Those of us who grew up going to church as kids were taught about Jesus. We were taught why He came into this world, how He died, and how He rose again on the third day. I know we may not have understood it all at such young ages, but it was fun to learn about someone who gave their life in the place of ours. It was fun to learn that we will always have someone who will love us no matter what and stand up for us whenever we call His name.

Now, we all know that Jesus was born as a baby as all children are. We know that King Herod was upset when he found out that a new King was coming. He even had innocent children killed under the age of two just to try to stop the new King from growing up. What he didn’t know is that Jesus had been born, and after everyone had come and saw Him, the angel told Joseph to take the baby and Mary to Egypt until He sent word that those who wanted to kill the child had perished. When the king was dead, Joseph was given word from the angel to leave Egypt because those who wanted to kill the child had perished. God called His Son out of Egypt.

You know the story. I think it is one of the most beautiful stories of how God protected His Son, Jesus, and His parents from harm and danger. This story makes me think about how God protects us from danger. He is ever watching over His creation; we are a part of this creation. He loves us so much. I know things happen that we may not understand. I know that things happen in which we do not have any control of, but we do know who holds everything together in this world. Think about all of the planets, the moons on them, and the stars, the milky way galaxy and all of the other galaxies we do not know anything about, He holds all of it together in the palm of His hands.

So many things happened before Jesus was born. The Roman army were terrible people. The way they mistreated people were deplorable. The way they would leave bodies on the crosses after they had crucified people were so disrespectful and degrading. They did not have any regard for human life, or for the families of the people they crucified. I know it was wrong, but that is how it was.

After Jesus had become a grown man, and after He called the twelve disciples, Jesus taught them and told them many things that they did not understand in the beginning, but after it was all said and done, they did understand what Jesus was telling them. He told them about His death and resurrection and why things had to happen that way. Before that, He was baptized by John the Baptist, His cousin in the Jordan River and then He was led into the wilderness for forty days being tempted by the devil.

The Word of God tells us all of the things that Jesus did, when He started His ministry, when the disciples learned who He really was, and that He would always be with us even until the end of the age. How wonderful it is to know that? Doesn’t it make your heart happy, and your soul rejoice with everlasting joy?

Those of us who have been walking with Jesus for a very long time know that every day isn’t going to be perfect. We all struggle with things we do not understand. We wonder what’s going to happen because of whatever is going on. We need answers to questions about our life. We need answers as to what God wants us to do for the Kingdom. We have questions about everything. The disciples had questions also. (Matthew 9:14). (Matthew 21:23). (Matthew 22:23-28). (Matthew 22:36). (Matthew 12:10). (Matthew 13:10). (Matthew 15:2). (Matthew 17:19). (Mark 15:2). Not only did the disciples ask Jesus questions, but others did as well.

PROVISION

When I think about provision, I think about how Jesus fed the 5000 people with two fish and five loaves of bread. (See John 6:9).

There are so many people in the world who are homeless living on the street with no one to take care of them. They struggle to eat when there isn’t someone to give them money or buy them something to eat. God always makes a way for them. They are not forgotten. When we help someone like that, we are doing what Jesus would want us to do. We are showing and sharing His love and kindness to them, just as the lad gave the disciple his two fish and five loaves of bread, and when Jesus blessed it and prayed to God, it was enough for everyone to eat with some left over.

He takes care of us the same way. How, by making a way out of no way, by being our provider in every aspect of our life. When we ask God for His help, we must believe that He hears us, because He does. We cannot ask God for something and not believe that He hears us. We cannot have doubt in our heart when we ask God for His help, because when we do it is like telling God we do not trust Him to provide for us.

JESUS FEEDS THE 4000 (See Matthew 15:29-39)

This time there are seven loaves of bread and a few fish that were small. Jesus told them to sit down on the ground. Jesus took the bread and fish and broke it, gave thanks and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. They all ate and were satisfied. The disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. There were 4000 men that ate besides women and children.

So, what does that tell us? It tells us that it doesn’t matter how much one has, it can still be shared among many. God can take a little of what we have and turn it into a lot, and there will still be some left over. We should be thankful for all of the things God does for us, no matter how He blesses us, we should be thankful for it.

