2076- BREAD FROM HEAVEN [Radio Shows coming soon]

This week I’m filling in some of the gaps of my overview of the bible series.

I’m covering some of the key stories found in the Old Testament- and teaching how they relate to Christ.

In Exodus 16 we read the account of God feeding the people with Manna- from heaven.

What’s Manna?

Good question.

The word actually means ‘what is it’.

When the Jewish people were on their journey out of Egypt- they were destined for the Promised Land.

The trip only took 3 days by foot- yet it took them 40 years to get there.

Why?

Because they complained- griped- rebelled the whole way- so- they wandered in circles for 40 years.

One of their complaints was they said to Moses ‘why did you get us out of Egypt- so we could all die of hunger in this wilderness’?

They missed the meals they had when back in Egypt- even though they were slaves!

So- God gave them food from heaven- God ‘rained down’ a type of wafer thing every morning- when the people got up- the bread was there.

God told them to take just enough for EACH DAY- some took too much- and the bible says it ‘bred worms’- yeah- maggots.

On the 6^th day they could take enough for 2 days- so they would not have to gather any on the Sabbath day.

Now- in the gospel of John chapter 6- Jesus gets in a debate with the religious leaders of his day.

They said ‘Moses gave us bread from heaven [the Manna] what sign will you show us that we might believe’?

Jesus said he was the true bread which came down from heaven- he said those who ate the bread back in Moses day- they are now dead.

But he who eats the bread from heaven- he will live forever.

Jesus said he was the true Manna- the account from Moses was just a symbol of him.

What we learn from the story is that God gives us Daily Bread- he will speak to us on a daily basis- give us direction for life- and we need to be attentive to these ‘words’ from God.

He might bring to your memory a bible passage- or maybe a prophetic dream- vision- God can direct us in many ways.

If we discern that it is from God- then we walk in that word/direction- for the day.

When Jesus was tempted by the devil [Matthew 4] he responded ‘man shall not live by bread alone- but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God’.

In the Lord’s Prayer [Our Father] Jesus says to pray ‘give us this day our daily bread’.

In Revelation 2:17 we read ‘to him who overcomes I will give to eat of the Hidden Manna’.

God gives us this bread- direction- as we overcome.

The bible says ‘blessed are they that do his commandments- that they might have right to the tree of life and may enter in thru the gates into the city’.

These images from the bible show us that as we walk in the will of God- then we have access to this daily spiritual guidance.

But if we are in sin- open rebellion- then we don’t get the Hidden Manna- we can’t eat from this Tree of Life.

These past few months I have seen many examples of this- both in my own life and in the people I am working with.

Last month I helped a friend move to a new place- it’s in a bad area of town- but we prayed that God would open up doors anyway.

Sure enough the day I helped him move I met 2 guys next door- both alcoholics.

I talked with them for about 2 hours- told them my story- and that was it.

My friend had a substandard apartment- and he had to move again.

So- one of the guys I met that day showed up on my side of town last week- Flour Bluff.

He was hesitant to come to my area- because even though I live in a nice subdivision- our area is known as a Meth haven.

The first day he was in the Buff I ran into him.

He told me a story- he was on North Beach [the area where I do our baptisms] and he was suicidal- he was going to take his own life.

He was making these roses that the street guys [and gals] make out of the palm leaves in our area.

He had the last one- and he decided to give it away- before he would take his life.

He saw a couple walking down the beach- and he gave it to them.

The guy told him ‘I’m a pastor for a church in the Bluff- Rock City- come to church Wednesday and God will bless you’.

Now- I just started going to this church- some of the local guys I work with meet up there- and it works out well.

He told me at first when the pastor told him who he was- he thought it might have been me [we both have long hair].

He went to the church- and yeah- God blessed him.

He hooked up with me and the local street crew- got in a meeting or 2- and kept telling me how amazed he was that God started doing stuff in his life.

Now- here’s the tough part- and here’s why I won’t share his name.

He told me he feels like he’s in a battle for his life- and has lost all hope- yet God seems to be pulling him out.

What battle?

I share this carefully- he told me that when he was in his 20’s he did a drug deal with a girl- his age.

She didn’t pay him for the stuff- so he ‘had sex with her’ instead-

He was charged- and convicted- on a rape charge.

About 4 years ago Texas and a few states made anyone convicted of a rape to now register as a sex offender.

He has applied for jobs- housing- etc.

As soon as they see he is a sex offender- they turn him down.

This is the battle that he faces.

The day he told me this- I shared with him some stuff from the bible- and let him know that I’m still his friend- and he’s welcome in our group.

I was busy later in the day- and have lots of friends who call/text- some nonstop.

So- I just don’t look at the phone- or carry it with me- all the time.

But- I saw a missed call from my friend- and I realized if he didn’t hear from me- he might have felt like I too cut him off.

I called him back- he’s back on North Beach- and I told him I will pick him up for my meetings- and we will still get together.

God started working with him- ‘speaking’ to him- showing him what to do- and he followed the leading.

There's more to this- but the point is- he was in a way getting ‘daily Manna’- God was giving him directions- just for that day- and he had to follow them.

Over the years I painted bible verses on tiles and placed them in my yard- many are gone- some buried [long story].

This past year while working in the yard- every so often I find one [some are small].

Yesterday when I started this post- On Manna- I went in the yard and pulled a few weeds.

Sure enough- I saw a buried tile sticking out of the ground.

I pulled it out- Yeah- the verse was from the teaching I’m doing right now- it was the Manna verse.

Now- we can get carried away with ‘signs’ but God does use them- he does speak to us on a daily basis.

It’s important to hear him- to engage with him- to draw near to him.

In some cases- it can even save your life.

