The Spirit Gives Life (John 6:63)
The content of the verse we just read in John 6:63 says that the Spirit gives life. It says that the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Why is it that the flesh counts for nothing? Don’t we need our flesh as well? There is a background with which God says these words. After Jesus Christ did the miracle of the five loaves and two fish, incredible numbers of people began to follow Him, that is John 6:26-27.
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are not looking for me for the signs I have performed, but because you have had your fill.” Jesus Christ used five loaves and two fish to feed about twenty thousand people their dinner, and He says, “The reason you follow is because you have had your fill.” Jesus Christ is showing them a sign, but instead of looking at the sign itself, they only look for food like bread and fish, and they follow Jesus for that.
In John 6:27, Jesus says, “Do not work for food that spoils, but food that endures to eternal life.” We believe in Jesus Christ and we go to church, but, “Do not toil away for food that will spoil.” The way to life is to follow the signs or the word that Jesus Christ gives us. Honestly people choose a religion to believe in to get their fill. They choose a religion and believe in that so they can get some kind of physical benefit. Even though they may be physically full, they are spiritually hungry, wasting away, and will eventually die. Their spirit needs to come to life, but their spirits are blinded so they cannot.
For example, there are people whose diseases were healed when they believed in Jesus Christ, however, instead of seeing that sign and following the words of Jesus Christ, they only looked for the words of Jesus Christ that healed their sickness. That person’s goal is healing sicknesses, so there is no way the Word will go in. But they have assurance because their disease was healed. It might be sometimes our depression and things like that may be healed, and whenever things like that happen, we must stand before the word of the Lord that heals us, but we don’t do that.
For these people, they are not interested in Jesus’ words so the words of Jesus will not go into them, because the only thing they’re interested in and focused on is bread. The reason they are following Jesus Christ, meaning, the reason they worship and go to church, is that they are interested in getting bread. As they live their walk of faith, their spirit must come to life, but it does not. Because their spirit is not coming to life, there is no development in their walk of faith.
Do not become people like that, so the spirit is the only thing that saves. What exactly is the Spirit? The Word of Jesus Christ is Spirit and Life. The Spirit is invisible to the eyes, but through Jesus’ words, it comes upon us. The Holy Spirit teaches us and reminds us of His Word. That is the way for my spirit to come to life. When our spirit is revived, then the physical things we need will come follow us, that is the principle through which God moves.
When we were created, we were created in God’s image, that means we were not creations that will just eat and live. We are not people who just live to become physically great with physical developments, we are not God; we are the image of God, meaning we are the creation, created to live according to God’s will. Whenever that happens, we are bound to receive the true answers of ruling and subduing. Our money, our business, our studies should be ruled over and subdued by us. That’s how God works in order to save people.
God is bound to work in order to save the lives of people, God doesn’t work to elevate me. This blessing was restored through Christ, so now the fact that we were created in the image of God means we are within Christ. What does it mean to be within Christ? It means you are no longer in yourself. “In yourself” means, in your thoughts, emotions, plans, my experiences, that is not where I should be, that’s a “me” outside of Christ. That is not living in the image of God. You are living a life where the image of God is broken down.
So, the image of God within Jesus Christ means everything comes from God. Every word comes through Christ, we receive answers by praying in the name of Jesus Christ, the power of Christ is bound to come upon me. Testifying Christ means my entire life becomes the image of God. That’s why Paul always writes in his epistles, “in Christ, in Christ.” If you are not within Christ, it means you live a life outside of Christ. In yourself, you are happy or sad; a life outside of Christ is a life that cannot overcome Satan and curses. No matter how good my thoughts are, no matter how good my plans are, they cannot overcome Satan.