Jesus did not send the crowd away hungry; He sent them away full. He was concerned about their well-being. Jesus healed many that were sick, lame, blind, crippled, mute and many others. He healed them all. He cared about every individual and their ailments. He cares for us the same way. He is the great physician. All we need is a touch from the Lord to heal us from the inside out. He can put back together whatever is broken and hurting inside of us. We just have to have faith and believe.

WHAT JESUS WENT THROUGH

Time has come and gone, and it is getting close for the time for Jesus to be betrayed by Judas Iscariot at the Last Supper. Whenever I think about that, it hurts. It hurts because no one would ever expect a disciple to do something like that to someone who has been there for them since they were called by Jesus. Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss. Jesus was arrested. This was after the Last Supper. The kiss was given in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus was arrested by the Sanhedrin. After Jesus was arrested, He was tried by the Sanhedrin before He was taken to Pilate to be tried for blasphemy for claiming, they said, to be King of the Jews.

After Pilate talked to Jesus, he saw that Jesus was an innocent man and wanted to know what He had done for them to want Him crucified. Pilate told the crowd that he found no fault in Him. Barabbas was released, and Jesus took His place; not only did He take his place, but ours also. Jesus was beat all night long, spat upon, mocked, hit. It was horrible. He could have called on the angels in heaven for help, but He didn’t. He could have called out to His Father, but He didn’t at that time. When that was over, they made Him carry the cross, but every time He fell, He got right back up. Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, helped Jesus carry the cross up that long dusty road to the place of the skull called Golgotha. A crown of thorns was thrust upon His head that pierced His head which caused bleeding.

After they reached the skull, the cross was laid down, and they laid Jesus down on it and began to nail His hands on either side of the cross. They stood the cross up and nailed His feet to the cross. Everyone was looking on as this was going on. Others were saying things, they even cast lots upon His vesture to see how it would be divided. About the nineth hour, it began to become dark. The prisoner had already asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His glory, and Jesus promised the prisoner that he would be with Him today in paradise. The prisoner’s leg was broken, but Jesus had called on His Father and asked Him why He had forsaken Him, Jesus even forgave them for what they were doing. Jesus committed His Spirit into His Father’s hands, said it was finished and hung His head and died. To make sure He was dead, the Roman soldier speared Him in the side where water and blood flowed down. It began to rain and that is when the Roman soldier realized that Jesus was really the Son of God.

We know that Peter denied Jesus three times just as Jesus said he would. In my opinion, that was a slap in the face. Judas had already betrayed Him, and hanged himself because of what he did, and now here Peter is denying that he did not know who Jesus was. I know that must have had to hurt Jesus, because it surely hurt Peter. After it was all said and done, Jesus still used Peter to lead the ministry. Little did Peter know that he was going to die the same way that Jesus did when Jesus told him what was going to take place when they were on the beach eating fish. In the end, it happened just as Jesus said it would, but Peter did not want to be crucified like Jesus was, he was turned upside down with this head to the ground and his feet in the air.

So, we do not know when our stay here on this earth will be over, but while we are here, we should get to know Jesus, serve Him, and follow Him. He is the only one that can save our sinful souls. When we accept Jesus into our life, we are changing the course of our life for the better. We are leaving our old life behind to start a new life in Jesus Christ.

God sent His only Son into this world to die for our sins. God does not want any of us to perish in the end. Jesus has taken away all of the sins of the world. He forgave us of everything on the cross before He died. When He was raised from the dead on the third day with all power in His hands in heaven and on earth, before He left, He told us to go ye into the whole world making disciples of men, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Lo, I will be with you always even until the end of the age.

This is the Great Commission. Are we willing to go and do what Jesus told us to do? There are so many ways to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the Good News. If you have never known Jesus, you can get to know Him by repenting of your sins and asking Him to come into your life to be your personal Lord, and Savior today. Tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone. Life is too short not to have Jesus in your life. Don’t wait until it’s too late, do it today while the blood is still running warm in your veins. Jesus is coming back again, so, will you be ready when that day comes? If He came back this very moment, there will be no time to make things right, there would be no time to repent, or to be baptized. I just want you all to know that Jesus is real, heaven is real, and so is hell. Where do you want to spend eternity? It is totally up to you; it is your choice where you want to spend eternity.

With that being said, as always, God bless, stay safe, and thank you for joining me on my journey with Food for the Soul. Have a wonderful week. If you would like to hear more of my messages, check them out on Spotify.