 THE TESTIMONY OF THE LORD IS SURE- NONE OF YOUR WORDS WILL FALL TO THE GROUND.

I spoke at our meeting last night- and will do one in Alice today.

I shared a real time example of Manna [hearing God daily] that most of the guys at last night’s meeting would be able to relate to- because these are street guys who know the local scene.

3 years ago I ‘left’ Texas- thinking I was moving back to North Bergen- N.J.

Before I left [now- it was a tough year] I told my wife ‘I’m moving back North- you get the house- I’ll live on my retirement check’.

She said ‘take what you want- the rest is going to get dumped’.

So- I got rid of lots of stuff- sold my vehicles [van and classic 66 Mustang] - and headed north.

After 3 months back in the NYC area- I knew it was time to head back.

God did open up ministry doors while I was in N.J. - and now I go back every year.

Ok- I got a call from my wife one day when I was in North Bergen- she said ‘Huey [one of my street friends- homeless] came by- he saw the dumpster/trailer in front of the house [with my stuff in it!] and he wants to know if he can go thru it before it gets hauled off to the dump’.

Sure- why not- it’s getting dumped anyway.

So- when I got back to Texas- yeah- my yard was ‘cleared out’ and sure enough- my office/study was empty.

I told my wife ‘you dumped the safes!’

Yup.

I had 2 safes in my office- which held my 20 years of radio tapes.

They weren’t of value- unless you wanted to do radio ministry- which I did for about 20-25 years.

The reason I kept them in the safes was for protection- in case we had a fire or something.

Lots of years of study and teaching went into these.

So- that was a big loss for me.

I still had about 50 programs that were on my computer drive- but I made about 700 15 minutes shows- they were gone.

One day Huey said ‘John- I need to tell you something’.

He felt guilty- he said they broke into the safes- he took them- which was fine- I told him he could have the stuff in the dumpster.

He asked me ‘do you want your tapes back’?

This was over a year ago- at the time I said ‘no- I’m done with the radio shows’.

I didn’t realize there would come a day where I would put them on-line [by the way- I just realized the ones I had on-line- on the blog- were deleted by my very unreliable host site- Kiwwi. Don’t use unreliable sites. I just started a reliable host site for voice- WordPress- it will take time- but eventually my shows will be on there].

So- the past few weeks- working on the new site- I really was upset about the loss.

This week- one of the verses that came to mind [remember- daily bread- Manna- hearing God] was ‘The testimony of the Lord is sure’.

So- yesterday I thought ‘Lord- could it be possible that I might get the tapes back? - If it’s ‘your testimony’ then let me get them back’.

I saw Huey at the mission- at about 9- he rarely is there at this time.

Now- these are street guys—who use [Meth].

‘Hey Huey- you want to make 50 bucks’?

Wow!

Get me those tapes back- and I’ll give you 50!

He said he knew where they were- I was surprised- if I were a Meth addict- and went thru the trouble of breaking into these safes- thinking there was something of value in them- and then found Christian tapes- I would have dumped them.

But- he did tell me- last year- he thought there would come a day when I might want them.

Now- he told me I didn’t have to pay him- he would track them down.

I told him ‘no- I’ll give you 50’.

I wanted them soon- and the 50 was an incentive [I must have spent 30 thousand dollars paying for airtime over the years- out of pocket- I never took an offering- so paying 50 was nothing].

I asked him ‘did you use a torch to break into the safes- because then they will be ruined’.

He said no.

I had no idea if they would still be good- if they were left in some alley- then it would be all over.

Sure enough- I had a full day- as all my days are now.

And at 5pm- I got a call- it was ‘my connection’.

Now- I can’t tell the rest [though I would like to!] but I went some place- and my tapes were in mint condition- in the racks I had them in.

So- if Huey never took them from the dumpster- they would have been dumped.

It would have cost me 50 bucks to have some locksmith open the safes- I lost my passwords during my ‘move’ to North Bergen.

Plus- I didn’t even have to pay a storage fee!

In the end- I got my tapes- because I know the ‘connections’ and I heard God- ‘the testimony is sure’- ‘none of your words will fall to the ground’.

Yeah- there back- Thanks.

Exodus 16:1 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.

Exodus 16:2 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:
Exodus 16:3 And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
Exodus 16:4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
Exodus 16:5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.
Exodus 16:6 And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:
Exodus 16:7 And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?
Exodus 16:8 And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.
Exodus 16:9 And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.
Exodus 16:10 And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.
Exodus 16:11 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Exodus 16:12 I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.
Exodus 16:13 And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.
Exodus 16:14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.
Exodus 16:15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
Exodus 16:16 This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.
Exodus 16:17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.
Exodus 16:18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.
Exodus 16:19 And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.
Exodus 16:20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.
Exodus 16:21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.
Exodus 16:22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.
Exodus 16:23 And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.
Exodus 16:24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.
Exodus 16:25 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.
Exodus 16:26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.
Exodus 16:27 And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.
Exodus 16:28 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?
Exodus 16:29 See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
Exodus 16:30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
Exodus 16:31 And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.
Exodus 16:32 And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt.
Exodus 16:33 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.
Exodus 16:34 As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.
Exodus 16:35 And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.
Exodus 16:36 Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.

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Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God

Matthew 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.

John 6:46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.

John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

John 6:48 I am that bread of life.

John 6:49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.

Revelation 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

www.corpuschristioutreachministries.blogspot.com

Note- Do me a favor, those who read/like the posts- re-post them on other sites as well as the site you read them on. Thanks- John. Don’t forget to scroll down on the timeline [FaceBook#] - I have posted lots. visit- ccoutreach87.wordpress.com- my radio shows.