How often have we heard a word in church that was "good", appealing to us, building us up or so we thought?
But the truth was that it was only scratching itching ears or feeding our selfish flesh?
"Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.” He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them,
“Does this offend you?
What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!
The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.
The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.”
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."
John 6:53-68
In this passage we read that there were those who Jesus spoke to directly who walked away from Him and did not believe! Imagine...they heard and saw Jesus but because his teaching was hard,and their ears were not tickled with nice things, they left!
What happens to us when we get a whipping from the Master, when He grabs us and shakes us up and we are not massaged to be made to feel warm and fuzzy?
Are we willing, are we mature enough, church, to embrace the hard teachings, the Father's rebuke, when it comes or does a spirit of offense rise inside us? No legitimate child of the King will escape
the hard things, the corrections that straighten our path, they are a necessary part of our walk.
So let us prepare our hearts, may the Holy Spirit enable us to receive without offense and our flesh getting in the way, all that the Father has for us.
But the truth was that it was only scratching itching ears or feeding our selfish flesh?
"Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.” He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them,
“Does this offend you?
What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!
The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.
The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.”
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."
John 6:53-68
In this passage we read that there were those who Jesus spoke to directly who walked away from Him and did not believe! Imagine...they heard and saw Jesus but because his teaching was hard,and their ears were not tickled with nice things, they left!
What happens to us when we get a whipping from the Master, when He grabs us and shakes us up and we are not massaged to be made to feel warm and fuzzy?
Are we willing, are we mature enough, church, to embrace the hard teachings, the Father's rebuke, when it comes or does a spirit of offense rise inside us? No legitimate child of the King will escape
the hard things, the corrections that straighten our path, they are a necessary part of our walk.
So let us prepare our hearts, may the Holy Spirit enable us to receive without offense and our flesh getting in the way, all that the Father has for us.
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