Even after you receive all the blessings, you kick them away. Therefore, remain within Christ. Even our thoughts must be within Christ. The thoughts should not come from me; the thoughts should come from Christ. I can think but it must be within Christ. You need to re-evaluate yourself and change all your thoughts to be within Christ, then there is nothing we cannot do. If you remain within yourself, there are many things you cannot do. In Phil 4, Paul confesses, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” It’s not about whether I can do something or not, but if I remain within the power of Christ, I can do all things because He gives me power.
If world evangelization is truly the Word God has given to me, then within Christ, I can do this. But if we begin to think outside of Jesus Christ, then our spiritual state reverts back to Gen. 3. Enjoying the image of God means you are within Christ.
The Lord today says, “The words I have given you are spirit and life.” Within the words Christ has given to us, that’s life. Without going beyond His Word, even if I’m lacking, if the word says this, then that is right. Being within Christ means that my lacking and shortcomings do not matter; if the Lord gives me His word, He fulfills it.
“Go and make disciples of all nations,” those are the words of Christ. “I can fulfill and do all things within these words. Proclaim the gospel to all peoples, cast out demons, heal the sick.” There are a lot of problems in this age that come from spiritual and mental problems, like demon possession, and there are a lot of physical diseases that come from that. Go and heal them with only the gospel of Jesus Christ, that is the method God has given to us.
It’s not about whether I can do it or not. “I cannot do this,” those words are correct but they are wrong. If the Lord tells you to do it, then within those words, the Lord will do the work of healing. “Go and feed my lambs.” It means to raise the remnants. How could I do something like that? God who promised it will do it through His word. Being within Christ is a life of enjoyment. If you are outside of Christ, then instead of Him doing it, you have to do something by yourself, so instead of enjoying, you’re burdened. You have to work so diligently within yourself, not within Christ, so one day, you’re burdened, but for us, we are within Christ, and if the Word is aligned, we challenge towards it.
We challenge in prayer because the Lord’s answer must come. You must receive all answers through prayer if the Word is right. If this is the Word, you have to continuously pray for it for it to be fulfilled. If someone must receive healing, go to the very end. People who are not able to do this, it is because they are within themselves and they think they cannot do it, so they stop. People might be like that, they look at someone who refuses to change and thinks, “Can this possibly happen?” that’s what the devil desires, so they give up partway. If God has placed them into their life, then God has given you the promise of healing and He will fulfill it.
I go to Downey every Tuesday to visit someone in a demon-possessed state. You may imagine demon-possession but it manifests in many ways, but they cannot live their everyday life. It means they are seized by one thing, and everything they do is seized by that. They interpret every situation through that thing. But the issue is, they’ve gone to church, and the issue is, they thought this was God. That’s a real problem. This person always thinks about going to Korea. Every person they talk to always says, “God has given me the confirmation to go to Korea; I must go to Korea. What are you going to do in Korea? Once they go there, they will be saying something else. So, they cannot live a normal, everyday life. They just do everything the devil tells them to do. They never act on their own; they only do what the devil commands, and they never listen to anyone else because they think the words of the devil are the words of God.
Those who live with them are going crazy. They cannot have a normal way of thinking. They throw everything away and have their bags packed because they have to hop on a plane and go. Last December, they said, “God told me to go to Korea,” so I said, “Let’s see,” and then they didn’t go. “God must have made a mistake.” She laughed. “I will go in February first. Maybe my God is better.” She receives all the commands and follows whatever the devil tells her. She only receives grace if she hears from the pastor’s mouth, “Go to Korea,” and if the pastor doesn’t tell her that, she tells them to not come back. Now, the demons have been broken down so at least she doesn’t say that anymore.
We go there, we sing, and we share the word, but she says in the end, “God told me to go to Korea,” and the husband is going crazy. He’s just thankful that I can tell her things. They come to first service and I’m so thankful. Sometimes I go to their house and their state is completely different. She refrains from saying it the whole time, but in the very end she says, “I have to go to Korea,” and then they leave.
