Today Our Daily Bread Rom 16:19-20, Acts 17:6 & John 6!

Romans 16:19-20 19 For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil.20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
What does "grace" mean? It means favor obtained without merit.
Ok so we’ve obtained favor of /from the Lord, That favor actually allowed us to be able to come to Him, see Him, receive Him and begin to Live for Him. It was a supernatural power. That does not mean that we will always choose to be in and under God’s continual grace. His grace is there, but are we always under it? Have you ever heard of being "under someone’s good graces"? Grace leads us into our Father’s arms, but as we’ve heard many times, the Holy Spirit is a Person of God and has emotion as we do, he is of an unconditional love nature. Meaning He loves us no mater what we choose, but our choices can grieve His spirit and take us "out of His good graces." Grace is extended, but not always received, Once received and appreciated and honored, it can and will continue forever. May the "grace" of Our Lord be with you, now and always…
Acts 17:6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.
John 6:1-71
Feeding the Five Thousand
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
R2 1 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. 3And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. 4Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. 5Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" 6But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. 7Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little." 8One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, 9"There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?" 10Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples F10 to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. 12So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost." 13Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. 14Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world." Jesus Walks on the Sea R3 15 Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone. 16Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. 18Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. 19So when they had rowed about three or four miles, F11 they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. 20But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." 21Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.
The Bread from Heaven
22 On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, F12 and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone-- 23however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks-- 24when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?" 26Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him." 28Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" 29Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." 30Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, "He gave them bread from heaven to eat."' F13 32Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 34Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always." 35And 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. 36But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. 37All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."
Rejected by His Own
41 The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven." 42And they said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, "I have come down from heaven'?" 43Jesus therefore answered and said to them, "Do not murmur among yourselves. 44No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45It is written in the prophets, "And they shall all be taught by God.' F14 Therefore everyone who has heard and learned F15 from the Father comes to Me. 46Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me F16 has everlasting life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." 52The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?" 53Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For My flesh is food indeed, F17 and My blood is drink indeed. 56He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58This is the bread which came down from heaven--not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever." 59These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. Many Disciples Turn Away60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?" 61When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you? 62What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." 66From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" 68But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." F18 70Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?" 71He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.
Footnotes
F10: 6:11 NU-Text omits to the disciples, and the disciples.
F11: 6:19 Literally twenty-five or thirty stadia
F12: 6:22 NU-Text omits that and which His disciples had entered.
F13: 6:31 Exodus 16:4; Nehemiah 9:15; Psalm 78:24
F14: 6:45 Isaiah 54:13
F15: M-Text reads hears and has learned.
F16: 6:47 NU-Text omits in Me.
F17: 6:55 NU-Text reads true food and true drink.
F18: 6:69 NU-Text reads You are the Holy One of God.
Show cross-references
R2: Matt. 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17
R3: Matt. 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-52
Lena’s Journalin’
Phillip was real, he looked at what he had and offered it in comparison to what was. He was probably practically puzzled by the equation and knew by natural means it could not possibly be solved. Then Andrew, saw more there than what Phillip saw. He saw that it takes a" you" to make a "we", without "you", there’s now" we." He from a slightly broader perspective than Phillip did at that time. Phillip saw himself (good- 30 fold) and his own contribution, Andrew saw Phillip’s contribution and also what could be if other contributed also (acceptable- 60 fold), Jesus was gonna show them how to make a miracle happen, a miracle manifest and appear. They were on the right track and had a giving heart, and boy it has to start there.
