Strong Words

 

So Jesus said again, "I assure you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is the true drink. All who eat my flesh and drink my blood remain in me, and I in them. I live by the power of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, those who partake of me will live because of me. I am the true bread from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever and not die as your ancestors did, even though they ate the manna."                                       

John 6:53-58

 

The following came to me on June 29, 1986, as I was studying to teach on John 6:47-69.

 

To eat my body and drink my blood is to be one with Me in the issues of life, to so open your heart to My presence and My rule that they become the source of life and strength to you.

 

It is important that you understand that the realm of the physical is symbolic of the realm of the spiritual. I demonstrated that to you. I came in the physical, to minister the spiritual to you. What I did with the physical determined what I was able to do with the spiritual. That which is physical lies between mankind and that which is spiritual. Until that which is physical is dealt with you cannot receive that which is spiritual.

 

I came in the flesh, not just so I could be seen by you, but so I could demonstrate to you the place of the flesh in the realm of the spiritual.
I came in the flesh to show you that all that is fleshly must die for that which is spiritual to emerge in full bloom. Only by dieing completely to that which is fleshly, could I offer to you that which is fully spiritual, that is, fully of God.

 

You say, "It is hard, to think of eating the flesh and drinking the blood of our Lord." It is hard to think of it, and even harder to do it.

- I know, because it was hard for me to give my flesh and my blood for you.

- I am with you, and I know the struggle of your heart.

 

Now I will tell you what it means to eat My flesh and drink My blood.

It means to so partake of my life and my breath that we become one.

 

When I gave my flesh and my blood, I gave all that I had that was earthly.

My nakedness on the cross was symbolic of the fact that I withheld nothing. I gave all that was physical and earthly, that I might receive all that was spiritual and heavenly.

And I trusted the Father to give Me that which was spiritual as I gave that which was physical.

 

Come, partake of My body.

Let My brokenness enter into you. Let it flow through you and give you life and strength, and bread.

 

Come, partake of my blood.

Let yourself be emptied of all that now seems to be life to you. Let yourself be poured out, and let the life of My blood enter into your veins.

 

You are weak because you fill yourselves with the bread of the world.

-  You eat and drink that which poisons you.

-  You have become fat with the bread of the world, and feel little need for the true bread.

-  I am the True Bread.

 

My children, until you forsake the bread of the world, you will not experience the strength of the Bread of Life, the True Bread.

 

You say, "This appears as a mystery to us, and hard to understand."

-  That is so, but only because the eyes of your hearts have not yet been enlightened

-  And that is so because you have the eyes of your hearts set on things of the earth, rather than looking up, into My face.

-  WHEN YOU SEE THE LIGHT OF THE GLORY OF MY FACE, THE MYSTERY AND THE DIFFICULTY OF EATING MY FLESH AND DRINKING MY BLOOD WILL BE IMMEDIATELY REMOVED.

 

   Born in 1940, Ken Stoltzfus has worked as a pilot, ordained Christian minister, businessman, missionary to Africa and writer. This is #8 in his series "Snippets from the Good Book", and is one of many short articles that can be found at www.flyinghigher.net

 

Bible quotations are from the New Living Translation, © 1996 by Tyndale House Publishers.

 

© 2003, Ken Stoltzfus, flyinghigher.net, P.O. Box 548, Apple Creek, OH 44606 USA. May be printed for personal use and may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes without further permission if proper acknowledgment is given and a copy is sent to the author.