Is Jesus your Bread of Life!

Read John 6:25-51

After Jesus’ miracle of feeding the multitude, the people came across the lake to look for Him to do more. But more of what? More to eat or more of the Christ? Then they saw Jesus and wondered and asked how did you get here? Jesus responded a bit harshly, for He saw their insincerity. The truth is, you do not want the truth, you are just here to see more of a “show” and to receive more food; you want another miracle, but not what is far more important. You should not be concerned about material things; rather, seek what is more effectual and important. Instead of food and what is perishable, see what I am offering you—eternal life and real Truth—because God the Father has sent me to you for that purpose so you can have a purpose!

Jesus chastised these people for their shallow wants and desires to be fed with what was temporary and miss the real meal that is eternal. They just wanted more and more miracles, each one greater than the last. People easily place their faith in the wrong things and at the wrong end of the message. These signs were meant to point to Christ, not for us to be humored by Him. Even when these people were witnesses to the incarnate God, they only wanted more of a show and not more of Him. This parallels people today who want a cheap, easy to swallow message but not the real Message of Truth that convicts and impacts. They want a God who dispenses cures to what we think ails us rather than the real cure to what really ails us—redemption (John 11:40; 1 Cor. 1:22).

Jesus is the Bread of life, He is the bread that gives life!

This is one of the famous “I Am” sayings of Jesus, significant because this points to His Divinity (John 8:12; 9:5; 10:7, 9; 10:11, 14; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1, 5). Jesus is the One who gives life and provides. It is a bold claim to divinity, that Jesus is God. Jesus is the God who nourishes us and we must receive and consume His most precious gift so it becomes a part of us so we can have real satisfaction and contentment. Jesus as Lord is not a commodity; rather, it gives us the means and ability to have a right relationship with God (Ex. 3:14; John 4:4; 8:12, 58-59; 9:5; 10:7-14; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1-5; 17:3)

What do you want and need more of in life?

Is it physical comfort or a problem resolved or a fear to be eliminated or a hurt corrected—or is it something even shallower, like a new car or a better dress? Seeking comforts and needs, felt or real, are not always wrong; they are wrong when we replace our real need with them. Our real need is more of Christ and less of ourselves! We need to have a grasp on who Christ is and who we are in Him. This is the foundation of being a Christian. Who is He? What did He do for me? What is my role and purpose (John 3:30)?

We must have more in our spiritual arsenal than just belief.

We must have more in order to grow in Him and make our faith and relationships work. Our faith cannot just be academic, an idea, or even just a hope; it has to be real. Jesus cannot just be an idea or a hope or fuel for our agendas and purposes. He must be real and tangible in our feelings, thinking, and focus. We must be willing and able to trust and abide, so when the storms of life come, we will have a firm foundation, not one on sand made up of grains of false expectations, misplaced hopes, false ideas, and a skewed determination. We are called to know the will of God and to obey the will of God so we can give Him glory and praise and be His display. We need to focus on God, our intimacy in Him, and that He is a God who cares and who gives. We must be thankful, look at what is He saying, (we do this by praising Him) and not bow to the will of others who give misguided information under the disguise of presenting it as God’s will.

Questions to Ponder

1. Why does real Truth not make sense to someone who is not in Christ?

2. How do you handle truth from God’s Word that convicts and impacts more than normal? What has Jesus given you that is far more important than your present perceived needs?

3. What do you need to do to desire more of Christ and less of what temporarily satisfies?

4. What does the Bread of Life mean to you? How is Jesus your substance and nourishment for life and spiritual growth?

More here:
http://www.intothyword.org/articles_view.asp?columnid=3803&articleid=61524

Where is your Confidence?

What do you need to do to put your confidence and trust in the Lord?

