A rather good read in my opinion
http://forums.delphiforums.com/n/mb/display.asp?webtag=kath&msg=80780.1----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why are we sitting here until we die?
Larry Chkoreff
Jul 17, 2005
Junk to Jewels
02 Introduction
"Why are we sitting here until we die?
Have you ever been denied a miracle?
As a believer perhaps there have been desperate times in your life when you felt it would be appropriate for God to give you a miracle. You read about His miracle working power in the Bible, you read that He loves you, now you want to see it in your circumstances. Putting these two assumptions together, you ask God for a miracle, and you expect Him to give it to you. Sometimes He does, but sometimes, perhaps even more often, He does not.
What are you to believe? Where is God in your affliction?
Perhaps we can learn from the events recorded in John chapter 6. Jesus had just supernaturally fed more than 5,000 poor and needy people in the setting of a third world country. He took five loaves of bread and two fish and did a miracle of increase that would astonish anybody. They thought for sure that this was the prophet that Moses had spoken of, the one who would again provide manna from Heaven "Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone" (John 6:15).
The disciples entered their boat and crossed the sea. Jesus walked on the water, and they arrived together. But the crowd who had been fed looked for Jesus the next morning hoping for another miracle. They finally found Him.
Jesus refused their request.
"Jesus answered them and said, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him'" (John 6:26,27).
Jesus admonished them to turn their efforts to what God requires. He knew that feeding them again would simply be another short-term fix, but it would not solve their true problem, which resided in their hearts and souls. Jesus wants us to prosper, Jesus wants to meet our needs, but from the inside out, not from the outside in! "Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." (John 6:29).
Then Jesus started a conversation that really caught them off guard. He has a way of doing that. We may be thinking about a material or earthly need, and He turns our attention to the real issue.
"Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' Then Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.' Then they said to Him, 'Lord, give us this bread always.' And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst" (John 6:31-35).
Their response was interesting. "The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, 'I am the bread which came down from heaven.'" (John 6:41).
Then He took them even deeper down His road of surprises when He said, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world" (John 6:51). "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him" (John 6:56).
Jesus was offering them a blood covenant with the Maker of the Universe.
This is what He offers you and me. Can you just imagine? The infinite almighty God, sinless and holy offers to exchange places with you and me, mere created and sinful people! He knew that having a blood covenant would make these people one with Him. They would abide in Him and He would abide in them. He knew that if they accepted the covenant that all their needs would be cared for. Which would you rather have, a miracle to take care of today's problem, or a covenant of blood with Deity?
"Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, 'This is a hard saying; who can understand it?'" (John 6:60).
Jesus persisted and even made things sound more difficult. He asked them how much more they would be offended if He left and they could not even catch Him to eat His flesh and drink His blood. He was speaking of His crucifixion and resurrection (John 6:62). It is human nature to desire a god or an idol that the natural eye can see.
Here is the major point.
"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63). In other words He was saying, "You don't have to actually become a cannibal and drink my blood, but if you want a blood covenant with Me you will eat my Word, because My Word and I are one. My Words are supernatural. The more of the Word you obtain, the more of my blood you receive!" Covenants are made with words. In this case the Word replaces blood. Yes Jesus shed His blood, and that blood is transferred to you through His Word. You have an invitation to cut the blood covenant with the Maker, God Himself. All He has is yours, provided of course that all you have is His!
Sorry Jesus, without a miracle I am out of here!
"From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more" (John 6:66).
Some stayed.
"Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" But Simon Peter answered Him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 'Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'" (John 6:67...[Message truncated]