A FOOLISH MESSAGE?

For to those who are perishing, the preaching of the cross is foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:

                          "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

                           and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent."

Where is the wise [man]? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made the wisdom of this world foolish? For since in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom. But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks. But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, we preach Christ as the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For observe your calling, brothers. Among you, not many wise men according to the flesh, not many mighty men, and not many noble men are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. And God has chosen the base things of the world and things which are despised. Yes, and He chose things which did not exist to bring to nothing things that do, so that no flesh should boast in His presence. But because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, whom God made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 Modern English Version.

In the light of the above verses, it is interesting to note that Easter Sunday this year falls on April 1, traditionally April Fools' Day. Easter Sunday or Resurrection Sunday, as it is referred to by many Christians is the celebration of the triumphant resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, having been crucified on a Roman cross three days earlier. The Cross is central to the Christian message of salvation for repentant sinners from the penalty of sin and separation from the Eternal God. The Bible clearly states that :All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23. The Greek word for sin is hamartia which means "to miss the mark". It can be pictured by thinking of an archer aiming arrows at a target, and never ever being able to either reach the target with the arrows, or totally missing the bull's-eye. Because of our inherent sin nature from birth, we are all separated from relationship with the Living God. No matter how good we think we are, we can never by our own efforts attain to God's standard of righteousness. In fact, the prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament, said it this way: We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.
The verses at the top of this blog equate the preaching of the cross of Christ as foolishness to those who are perishing (in their sins) - BUT, it is the power of God for all who are being saved.
Jim Elliott, one of five young American missionaries martyred by Auca indians in Ecuador in 1956, is remembered for one of his quotes: "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."
His wife, Elisabeth Elliott later returned to the same place and was able to lead some of those same Indians to Christ, and wrote the book "Through Gates of Splendour."
The apostle Paul who wrote half of the New Testament books of the Bible under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was once a prominent Jewish leader who hated Christians, and actively was involved in seeking their arrest and subsequent execution. On one such trip to the city of Damascus in order to arrest Christians, he had a supernatural encounter with Jesus. He fell to the ground, saw a dazzling light and heard Jesus say to him: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" Saul, who became the apostle Paul, was blind for three days , until a man named Ananias was sent to him by God to pray that he might receive his sight back again. Later, when well established in his apostolic ministry, Paul wrote a letter to the church at Philippi, and in the third chapter of Philippians outlined his impeccable credentials as a Jewish leader before his life-changing encounter with the risen Christ. He went on to say, however:
But what things were gain to me, I have counted these things to be loss for the sake of Christ. Yes, certainly I count everything as loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord....Philippians 3:4-8
Countless millions of people from all walks of life, from nations around the world can testify to the power of the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to transform their lives from hopelessness and despair to ones with real hope and peace and a purpose for living. To many, the preaching of the cross of Christ, and the salvation message of the Gospel might indeed seem foolish, but to those who are being saved, it is indeed the power of God! No one can take that away from them! For further information on how you can come to know Christ as your Lord and Saviour, go to www.vision.org.au Click on the Grow your faith tab, then Looking for God? God Bless!

WHAT IS TRUTH?

(Continued)

As stated at the start of the first blog post on this topic, a simple dictionary definition of Truth could be said to be: That which conforms to reality, fact or actuality. Sounds simple, doesn't it. BUT, in actual fact, Truth has been made such a complicated concept by philosophically-inclined minds, drawing upon human wisdom and knowledge to expound, in some instances, very wordy theories pertaining to Truth, but which nevertheless conflict with a multitude of other Truth concepts and theories. 