The issue is, her family. Imagine how difficult it is for them because they don’t know the spiritual things at all, so through the wife, there is a plan for the husband. I explain spiritual things to them; they wouldn’t understand otherwise. But now they are living together, so he sees there’s something definitely commanding her. He knows because he lives with her. Sometimes they wake up and pray for hours, so the husband asked, “What do you pray for hours about?” It seems she’s praying to God, but she’s seized by demons.
I asked, ‘Why did this happen? What is the family background like?” She’s a descendant of a general from the Koryeo age, and they were very affluent back then. There’s a giant graveyard. I think the king had given them the land that was used for a graveyard, and when they die, they get really good land. The demon-possessed father runs this cemetery and moved her father’s remains, and from that point, everything collapsed, including the finances.
Can you understand this? I asked her husband, “How do you interpret this?” He said, “It’s because we’re not supposed to move the ancestors’ remains, but we did, and now they’re angry.” I said, “What kind of ancestors would get mad at their own descendants? This is the work of demons; they have to do what the demons tell them, they cannot do whatever they want.”
Some people were cutting a tree down in the backyard and died. This is fantastical, how could this happen? It can, and it may happen a different way to you. You may not correlate someone dying with cutting a tree, but for you guys, Satan deceived you so you think the flesh is everything, so even the reason you live your walk of faith is for the flesh.
For these people, it’s just as Jesus Christ said in John 6:26, their motive and reason for following Jesus Christ was not because they saw the signs and realized, but they had the loaves and had their fill. Even if our motive for our walk of faith is physical at first, it needs to change to be the spirit. “When I believed in Jesus Christ, I was healed of my disease and my business went well,” it shouldn’t be for motives like this. You should believe in the signs and yes, it’s possible, Jesus may give you physical blessings and answers, but if that doesn’t take you to the words of life, you will be diseased and die. If that spiritual state collapses, you cannot overcome the many situations that come at you in life.
The first thing you will face is mental suffering, why? Because moreso than living for the spiritual words of life, you live for the flesh. In John, Jesus said, the people who wandered in the Old Testament were focused on food. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be interested in food, but they weren’t interested in God’s Word. But we need to be interested in something, so they’re interested in the physical food that we eat. The life they were living was only interested in what they wore or ate.
For 40 years, their only motive was food. All their interest was in buying a house, what they eat, what they wear, where they go on vacation, how they play. Because they were not interested in God’s Word, they were not able to hold onto the covenant of the land of Canaan. Because they were so tied up in the physical things, their physical bodies died in the wilderness. Jesus speaks about this in John 6 as well, meaning the people 2000 years before Jesus and the people 2000 years after Jesus are the same.
America is a land where there are no problems with eating or living. They are a powerful nation because they concentrated on building that up, but because they were only focused on those things, their spirit is dead, so there are continuously more problems with suicide, drugs, and shootings. We have more and more mental illnesses in the age of mental illness. Going to church is not enough. Going to church simply is not the answer; we need to receive the words of life.
Our spirit needs to be revived to overcome mental affliction and to save others; but instead we focus on physical things so we are dying. There are many churches and there are many theologies here, and America has the greatest seminaries with the greatest theologians and doctrines, but why can’t we give the answer to the world? In other words, are you and I giving the answer to the field? I might be doing well, but am I giving the answer to the people I see in the field? I have the answer, but because I’m not giving the answer to other people, people are living and suffering.
The Lord sees these people and says they are like sheep without a shepherd, harassed and helpless. He didn’t look at the field and saw their success; He saw within them that their Shepherd was not Christ. Because they lived their life centered on themselves, imagine how tired and exhausted they are? In Mt. 11:28, He says, “All you who are weary and burdened,” because we’re supposed to go to our Shepherd, Christ, but we do not and we have our burdens. I’m not talking about anyone else right now, I’m talking about myself and all of you guys. You may think you’re exempt from this but all of your thoughts must be given to the Lord, because we go in a state that has no choice but to result in depression.
