We have manna. It may seem like a small thing, but it has tremendous power! It actually grants us the power of resurrection, allowing us to overcome death itself. Now, when we talk about eternal life, it’s not just about living a long life. Trust me, living a boring life forever would be unbearable. In fact, it would be like living in Hell, especially without the good attributes of God.

But with Christ, we have access to all of God’s amazing attributes like love, joy, and infinite wisdom. And the best part? We can enjoy these blessings right now on earth, not just after we pass away. Pretty cool, right?

 

On this earth, we can experience an amazing blessing through our spiritual communion with God. You see, faith is more than just a concept, it’s a spiritual connection and communication between us and God.

By partaking in the Lord’s flesh and blood, we allow this spiritual communication to thrive within us, helping us to live a fulfilling life of faith as Christians.

 

I remember when I had a spiritual vision of the crucifixion of Christ. It wasn’t just a visual experience of His suffering, but something deeper. I truly felt His heart and love for me, and His desire to protect me from all harm. It was an incredible moment of connection and understanding that I will never forget.

Not only was that grace, but also a remarkable miracle: Jesus became my king. He began to live in my soul. Then, communication with God became even smoother during prayer. As I pray, God always reveals to me the depth of His love, His plans, and desires for me, and what he asks of me each day.

 

What God expects most from us is this kind of spiritual connection and fellowship. This fellowship is most powerful experienced, especially when we pray. We often wonder what God wants from us, whether it’s good work, service, or devotion. And while those things are important, there’s something even more fundamental: believing in the one whom God has sent, as stated in John 6:29.

By believing in Christ, we come to understand God’s character on a deeper level. Trust is a form of communication, and when we partake in the manna from heaven with our spirit, Christ lives in us, and we become closer to Him. This allows us to experience God’s love in a more profound way, which in turn inspires us to love Him even more. In our life of faith, there’s nothing more important than truly knowing God and loving Him deeply.

 

What God wants most from our church right now is all about having a holy spiritual fellowship and truly experiencing God’s endless love through worship and prayer. Our lives of faith are based on God’ grace. This holy relationship is not something we can achieve on our own. Without God’s special grace, we wouldn’t be able to talk to Him or even approach Him.

 

When we rely solely on our own strength and efforts to pray, it can become a tedious and mundane task.

Even if we manage to maintain an outwardly correct religious life, without God’s grace, there would be no true joy or rest in it.

 

So, let us ask God for the heavenly manna. Let us ask God’s grace. Once, I used to pray on my own without the assistance of the Holy Spirit, but those prayers were arduous and tedious. When I relied on my own willpower, I struggled to concentrate on my prayers, and I felt spiritually unsettled. Despite praying frequently, my heart felt constricted.

As we navigate this world in our human bodies, we often experience spiritual confusion, just as many disciples of Jesus did when they misunderstood His teachings in John 6. The teachings of Jesus must have been truly shocking to his disciples. After all, when Jesus proclaimed that salvation comes through eating His flesh and drinking His blood, it’s no wonder that many of His followers became disheartened and stopped following Him. Most of them even abandoned Him.

 

However, we must also remember that there were disciples who remained steadfast until the very end, even as Jesus died on the cross. It was because of God’s grace that a very small number of disciples were able to follow Jesus to the end. John 6:65 says: “No one can come to me (Jesus) unless the Father has enabled them.”

 

Let us, therefore, strive to seek God’s grace daily. As Easter approaches, let us fervently implore God for His special assistance in staying connected to Him. Even if we are in the midst of confusion, when we earnestly seek God’s presence and when we desire that deep spiritual fellowship, surely, He will answer our prayers.

 

Again, first of all, this is our church’s priority project: Let’s seek and find God. Let’s fill our souls with the manna that God gives every day. To those who long for God, God will surely fill us with Him. To those who long for the wisdom of God, He gives the ability to fathom God’s truth and His heart.

 

Every day, we are presented with a spiritual encounter – yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Our faithful God provides us with manna each day, and it is our sacred responsibility to gather, cook, and consume it. By partaking in this spiritual manna, we engage in a spiritual feast. Amidst the pain and spiritual chaos on earth, God, our leader, desires to reveal a spiritual feast to us.

 

During my prayer, I envision a grand feast taking place in a village. It is a place where every traveler is welcomed with a hearty meal and a safe and comfortable resting place. Interestingly, this feast is built on the foundation of spiritual and holy imagination, with all buildings and food based on the body and blood of Christ. Therefore, this spiritual space, building, and food create a holy community that we, united with Christ, build together.

 

Let us break through all confusion, pain, false attachments, and fears and join this holy feast. Christ suffered and died for each of us to provide this.

 

Blessings to all of you who do not miss any moment of prayer, as each one is a small but valuable opportunity. I bless all of you in the name of God who recognizes these moments of worship as the highest value and worship in spirit and in truth. By doing so, you will partake in God’s grand feast here on earth and after death.

 

Palm Sunday, April 2^nd, 2023, John 6:49-59

Pastor John Kim, Lakeridge Lutheran Church