How Much Is God Permitted To Bless You?
John 6:41-71
41 Then the Jews began to complain
about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from
heaven.” 42 They were saying, “Is not this
Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus
answered them, “Do not complain among yourselves. 44 No
one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise
that person up on the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they
shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father
comes to me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from
God; he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has
eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the
wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so
that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down
from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I
will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
52 The Jews then disputed among
themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus
said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the
flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Those
who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up
on the last day; 55 for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. 56
Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. 57 Just
as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats
me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven,
not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats
this bread will live forever.” 59 He said these things while
he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.
60 When
many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can
accept it?” 61 But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were
complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend
you? 62 Then what
if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh
is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But among you there are some who do not
believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who
were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. 65
And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one
can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.”
66 Because of this many of his
disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. 67 So Jesus asked the
twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the
words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and know that you are the
Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose
you, the twelve? Yet one of you is a devil.” 71
He was speaking of Judas son of Simon Iscariot, for he, though one of the
twelve, was going to betray him. [1]
Isaiah 55:6-13
6 Seek the Lord while He
can be found,
Call to Him while He is near.
7 Let the wicked give up his ways,
The sinful man his plans;
Let him turn back to the Lord,
And He will pardon him;
To our God,
For he freely forgives.
8 For My plans are not your plans,
Nor are My ways your ways
—declares the Lord.
9 But as the heavens are high above the earth,
So are My ways high above your ways
And My plans above your plans.
10 For as the rain or snow drops from heaven
And returns not there,
But soaks the earth
And makes it bring forth vegetation,
Yielding seed for sowing and bread for eating,
11 So is the word that issues from My mouth:
It does not come back to Me unfulfilled,
But performs what I purpose,
Achieves what I sent it to do.
12 Yea, you shall leave in joy and be led home secure.
Before you, mount and hill shall shout aloud,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the brier, a cypress shall rise;
Instead of the nettle, a myrtle shall rise.
These shall stand as a testimony to the Lord,
As an everlasting sign that shall not perish. [2]
Ezekiel 36:25-27
25 Then will I sprinkle clean water
upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your
idols, will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new
spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your
flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit
within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my
judgments, and do them. [3]