The Disciples got in their boats and headed across the lake to Capernaum. Suddenly, a violent storm came up; they tried to row through the storm and managed to get a few miles off, but the sea got more forceful. Jesus then crossed this raging lake on foot! The Disciples were about half way across when they saw Jesus, walking on top of the water! He was headed right for them and the Disciples did not know what to make of this; they were terrified. Jesus, calling out to them, said, I am here, do not be afraid! It is I. Jesus is telling them about His Deity, literally, the self revelation of God, “I AM,” as the name God used to reveal who He was to Moses. Then Jesus says, don’t be afraid, this is also a promise of God, meaning we have freedom from fear, as our Lord is our partner in life and faith. This also means to keep the faith—keep it going, hang in there—step up and do not give up. This was a great comfort for a people who were thinking of leaving the Church. Our confidence is in Christ and not in situations, so we need to encourage one another not to be afraid, but to put our confidence and trust in the Lord (Deut. 31:6-8; Josh. 1:5; 2 Chron. 15:2; Isa. 10:24; 12:2; Jer. 30:10; Psalm 27:1; 37:28; 56:11; 118:6; Phil. 4:11-12; Heb. 2:15; 4:16; 11:23, 27).

Then the Disciples Were willing to take him!

Once the fears were gone, the Disciples were willing to look to and trust in Jesus. It is a beacon for us so we will understand that we need to remove our fears and frustrations and allow more room for Christ in our boat of life! This is a necessary step of faith that is easy to do when we can see; however, we usually cannot see in a storm. We cannot wait until it clears up; we have to step out and obey His precepts, regardless of the weather or what others say. Do not let doubts and fears adjoin to the storm; see Jesus cut across the storm, so you can see His hand! We must obey with joy (John 2:5)!

We, as Christians, need to know that storms will come; storms always come. Either you are in a storm, coming out of a storm, or in the middle of the eye of a storm—surrounded by a storm, but not seeing it. We all will experience rough times, either because of our disobedience or from the misdeeds of others that affect us. Since most of humanity is interconnected by just two or three degrees of separation, all of our actions and decisions affect one another, either for the good or for the bad. But, even in a storm, He takes us to the shore!

During the tyranny of life’s urgent matters, a great crowd of people converging, asking questions, stress that the Disciples never faced before, and thinking that Jesus left them, they waited and wondered what was going on; where was He? Where could He be? Why was He not helping in this crisis? There had been such a high point, a great happening that could not be explained, an unsolvable problem solved. Yet, a storm came, a great storm of stress and a storm of weather filled with great physical challenge. The Disciples must have wondered what had happened; they may have expected, more and more, a new age and a great Kingdom, yet they went from such a high point to such a low point mentally, spiritually, and physically, both in geography (as in elevation) and in the measures of success in life and ministry. It seems that Jesus sent them from the mountain top experience of joy into a major storm—from fame to threat to danger. Then when all seemed lost, Jesus came; He literally walked on water to them in the midst of a storm that had them stuck in the middle of a lake, perhaps even facing death. We will all face fame and joys; we will also all face threats and perils, and when it seems that no one cares or is looking, Jesus will come. Yet, did he ever leave? No! We have to see that Jesus does not leave or forsake us; He never left. He is here, always here, even when it is hard to see Him. Jesus cuts across life’s obstacles and miraculously intervenes in the storms of life. He is here, and He says to us, “It is I; do not be afraid!” (Isa. 43:1-5)

When are you willing to take Christ in?

Questions to Ponder

1. Jesus reaches out to us; when He does, what do you need to do to respond? How can you better take His lead?

2. Have you noticed in your life that once the fears are gone, it is easier to look and trust in Jesus? Why? How can you better remove your fears and frustrations so you can allow Christ to occupy more in your boat of life?

3. Our confidence is in Christ and not in situations. So, what can you do to encourage others in your life and church to not be afraid, but to put one’s confidence and trust in the Lord?

4. What does it mean to you that you have freedom from fear? How is Jesus your Lord and partner in life and faith?

We need your prayers!

The Ministry is growing, yet we have our ills…

Even though the ministry is growing, by usage and prominence, this mission endeavor, indeed, is a very tough gig now. As with many people in fulltime ministry, our personal support and the ministries giving has plummeted to record lows. And with Mary’s leave of absence to take care of her mom (she had a stroke last month, but is doing better now, thanks for prayers) this all has its challenges both emotional and financial (She has no Med insurance, please pray for this too). We tend to be exhausted, warn and weary, sometimes wondering how much more can we do this without more help?

