Advent-ure 2020 December 8: BREAD OF LIFE (The Sufficient One)

Jesus will fill the void in our hearts, the hunger that is present deep within - He is the Bread of Life, the all-sufficient One, who wants to flood our souls with His peace and presence. 2nd Corinthians 3 states:
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

We need to know the life-giving presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. The world will tell us that we don't measure up, that we are inferior, incapable of living a life that pleases God. We beat ourselves up and wallow in our failures, Yet, He tells us to come to Him and allow Him to fill us with His power.  He comforts us in our sorrows and strengthens us in our weakness.  Even when we feel that we cannot, we know that He can.

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Jesus is our all-sufficient Savior - He provides for our needs and will satisfy our spiritual hunger.  On Day 8 of our 25-day Christmas Advent-ure, entitled, "Call His Name," we focus in on Jesus, the Bread of Life. He taught in John chapter 6:
(32) "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.
33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
34 Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always."
35 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.

Last week, I shared another commentary regarding this concept of The Great Reset, with a reminder that Jesus, our Emmanuel, goes with us even through difficult times.  The name, Bread of Life, communicates to us about the sufficiency of our Savior and His provision for His people.

In the future, in the implementation of this "Reset," I believe that technology will come into play, as powerful leaders seek to subjugate people around the world.  David Curry of Open Doors USA was on the program back in January and shared with me some of the extreme measures that Chinese government officials have begun to implement to keep tabs on their people, including Christians who desire to practice their faith.  A Christian Post article from January of this year quoted from Curry, who said: “Its implications are not just for Christians within China but for every country and for religious freedom generally,” adding, “Let me put it together. It is like a puzzle. The pieces are there but it is not until you put it together that you see it clearly. When you see it clearly, it is frightening.”

The article relates:

The pieces of this puzzle, Curry said, involve China’s use of a social score system that grades its citizens based on their actions and the government’s creation of a network of surveillance cameras that have been put on street corners and in churches.

“Imagine a system where citizens are given 2,000 points and every time you do something they government disagrees with, you are marked down for it,” Curry detailed. “Eventually, your travel is restricted, your children won’t get into the best schools. You lose points for taking your children to Sunday School. That is what the experience is like for many Christians in China.”

Curry mentions facial scan technology that is being used for monitoring. He says that Chinese government officials "...using this artificial intelligence and surveillance to a whole new level...All indications show that in 2020 — and this is why we are highlighting this — they are bringing these two systems together. They are merging the social scoring system and surveillance and artificial intelligence to give them the tools and the power to oppress the people.”

Pastor Jian Zhu of Lincoln Christian University, a Chinese native, related that: “The Chinese government now has placed severe restrictions and policies on the house churches, asking neighbors to spy on one another, pressures school teachers and college professors to betray and sign a statement to denounce their faith as well as to do the same to the students..."

Far-fetched? Did you hear about officials in the U.S. who have encouraged people to report their neighbors who have violated COVID restrictions?  School children asked to report on their family's whereabouts during Thanksgiving?  There does seem to be this "default" control mindset for some in authority, resulting in abuse of that power. 

The Christian Post article links to a Business Insider story that lists some of the penalties for people who garner lower social scores:

1. Banning you from flying or getting the train.

2. Throttling your internet speeds.

3. Banning you — or your kids — from the best schools.

4. Stopping you getting the best jobs.

5. Keeping you out of the best hotels.

6. Getting your dog taken away.

7. Being publicly named as a bad citizen. 

I certainly don't know what my "social score" would be here in America, but there are people out there who are devoted to virtue signal to the extent that they believe and speak what the culture says are the "correct things" and demean others who get in their way. There are those who are keeping score about those who want to walk the Christian life and are quick to point out the shortcomings of others.  Don't be that person.  We are all flawed human beings, and we have to trust in the sufficiency of Christ, the Bread of Life, who supplies our needs in the midst of our insufficiencies.  Biblically speaking, none of us will get a perfect score by the standards of Scripture, so we have to continue to rely on the resources of the Lord.

Technology can be a tool for good or evil, and these measures taken by some in China certainly present an ominous future for those in the Church, which, by the way, is thriving underground there. In the face of opposition and oppression, we can continue to rely on the inner fortitude that comes from a relationship with Christ in order to sustain us.