As one example of this, you make all the judgments, “I don’t like this, I don’t like that,” there is no Jesus Christ in that; there’s only you. You say, “I’m right; you’re wrong.” If this spiritual state continues, that person has no choice but to have mental problems. 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ was saying, “Do not work for food that will spoil,” the physical things, but instead, “For your spirit, live your walk of faith and study and work.” That is how you save. But the world doesn’t know this at all; that’s why you must give them the word that saves. That is the mission and blessing God has given to us this day.
But unfortunately, our nature continues to go back to being physically-centered. Even if something just a little bit good physically happens, we say, “Okay, I’ve made it now, and we turn our back to the Word. Because God loves you, He has to keep giving you physical difficulties, just like the Word He has given to us today, it is the Spirit that saves. It doesn’t matter how much you eat; that cannot save you. If someone succeeds, their spirit may still be dead so they commit suicide, and they fall into alcohol addiction. You must give them the answer, not anything else, but your spirit must be saved, and the only thing that saves are the words of Jesus Christ. I’m not telling you to go and convince people of other religions, but if someone from another religion has a question like this, give them the answer.
No way to save the life of the spirit except through Jesus Christ. Everything else is just words of other people, like the good words of Buddha, but Jesus Christ is God Himself. Jesus Christ is the One Who created us. The Buddha might be a good religious leader but he is not the one who has created us. He is just the one who gives a good path to the people who follow, but I’m not saying other religions are bad; you can tell them, “Your religion is good but it cannot save you.” In other words, it cannot overcome Satan and demons, and if anything, the more you go into those, the more you will be bound by demons. Even if people go to church without the words of Jesus Christ, they will be seized. It’s such a shame because they went to church and received discipleship training. They said, “Look at all the notes I’ve taken since this morning!” but one day they changed.
“It’s not about going to church; your family was always this way. You’re like this because even as you went to church, you did not receive the words of God’s life. As soon as this person goes to church, they need to give them the answer of Christ’s life, so the people took a discipleship course for the physical benefits, and I’m sure they had another motive. If the Word of God doesn’t go into you, nothing will change.
You and I must begin with our correct motive. I am not living my walk of faith for food; that is not the way for me to live. I’m not studying and doing my business so that I can get food. I’m not receiving God’s Words so I can eat. I’m receiving the words of life so I can study and save others. If this motive is not right, then you will not be able to hear God’s Word. If somebody has a motive, then no matter what anybody says, you will do that.
These are people who lived their lives however they wanted, and He specifically told them, “Do not work for food that spoils.” They are not able to hear. Some people say, “This is the first time I’ve heard about Christ,” but there’s no way; you just haven’t heard before. This person told me about Christ for the first time, you heard it before but you weren’t able to hear it. That’s how stubbornly people hold onto their own thoughts and words.
Christ’s words of life, these are the words of Creation. It’s okay even if you’re nothing because He works with re-creation. It must be the strength that is full of His Spirit, the throne of God. Do you think if you’re successful, you are fine? The one who has the mystery to save themselves has the mystery to save others. This is connected with the pulpit message.
If you just have the correct spiritual motive, then even as you stay still, The more diligently you work? If you run your business, run it with the gospel. If you’re getting your job so you can make a living, you’re not aligned with God or his Word. God gives you His message through the field Then you are continuously, spiritually different. The way you move is the same; For you, it might just be one moment, or you go into one screen or direction. It’s just like when we’re in a conversation with Whatever they have inside of them cannot come out; they cannot speak of what they do not do that.
We don’t follow Jesus Christ to eat our fill, but we follow Jesus through the signs and realize who Jesus is. As we do that, we need to experience the physical things as well. Those are the people who entered Canaan in the Old Testament. You yourself will not be able to overcome the state of America today. It doesn’t matter how correct your thoughts are; they are not God’s Word of life so you cannot overcome. It doesn’t matter how kind your thoughts are; you’re just being nice by yourself, not with Jesus. It doesn’t matter how many people you help, that’s not the word of the Lord, that’s nothing.
