In John 6 we find that Jesus, having recently fed some 5000 people, is again confronted by the same people who have arrived in Capernaum in search of Him. Upon seeing them He told them that they had not followed Him because they saw the miracles He had performed on the physically and spiritually ill, but because He had fed them fish and bread to the full. He then told them not to labor for physical bread that would perish, but for the spiritual “meat” that, if partaken of, would lead them to “… eternal life, which the Son of man gives you ….” Notice that the food was available, but that they had to partake of (believe and obey) it. When asked by the multitude what they must DO to please God, Jesus told them that the work (doing) of God was to believe in Him whom God had sent from heaven to give life to the world. He then identified Himself as that very same bread (meat) of life: “I AM THAT TRUE BREAD WHICH CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN” (6:29,32-35,41,48-58). In these statements, especially verses 53-58, Jesus makes it clear that one must “consume” Him–believe and obey His Words–in order to receive eternal life. Just as food that is merely tasted then spit out does nothing for the taster, God’s food (Word) is unless unless it is believed and obeyed (consumed) by the reader. Those who merely hear the Word receive nothing from it. As He tells us in James 1:22, we must be doers of the Word and not hearers only. For if we fail to do (obey) what we hear we deceive ourselves into believing that we are something we are not (His people). In Him–in His Words–there is life. Jesus, His Words and eternal life cannot be separated. To emphasize this oft-declared point I will again highlight the fact that JESUS CHRIST IS THE WORD OF GOD (Jn. 1:1-4,14/Rev. 19:13)–SO SAYS GOD THE FATHER. As a man, Jesus was God’s Word (Truth-Jn. 17:17) in flesh form; the true, Bible-obeying saint is also God’s Word in flesh form. An age-old truth is that physically we are what we eat. This is also true in the spiritual realm–we become spiritually what we consume spiritually. He who consumes (learns, believes and obeys) the Word becomes the Word in human form (1 Jn. 2:6). The power generated by the consumption of God’s spiritual “food” enables the saint to overcome Satan as did Jesus (Rev. 3:21), thereby qualifying him for salvation. Jesus brought this home in John 6:63: “… the Words that I speak to you are spirit and THEY ARE LIFE.” Jesus spoke every Word in the Holy Bible. But like physical food, in order to have its designed effect, the food He offers must be consumed. And just as the right physical food must be consumed in order to produce physical life, the right spiritual food must be consumed in order to affect eternal life. The right spiritual food is God’s Holy Word and nothing else.

Just before He sent his disciples/apostles out into the world, the resurrected Lord returned to give them His final instructions. In John 21 we find Him on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias (Galilee) beside a meal of fish and bread. He says to His disciples, “Come and dine.” During the meal Jesus addressed Peter. First Jesus asked the disciple if he loved Him. Then He said, “Feed My lambs.” Moments later He again asked Peter if he loved Him. This time He told him to feed His sheep. Notice that Jesus united Peter’s love for Him and His command to feed His sheep. If we truly love the Lord we will feed His sheep (church) the WORDS OF LIFE–His Holy Scriptures that He spoke to His prophets and apostles by way of His Holy Spirit: “ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God (God breathed), and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). Notice that “all (Bible) Scripture” is approved by God, not church doctrine (the approved verses), wishful thinking (what God should have said), the social gospel (what’s left when God is not involved), what “God would have us do” (when His Word is lacking), the will of false gods (heathen doctrines and customs), etc. The only spiritual food fit for human consumption is God’s written Word–the Holy Bible. As stated in 2 Timothy 3:16, one of the functions of God’s Word is to correct false doctrine. We are to study that Word, compare it to what we believe to be true, then correct ourselves, not God, when the two do not correlate.

This website is being used by God to highlight the differences between the Counterfeit Church’s religious fare and God’s Scriptural food. To consume Catholic/Protestant food will result in death. The Lord commands such consumers to leave man’s buffet, to come to the Master’s table, dine on His Word, and live. L.J.