We need your prayers!

Every person I know in fulltime Christian service is having trials, overseas it is persecution and here it is financial, weird stuff and burnout.

Our Ministry Partners are facing Extreme Persecution!

In Pak-istan in District Toba Tek Singh an entire Christian village (korian) has been burnt out by the Mus-lims militants and they have also burned down two Churches. The rest of the Christians are very scared in these districts.
Mus-lims Militants have burnt out the whole Christian colony in Gojra and destroyed as of now at least one Church. One young person died.
Please pray for them, Christians are fleeing from their homes and villages. There is no accommodation or relief for them.
Above confirmed by three sources!

Not confirmed, one report said that they have gouged out eyes of a few young boys and few women too in these areas.
These are direct reports from the field! Please pray for them urgently.

The challenges and the enemy are daunting and strong but our Lord is stronger, so we need prayer to combat this! The devil hates us and it seems that everyone else interrogates those who serve Christ; we praise God for you all who are in Christ, for your prayers and support!

I feel silly (as they say in England) to share this with you, but I need to…

Here is a small snapshot what we faced this week, and this is not the big stuff like others face…Instead of being chased by a lion, we are big peaked by ducks…

Strange, I have noticed many, many ministries and Christian missionaries and pastors have had their personal and ministry Facebook pages deleted, including just about every missionary I know and many people at our church.

On an unrelated note-lol For some unknown reason our Facebook account was hacked and deleted by some malicious person or group. FB has not gotten back to me or been able to help me get it back, we lost all friends and contacts (over 900)... This was an important tool for us to connect and communicate. I do not have the time or inclination to redo it.... Also, I have no way to update the Into Thy Word page either. I was told by another big ministry that an atheist group has been doing this to many Christian mission organizations or it could be FB not wanting Christians on it. There seems there is nothing we can do about it.

My attempt to create a new one, but the last one took me over a year to build:

http://www.facebook.com/rkrejcir

Are we are damp and hot or cold and wet or?

As I write this, our dryer went out and our Frig is just about gone, it is more of as heater than a cooler now. Maybe I can put our clothes in the frig-lol Our cars are desperate for repair and maintenance like brakes and batteries, my shoe has holes and I sometimes wonder why am I doing this (wherein shoes or is it ministry?). Please pray, I fear, even though this ministry is fantastic (another England word), effectual and growing, I may have no choice but to quit ministry and find, as my mother has been pestering me too, to find a real job.

This is a small example of spiritual warfare we are undergoing personally and as Christians today. At least people are not trying to club us and burn us out like some of our SC Asian pastors that we are working with. I even feel embarrassed to tell you our silly woes compared to the people we work with. But you may need to know for prayer sakes...So Please, keep us and others in ministry and our partners covered in prayer.

Like many people in fulltime ministry, our finances are bleak; our giving is way down, we are worn...but God is in charge!

The good news? Yes there is! There are literally over 10,000 pastors we provide support materials too in these persecuted areas. Like pastoral aides and training curriculums, sermon building kits, church leadership kits by our overseas partners as well as consulting. In addition, many more thousands receive our Bible study and sermon helps through our websites (over 5,000 a day)... I get over 300 emails a day that I can’t possibly answer, mostly from people thanking us or asking for help... This ministry is viable, we are being used as a profound help to many and continues to grow in need and usage, but we do not have the funds coming in to make it work and we are also in debt (60K), again, please pray. Remember the people who use us, do so because they have no one else to turn to or what is out there is junk, and other ministry’s only sell their wares. We are a “real ministry” and a mission and not a store and we do as Jesus said to do, give it...

And a big thank-you for those of you who have prayed and given to us!

Without you we would literally be out on the street right now...and these pastors would have no essential materials to lead and manage their churches.

