiritual nourishment. This true bread becomes God’s promise of eternal life to the world – to the Jews and the Gentiles, to men and women, to every race, creed, and nationality. Jesus is the true bread of God from heaven for all people!

Bread of heaven, sometimes my spirit wanders in a modern-day wilderness of excess, overloaded and overwhelmed; yet, I feel empty. You know my deepest needs. True Bread, feed me. And with all people, help me pray, “Lord, always give us this bread.”  - dho

Focus Point: Jesus is the true bread of God from heaven for all people!

All rights reserved; copyright 2016 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove Ministries/Christian blogger and author;  Breathing Room For My Soul (blog)~ Follow on Twitter @soulchat

For more information about this ministry visit ~

MangroveMinistries.org

LIKE Mangrove Ministries on Facebook