In the previous blog, I mentioned in heading form, some of the various philosophical theories concerning Truth which have been postulated over the years by secular philosophers, the most popular of these theories being what is known as the Correspondence Theory. Ah, yes! The Correspondence Theory Of Truth! Sounds great.........but what does it mean? It turns out that there are several aspects to the Correspondence Theory, but basically the theory in general terms states that the truth or falsity of a statement is determined by only how it relates to the world and whether it accurately describes (i.e., corresponds with) the world. It is a traditional model which goes back at least to some of the classical Greek philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. As an example of the Correspondence Theory of Truth, British philosopher, Bertrand Russell theorized that a statement,to be true, must have a structural isomorphism with the state of affairs in the world that makes it true. For example, "A cat is on a mat", is true if, and only if, there is in the world a cat and the cat is related to the mat by virtue of being on it. Wow! To think, that these great minds with doctorate degrees from the elite halls of tertiary learning are able to come up with such profoundly obvious statements as evidence of truth is somewhat underwhelming! Last time I quoted 2 Timothy 3:7 in the New Testament of the Bible. where the apostle Paul, speaking of the times in which we live said there would be people who would be "ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." As I also previously stated, Truth is to be found in a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, in the Gospel of John stated, concerning Himself: "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
If the God of the Bible is the one true God, and the Word of God can be fully relied upon to be the expression of God's truth, then we can have full confidence in the Absolute and irrefutable Truth in God's Word absolutely.
There has been much written about Truth being either Absolute truth or Relative truth, and the fact that, for an increasing number of people today, Truth is relative to the ever changing cultural norms brought about by societal attitudinal changes. The Ten Commandments of the Bible, which helped form a strong reference point for justice and a framework for morality in Western nations, and in fact, any nation with a Judaeo-Christian heritage, have seemed to become less and less relevant to a world hell-bent on destroying the fabric of society with liberal philosophy espousing the doctrine of relative truth. Relative truth is like a boat adrift in a raging sea, having been ripped from its moorings. It can be stated as: Truth that is only true at one time and at one place. It's true to some people and not to others. It's always subject to change. It is also subject to the perspective of people.
Because of the nature of relative truth, we have seen justification for Biblically abominable lifestyle choices, including the wholesale murder of unborn babies - abortion, in the name of women's rights. We have seen the definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others, for life or "until death us do part" vehemently attacked by the gay rights activists (See Bill Muehelenberg's Culture Watch site for many articles on this and other subjects).
The abandonment of belief in ultimate of Absolute truth in today's culture has led to the "Whatever" philosophy of life. If it feels good, then do it. if it benefits me, even if it goes against long-held moral laws, unless it hurts somebody else, then I can justify it. If science and human reason support it, go for it. If popular opinion supports your decisions in life, then it is easy to justify going along with the crowd for personal convenience - when the "Whatevers" fulfill our concepts of truth relative to our worldview and personal interest.
For the person who is prepared to take the Living God at His Word, Jesus says in John 16:13 that the Holy Spirit, "the Spirit of truth will guide you into all truth."
A generation which does not want to be accountable to anyone for their actions, let alone, to a Holy God whose Word and whose Truth is unchanging, is reaping what they have sown in rebelling against the One in whom is all the wisdom and knowledge necessary to lead a totally fulfilled and complete life. Truth, ultimate truth, is to be found in a person, the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in living according to God's Word, the Bible. For further reading on Absolute Truth and all that implies, may I suggest you Google Absolute Truth- Focus on the Family, for a very insightful and well written article on this topic.

WHAT IS TRUTH?

(CONTINUED)

The unmistakable fact of history since the time of Christ's ministry on Earth and His subsequent death on the Cross of Calvary and His triumphant bodily resurrection on that first Resurrection Sunday is that those who have embraced THE TRUTH in the person of Jesus Christ - find that truth to be life-changing. This is also contingent on them giving heed to the Word of God, which is able to liberate from bondage to sin and its consequences. Satan, the arch deceiver, whom the Bible calls the father of lies, cannot stand up to the searchlight of the truth of God's Holy Word. 

As I was thinking about what to write in this blog, "What Is Truth?", I Googled this question on the internet. I discovered a lengthy Wikipedia article which outlined some of the philosophical theories concerning Truth, and what it means. These include what are known as Substantive Theories, including:

                                  Correspondence Theory

                                  Coherence Theory

                                  Constructivist Theory

                                  Concensus Theory

                                  Pragmatic Theory

Then there are Minimalist or Deflationary Theories. These include:

                                  Performative Theory of Truth

                                  Reduncancy and Related Theories.

There are also what is known as Pluralist Theories.

I discovered that, of the above, the Correspondence Theory seems to have the highest percentage of support in relation to the definition of Truth - in philosophical terms.