Follow the word, the time schedule of the word, that’s the stream we enter into, and within that stream, there are the answers God gives us, and there are meetings where things have no choice but to take place. This is inside of Christ, and this is the way for me to live and to save others. If we don’t teach this to the future generations, they’re in the process of receive training outside the church, and the result is going to be obvious. That’s why ever since they’re young, give the words of life; but if they relay based on their own motive, that’s what is relayed.
Without a doubt, these are the words of life; however, it depends on what the motive of the person relaying the song. Even a songwriter and the tune of the song is to relay some inner message, that is their motive. Because we are spiritual beings, the state of the person who writes is tied to me, the listener, and if that song is made by people who are demon-possessed, then that influences others. For example, if someone always want to commit suicide and they put that in a song, those who listen repeatedly will end up committing suicide.
Everything depends on who is relaying what word with what motive. Through the Word of God, the spiritual things and the life is relayed. What does the spiritual state of the parentis directly relayed to the kid,” and you’ll say, “I taught them the Word of God so diligently,” but what is the content and motivation of the Word you taught them? If it’s something else, your kid will be a different masterpiece. That’s why the Israelites treasured the one rabbi who had the correct message so much, even though they did not have the correct gospel.
If you and I are within this spiritual state, then everywhere you go, you will save others because that is the spiritual state you relay. That blessing has already been given to us. Therefore, only, only God’s Word, only the Word of life, and then, the power of prayer that comes from that. My motive to only save lives with this. Because it’s God’s motive, you are bound to receive answers in god’s time schedule, that kind of church officer and that kind of remnant. There are many people who go to church, and even right now, people are listening to and relaying the Word if you just go to YouTube. However, we need the person who is able to hear the Word that Jesus is giving to us today, and we must relay it correctly.
You are those people. That is what God has given to us today. Even if I’m not like that, God gives me the Word to change me, so that’s why it’s important to go into the stream of worship. May you be people who receive this blessing and give good influence to many people. You yourself within Christ. Let us hold onto the Word we have received.
Prayer
Our second prayer topic, tomorrow, we will have a joint LA Youth Evangelism School closing ceremony at SWCC, so please be led to that. Churches individually will continue throughout summer because if that system breaks, it’s hard to start the next year, so we continue through the break. Elementary and Youth Evangelism and Young Adult and Business Industry Message and the Sunday messages, let us pray for those meetings and messages that the Word God desires to be relayed may revive the field.
Third prayer topic, regarding our mission trip to Navajo and Sedona, I think we need to go an entire week from Monday to Friday or Saturday. It seems there are a few remnants who need to receive the message in Sedona, and they were asking, “What if we go there from Monday to Thursday?” We need to discuss this in more detail. They wonder, “Can we go to Ranch Hands Church on Thursday or Friday?” Please pray for that, we need to know this to determine the dates and the people.
In the third week of July, we must go to the missions camp in Portland and Yakima. All of these evangelism camps are multiethnic people and the remnants. Same thing with Sedona, so God is doing this work within the work He has given to us to make disciples of all nations. There are already many nations gathered in America so He is the One opening the doors and doing this work to fulfill His Word. If you’re looking at this and think, “I guess they’re going,” you live your life without any thought. You must see that this is what God is doing now. I believe as you see this, you will see this is how the Triune God is working on this church, so see this through prayer. Pray for the camps in the third week of July. It’s important to receive the guidance within the Word God has given this year.
If you look at the prayer topics in the intercessory prayer board, all of the topics are coming out in the field. These are answers that come to us within God’s time schedule. You do field missions right now through prayer. About ten people who come to Early Morning prayer. God says, “Seek God’s Kingdom and His righteousness first,” then He begins to work in my field first. When we build an Ark, we do it for ourselves and future generations. That’s what intercessory prayer we do. May you and I be the ones who remain within that stream of answers.