I used to think thousands of people was an overwhelming thought, as in my being able to reach or teach that many, and it is if we think about contributing our portion to it alone, but God has so many other ideas than we do. One day I was thinking about people. God has numbered them many and wants to reach each one of them and wants to use us. 1st may I say, if any one of us actually reaches one person we’d be doing quite well. Anything is 100% better than nothing.(100fold) Look at this though, in my own neighborhood there are about 550 homes. This is only one development along one road in our community, which possibly has 12 other developments along this one road. Ok, let’s say each house represents 3 people average, right there in my own neighborhood are 1650 people! If we were to say all 12 developments were the same size, we’d be talking 19800 people on my road alone! No wonder the traffic is so bad. Ok so this day, there were about 5,000 men, plus women and children….Let’s say the Airport Road community area, ya think that could be a possible representation? Anyway, left to my own 2 dollars. I might be able to give bread to my own family for a few days. If my neighbor adds to the basket we might be able to share a meal with our block/street, but look at what happened in the parable. (Jesus always goes for the 100%!)He set the people down in groups ( let streets represent groups), He GAVE thanks to God ( for the people in each group? He prayed over the people on each street!)) and each group shared what they had with their group. The disciples gave them bread, as they gave more was given (think about the word of God now, each group was small (in comparison to the proposed 19800, but each disciple had enough bread (Daily bread) to give each small group. Do you see why Lena HAS to start cells in the community, with disciples? Why Charity HAS to start cells in the community, no matter how hard it is or how inconvenient etc? If people are not fed, they have a long way to go, and will become very tired, weak and die (speaking of spiritual food here, they would die an eternal death away from God). This is not some contest of leadership and earthly glory, and popularity. There are 20000 people on Airport Rd. who are hungry for God (whether they know it or not, whether they acknowledge it or not does not matter- without Him, if they die, they go to hell)What can I help God do about that? Am I Phillip, giving my all to my own family only? That’s good (better than many, right?), good is like having a 30 fold return in harvest. It is 100 % better than nothing .God is pleased. Am I like Andrew who saw what others have to give and coerce them to give into the contribution, adding richness and strength to a portion? That’s better/acceptable to God. It’s almost like having 200% participation, at least, and it’s like bringing in a 60 fold from the harvest. Or am I like Jesus, who gives thanks to God for my community (daily), takes what is available and makes of it disciples, at least 12, who I can give words of life to and who in turn will give words of life to others (on their streets)? This example is perfect, like bringing in 100 fold from the harvest field.Even when/if I bring in 100 fold, it is not without storms brewing or winds of adversity blowing. Please don not believe the words of any who would say, that your life in Christ will be like a bowl full of cherries! Do you not realize Jesus too had enemies on earth. Why did He have enemies, wasn’t he God? EXACTLY. That’s why. Satan is the god of this world, we are in this world to rescue God’s people out of satan’s hands, you didn’t really think he’d just willingly and without a fight hand those people over to God did you? If he keeps any, they are his prize in this war. His desire is to keep as many as he can from God. It’s not because he wants them, it’s because God wants them and he hates God! We have to defy the world’s sway, the enemy’s ploy. We have got to hear the voice of Christ inside of our storms, we’ve got to cross over being alone in our faith to going for discipleship and harvest! So initially feeding someone will help wet their appetite for Jesus, signs and the miraculous are like proof, but there comes a time where God wants to know of each of us, are we going to continue serving Him and believing in Him, even if we are not fed by others and even if there’s no "sign"? That is the "sign" of a true mature love, so food being fed you and signs being shown you brought you to Christ. Is He great enough in your eyes to stick with forever? If there’s no hoopla, do we still love God, will we serve Him in covenant love as we have been and more, or do we shrink back to the bare minimal of Christian existence? Complaining and being religious? How do you see Him when you become more intimate with Him? As God, or just as some good teacher who came for the time He came long agoi, but today it doesn’t really apply to me? How about others who are working for Jesus here in our day right now?Is it wonderful when they feed you, or show you the intense love of Christ, but when they srat to require growth from you, you complain and shrink back in your growth? When you see how human they are, do you minimize their message, because they are just people? Good questions for the journey the Lord has each of us on.When a person moves forward in their growth in the Lord there will come a crossroads, saying, "Do you REALLY want to go to this next place?" This comes both from God- to inform us and proe us, and from satan- who wants to stop us. Things get hard at that point and there are definate opportunities to stay where you are at or turn and walk away.We’ve got to become a partaker with Him, even in His sufferings to really be a disciple, one who goes on to lead others into a walk with God.There will always come a time, when one goes on to a higher level of faith and service in God’s kingdom, that God will ask of us, "Do you also want to go, away?" We can stay where we’ve come to. It will be very hard to maintain that place without becoming religious, but we can try, but Oh if we choose to God on….