I am reminded of the verse in 2 Timothy 3:7 where the apostle Paul speaking of the days in which we are living, describes people who would be "always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."
If you who are reading are on a quest to know ultimate Truth in all its dimensions, may I suggest you take a look in the Bible at the one who is TRUTH HIMSELF, the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus finished His earthly ministry, He told His disciples that He would send them a Helper, the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in John 16:13 that ".....when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."
In John 18:36-38, as Jesus stood before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, who would decide whether He lived or would be condemned to be crucified, Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world.If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." 
Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are you a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause, I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."
Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all."
Pilate asked Jesus one of the most important questions He could have asked of the Son of God: "What is truth?" and He didn't bother to wait for the answer. Like Pilate, many today are searching for the meaning of Truth in Philosophy, Religion, Science - even Politics and always coming short.
The apostle Paul warns in Colossians 2:8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
He goes on to say in verses 9 and 10 For in Him [Christ] dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
Does it matter what we believe to be the truth today? Isn't truth relative to the circumstances, culture, socio-political setting in which we find ourselves today? Ah...........we shall have to leave the answers to these questions to the next time we meet in cyberspace in the not too distant future.
If you have not yet encountered personally the one who is Truth Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, may I suggest one of many websites where you can find clear direction on how to become a Christian:
www.vision.org.au Click on the Radio word on the  top left of the screen. Then click on Grow your faith, then Looking for God!

WHAT IS TRUTH?

A simple definition of Truth is: That which conforms to reality, fact or actuality. 

It could be stated that there are aspects of truth which are relative to a particular person or place; for example, I could say that it is TRUE that I have blue eyes and that I am left-handed. It is also true that I am an Australian citizen by birth, and that I am a resident of the township of Sorell in Tasmania. It is also true that I am married and have two grown children - and two grandchildren. All these facts are true in relation to me, but most of these facts may not be true for you who are reading this.

When I was a student at Bible College in 1980, I remember being struck by the statement made by one of the college lecturers, that ALL TRUTH IS GOD'S TRUTH. Examples of this could be stated as the laws of nature, physics and mathematics which are always true and cannot be changed. Let me clarify this by suggesting that, in mathematics 2+2=4 will always be an example of mathematical truth.

Sir Isaac Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation is another example of God's truth in the natural world proving reliable one hundred percent of the time. Newton postulated that any two objects in the universe attract each other with a force which is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. HUH! The simplified version concerning Gravity is: What goes up must come down!

There are other reliable and consistent laws in nature which were designed by the Creator God of the universe. At this point, anyone reading this who believes the universe just came into being as a result of the Big Bang, and out of that, over time everything evolved over millions or billions of years with any intelligent design, may not like my conclusions - but I make no apologies in believing God is the Prime Mover for everything in this universe, including the complex life forms on our own planet Earth. As evangelist Ray Comfort so rightly says,"Every song has a composer, every book has an author, every car has a maker, every painting has a painter, and every building has a builder. So it isn't irrational to take this simple logic a liitle further and say that Nature must have had a Maker. It would be irrational to believe that it made itself."

So, looking at the Big Picture, ALL TRUTH IS GOD'S TRUTH. 

As a committed Bible-believing Christian, I believe the Bible to be the written Holy Spirit inspired Word of the Living God. We are addressing the question: What is Truth? in this blog.

Truth is personified in the eternal Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who in John 14:6 stated concerning Himself: "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me."What a remarkable statement Jesus made in response to a question from Thomas, one of his disciples.

Earlier in this same Gospel of John, Jesus addressing some Jews who believed in Him, said, "If you continue in My Word, you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31,32.

To be continued.....................

A NEW YEAR, A NEW DAY

A NEW BEGINNING, A NEW WAY

Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea
And a path through the mighty waters,
Who brings forth the chariot and the horse,
The army and the power
(They shall lie down together, they shall not rise;
They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick):
Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.
The beast of the field will honour Me,
The jackals and the ostriches,
Because I give waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My people, My chosen.
This people I have formed for Myself,
They shall declare My praise.                  Isaiah 43:16-21 NKJV