As our “terminator” Governor has stated, this is the good, the bad and the ugly. For us, unlike the State of Cal, we have been responsible and wise stewards. The good is we have been faithful and the ministry thus far continues and grows because of our Lord and you. The bad is, our income intake and the ugly is...I hate to say it; our board may shut us down, as they did with Gospel Communications if our finances do not turn around soon...

Did I mention we need prayer? Oh yea, we need support too...

Be blessed and thank-you all for your prayers and support, without you we can’t do the real needed ministry!

Please help us, donate online here:
http://www.intothyword.org/pages.asp?pageid=56841
https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=richard@intothyword.com&item_name=Click+here+to+donate+if+you+feel+led+to+contribute,+we+would+appreciate+it+very+much,+as+it+will+go+to+our+Lord's+work!

Richard, Mary and Ryan Krejcir
Phil 1:6

We are serving the Lord at Into Thy Word, with pastoral training and equipping and encourage church leaders to understand and apply God’s Word into our life!

More info here:

ITW Financial Challenge

http://www.intothyword.org/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=58451&columnid=4611

http://www.intothyword.org

Are you Committed to a Church?

We need to be committed to the church because we need one another. The quality of our faith and church life is formed and exhibited by the quality of our spiritual preparations and our discipline of obedience to God and to one another! It is our mutual faith-building and encouragement, receiving and practicing His disciplines that become the entrance point to our spiritual formation which leads to our Christian maturity. And, it is this growth in Christ that spurs our church body into a phalanx of mutual support and cooperation so we spur on one another's commitment. Thus, when you are in a crisis or a troubling time, do not just ask for relief and divergence. Seek out community in Him and the help of others; as we look after one another, so we can collectively grow in Christ and not miss out on what Christ has for us.

When tough times do occur in our churches, we can use them as opportunities by asking what can I learn and take away to build me up further in faith and in maturity. God wants us to be squeezed so we produce wine and not whine. If we do not lean on Him, we will not learn and thus will not pass on helpful experiences to others. Our trials and hurts will become foolish wastes of real suffering. But, if we learn and grow through those trials, they become the great classroom of life and educate us better than any university degree. Taking on His strength is what helps us produce our joy, not our conditions or unfulfilled desires (Neh. 8:10; Isa. 40:29; Matt. 11:30; Heb. 12:12-29).

But, we must watch out for bitterness that rises from unfulfilled expectations when our focus is not on Christ. Esau traded his birthright for food; being foolish caused him to lose his blessing, and resulted in a life of bitterness. So, come to God, to Jesus Christ who gives us a new Covenant as Savior and Lord! Obey Him, live for Him, serve Him, and be grateful. Do not ignore Him; rather, embrace Him head on, fast and hard. We have a God who is Most Holy and He will not be thwarted or misrepresented or disrespected. Therefore, let us put our faith and hope in Him and not what people have or have not done to us at church. Remember, we experience His love and grace and feel His fellowship and empowerment as we are His people and He is our loving Lord. As Christians, let us all be appreciative for who we are in Christ and what He has done for us, so we can worship Him and live contented lives!

Being committed to the church is more than a gold star for attendance; it is a commitment to the work of our Lord. It requires submission to His authority, and active participation to be used and offered with the full abilities of our gifts and talents. It means giving of ourselves, and it means receiving the grace and love without the hindrance of our will.

Too many of us want to go it ourselves, but our desire to be independent becomes our focus in life. I felt this way when I was called to a wonderful church. The church exhibited an over-abundance of hospitality, so that my wife and I felt suspicious as well as grateful, because we were not used to it. After a considerable amount of prayer, we realized the call of the church was to be supportive and caring. We had just left a church that exhibited the opposite, and were hurt and confused when confronted with the true call of the church. Thus, my pride got in the way when this new position included a new house for my family and the generosity of the people provided our every need. We must not allow the past hurts or the self-directed will to get in the way of receiving gifts from others. We all have gifts to be used, but to use them, they need to be received.