As of writing, the first two weeks of 2018 have come and gone, with Christmas 2017 just a memory. As is the case every year, many have made New Year's resolutions, with some of those already being discarded and dispatched to either the too-hard basket, or the "Whatever!" realm of non-resolve. I was encouraged by a lady at church a couple of weeks ago, on New Year's Eve to not make resolutions, but to make plans. Another way of thinking of this is to set achievable goals - which, I thought was a word in season for me. 
Like all of us, I have had "good intentions" in the past concerning things in my world that I know need to change. Someone has said: The road to hell is paved with good intentions.  One of those things is probably near the top of the list of resolutions at this time of the year for many people - to lose weight. I am determined that this year, 2018 is going to be the year when this goal is fulfilled with significant benefit to my health and well-being. I thank God that my GP has encouraged me to set achievable goals to see this become a reality this year, and is keen to monitor my progress.
Thank God, literally, that every day can be a new day with new opportunities to grow closer to Jesus, to break off and shake off the shackles of the past, and to begin to walk in new freedom and purpose. The Lord's ways for all His people are always onwards and upwards. 
The past, with its highs and lows, victories and defeats, seasons of growth, and those of stagnation - is gone, and gone forever. Today is a new day! This year is a new year. With the Lord's help, Tessa and I are aiming to make this the best year of our lives - so far! Our senior pastor had a prophetic word for me last April in which the Lord was basically telling me not to get stuck in the past, but that I should look straight to Him for what He has for me and our family now in this new season - which would be stronger and more powerful than the disappointments of the past.
I believe the Lord is calling my wife and I to a new level of trust in Him this year, but with a greater sense of expectancy for what He is going to do in and through us to bring greater glory to His name. The same sense that we believe God is saying this to us, is the sense that we believe He is speaking to all who would truly want to follow Him in the journey of life!
In the early chapters of the book of Joshua, after forty years of wilderness wandering because of their disobedience - under the leadership of Moses, Joshua, took up the mantle of Moses to lead the children of Israel over the Jordan River into the land of Caanan, the Promise Land. Joshua, who had been known as the servant of Moses, now became the servant of the Lord to lead the people forth into their land of promise.
Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,
"Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, 'Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.'"
So it was, after three days, the officers went through the camp; 
and they commanded the people,saying, "When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.
"Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before." Joshua 1:10,11; 3:2-4 NKJV
In essence, the children of Israel were told to POSITION THEMSELVES so that the Lord could lead them in a new way! He is saying the same to each of us who would follow Him into this new year. There is much land spiritually to be taken for the Kingdom of God, as we position ourselves to be led forth as an army with banners proclaiming JESUS IS LORD, and the Word of God is the unchanging Truth which must not be allowed to be compromised in the name of Political Correctness! 
A NEW YEAR, A NEW DAY, A NEW BEGINNING, A NEW WAY!
Keep your eyes on the prize! Look to Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our Faith. Hebrews 12:1,2
This year, we are blazing a trail for Jesus. Where I have allowed compromise in my life, I am saying NO MORE! Compromise is the language of the devil!

NO LONGER A BABY

We are at the end of yet another year, and on the threshold of 2018, the year before us. Christmas celebrations have come and gone. We remembered once again the incredible provision of Almighty God for the redemption of Man from the eternal consequences of sin and rebellion towards Him - by sending His Son in human flesh to be born as a baby in an unlikely setting for a king - a dirty, dusty stable. As Rick Joyner of MorningStar Ministries states in his book, "The Harvest", That the Lord of Glory would choose such a place to make His entry into this world is one of his more profound revelations of his message to man.............Human reasoning would never lead us to a stable to find God.The only way He could be found was by revelation; only those who were led by the Spirit would come. That which is born of God is usually found in a place that is repulsive to the pride and presumptions of carnal men. As the apostle Paul stated it: "God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He may nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God." 1 Corinthians 1:27-29
Jesus did not remain a baby. That baby grew up to be Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, who after three and a half years of ministry to all who would receive Him was condemned to death on a cruel Roman cross. Jesus, the sinless Son of God died in our place for our sins, so we could be reconciled to the Father. Romans 5:8 says: God demonstrated His love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. If that was not good news enough in itself, the Lord Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, conquered the power of death and hell, rising triumphantly from the grave on that first Resurrection Sunday. 
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are not only recorded as actually taking place, in the bible. There have been scholars who have set out to disprove the resurrection of Christ, only to conclude, after honest research, that the events recorded in Scripture are historically verifiable. Two such scholars of note are Simon Greenleaf (1783-1853), a law professor at Harvard University, who became one of the forerunners of the discipline known as Christian apologetics - and Frank Morison, who also set out to disprove the "myth" of the resurrection, only to come to the conclusion, like Simon Greenleaf, that the Biblical record of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was true.
For forty days following his bodily resurrection from the dead, Jesus appeared to multitudes of people, including the eleven remaining original disciples. Judas Iscariot, the twelfth, betrayed Him and took his own life.
At one time, Jesus appeared to five hundred at once (1 Corinthians 15:6).
After commissioning the disciples, and telling them to wait in Jerusalem for the Promise of the Father, the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father. On the Day of Pentecost, an annual feast commemorated fifty days after Passover, while waiting in the Upper Room, the 120 gathered were filled with the Holy Spirit, receiving the gift of speaking in other tongues - a gift which is still available to Christian believers today, along with other gifts of the Holy Spirit as listed in 1 Corinthians 12-14. Jesus said before His ascension to heaven that "You shall receive power after the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be My witnesses" starting from Jerusalem and spreading to the farthest parts of the earth.
The ministry of Jesus in the world and in the church continues unabated today through the lives of Bible-believing Christians who have taken Jesus at His word to "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." He said to His disciples in John 14:12 that the works He did on earth they (and those who followed them down through the church age) would do and greater works than these they would do, because He was going to the Father.
Down through the Church age over the past 2,000 years, millions upon millions of lives have been transformed - many radically - by the same resurrection power of the Holy Spirit which raised Christ from the dead. The dead are being physically raised to life today. Miracles of healing and provision are occurring all over the world, where the name of Jesus is proclaimed as Lord. You won't hear about these happenings in the mainstream media, but they are happening. JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER! Hebrews 13:8
As we enter 2018, the contrast between light and darkness will increase. While evil men will grow worse and worse, Christians have the opportunity to shine more brightly than we ever have before.
If you would like to know how to become a Christian, go to www.vision.org.au Click on RADIO near the top of the page, then click on Grow Your Faith, then Looking for God. God Bless!