Being committed means we are not to shop for months and years for a church home and become so picky not even the perfect church will satisfy us. We need to be discerning, and make sure it is grounded in correct theology and practices the art of caring, that it offers the ministry we may need, but does not have such high expectations that no person in a church could meet it. Remember, the church is an imperfect institution that is in the process of sanctification. So, do not expect perfection, but expect a willingness to grow to the goal of sanctification, that is, perfection in Christ. Our new, committed church home should compel us to be public about our faith and have commitment to others within the character of our Lord. We are to be supportive, not just financially, but wholeheartedly and passionately.

Do not give up on Church!

…we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:13

How Much do you Love of God?

God first loved us; how do we then respond?
Take a Look at John 5: 30-47

We are called to respond by loving God. Faith is based on knowledge given by God. Faith is not just simple trust, nor is it just feelings or fad; faith is not blind trust either, because we know the One who is leading (1John 4:19)!

He gave us life!

Christianly is not just a future bliss; it is purpose, meaning, and life for the here and now too! This also refers to God's purpose and love and the contrast to sin and worldliness (that is darkness); it is the classic good versus evil, where the Good God and His metaphor of Light will win out.

Do you give Him Praise?

A chief aspect of being a follower of Christ is to be grateful for what He gives; this is a prime expression of worship.

Do you have His Truth?

Meaning who and what do you trust and serve? These leaders trusted in themselves and their traditions, relying on pretentious pride and self-seeking praise to one’s self. Thus, they could not accept Truth, or the One God sent, or to really worship and praise God which can’t be done by a prideful heart. This also means to convert to Christ who is the new living Hope, inheritance, security, and Lord God. Thus, the question implied is, what are we doing with it now? Our new life must produce results (Deut. 6:4-9; 11:17-20; Jer. 1:11-12; Micah 1:10-15; Matt. 23; John 1:12-13; 19:11-13; Rom. 9:7-8; 2 Cor. 5:17-20; 2 Cor. 5:17; 2 Tim. 3:14-17; Titus 3:5; James 1:17-18; 3:15-17).

Meaning what is never ending and what is true versus what is not true or what comes against it, such as the darkness of sin. In context, this refers to the true Truth of Christ contrasted to the hypocrisy of those who seek to hide Him with the imitation light of their pride that shines forth with only darkness. This is also the Light of our Lord Jesus Christ, His message of the Gospel, and the true truth that God so loved the world; He came to save those who do not deserve or merit it (Matt. 11:11; John 3:16; 4:24; 6:32; 8:12; 9:5; 10:7-14; 11:25; 14:6; Acts 19:1-3; Rom. 1:19-20; 2:12-16). This is also a call to display the Light that God has given us in both big and small ways (John 1:11-18).

The application for us is that bringing a testimony is essential to knowing, eternalizing, and showing our faith; it is the active demonstration of the Gospel working in us. Christ is the One who gives us grace, forgiveness, and our life, purpose, and salvation; so then, how shall we display it (Deut. 17:6; 19:15)? Our faith is based on historical evidence, logical reasoning, and valid testimonies. Faith is still trusting what we cannot see and believing our God (Rom. 1:16-32; 5:1-11; 10:14-17; Gal. 3:1-4; Eph. 2:8-9; James 2:14-26)!

Our motivation is to understand who Christ is and to put our faith in Him. This is also about the tangible reality of a loving and caring God. Your faith can progress deeper and deeper as more of Christ is revealed to you. Jesus has the power of life; He also has the power to save and the power to empower us to live out our lives with faith now (John 20:31).

Questions to Ponder

1. Jesus offers you eternal life. So, how has he offered you a hope for both now and for tomorrow? How can His empowerment help you have a good, purposeful life now too?

2. If Jesus where to ask you, where is your heart set, what would be your truthful response? What would your answer say about you and where you are headed? What do you need to do?

3. What do you think would happen today if Jesus were in people’s very presence testifying about Himself and how to be saved? How would most people respond?

4. What happens when there is an absence of love and truth in your home or church? What needs to be done to prevent this?

more here
http://www.intothyword.org/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=60903&columnid=3803