THE STABLE AND THE MANGER

Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14
For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

These are two of the best known and loved prophecies concerning the birth and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. They are often quoted in association with Christmas celebrations.
The town where Jesus, the Messiah was to be born was likewise clearly prophesied in the book of Micah, one of the Minor Prophets in the Old Testament. 

In Micah 5:2, we read: 

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,

Yet out of you shall come forth to Me

The One to be Ruler in Israel,

Whose goings forth are from of old,

From everlasting."
Micah prophesied in a similar time to that of Isaiah.
Jesus is the eternal Son of God, who together with God the Father, and Holy Spirit, make up the Godhead - referred to by Christians as the Trinity.
We were listening to Pastor Tak Bhana from Church Unlimited in Auckland in New Zealand - on Christian radio, speaking about the birth of Jesus. He said that Jesus chose the circumstances of His birth. He was the only human being who got to choose where He would be born, also how and when He would be born. Amazing! In fact, it's absolutely mindblowing.
Micah prophesied in the verse quoted above that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem, which means House of Bread. Jesus said of Himself that He is the Bread of Life. The imagery in the setting of Jesus's birth doesn't stop there, though. The Bible tells us that when Jesus was born in a dirty stable, because there was no room for them at the inn, He was laid in a manger. A manger is an animal feeding trough, which would be kept filled with hay, so that the animals could feed from it at any time of the day.
The word "manger" is derived from the Latin manducate meaning "chewed", the past participle of manducare - "to chew, to eat". In fact, the French word for "to eat" is manger, the same as the word for the feeding trough. So, clearly the picture presented to us in the Christmas story in the Bible is that Jesus, the Bread of Life, was laid in a manger, an animal feeding trough. In John 6:35, Jesus says of Himself: "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst". Bread is a universal food, eaten by people in countries all around the world, in all cultures and across all age-ranges. Jesus said in John 6:51 "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 give for the life of the world."
Jesus was in the last part of this verse speaking of His sacrificial death on the Cross at Calvary, dying in our place for our sins - in order that we might be reconciled to the Father God, from whom we would otherwise be eternally separated by our sin. 
Just as the manger was a place where animals could freely eat of hay for their sustenance, spiritual food is freely available as we feed on the Word of God. Jesus is called the living Word, as John 1:1,4 states: In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God, and the Word was God.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 
Verse 12 says But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.
English author, academic and Christian apologist, C.S. Lewis once stated: "The Son of God became the Son of man so that the sons of men could become the sons of God".
Jesus said to His disciples: Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. His food supply never runs out. The gift of salvation He offers to every man, woman and child on earth is freely available to those who would partake of the Bread of Life.

Much of what I have shared above was gleaned from a couple of radio programs in the series "Running With Fire" with Pastor Tak Bhana. If you would like to listen to these and other uplifting and challenging radio programs, please go to www.vision.org.au. Click on the RADIO tab near the top of the page, then click on Listen now, then hold and drag down to On demand Podcasts - where you will see a number of programs you may listen to, including "Running with Fire" with Tak Bhana. God Bless. Have a happy, holy and safe Christmas!