Program 159: Give Us This Day, Our Daily Bread

In the Lord’s Prayer, Christ taught us to ask for spiritual blessings because the Father already knows our temporal needs and has promised to supply them.

Welcome to WLC Radio, a subsidiary of World’s Last Chance Ministries, an online ministry dedicated to learning how to live in constant readiness for the Savior's return.

For two thousand years, believers of every generation have longed to be the last generation. Contrary to popular belief, though, Christ did not give believers “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, he repeatedly warned that his coming would take even the faithful by surprise. Yahushua urgently warned believers to be ready because, he said, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [Matthew 24:44]

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

* * *Part 1: (Miles & Dave)

Miles Robey: “Give us this day, our daily bread.” Do you know what you’re asking for when you pray those words? Are you asking for Yah to supply your daily needs? Or does this have a spiritual meaning? Or both?

Hello, I’m Miles Robey and today Dave Wright is going to be sharing with us some new and deep insights into just what it means to ask the Father to “give us this day our daily bread.” Dave?

Dave Wright: Thanks, Miles. Bread is so basic, isn’t it? Almost anywhere you go in the world, there is some form of bread. Mexico has tortillas which is a lot different from French croissants—

Miles: Or Australian bush bread!

Dave: Or Indian chapati, or … heavy Russian black bread. And yet, they’re all forms of bread. Did you know that Germany alone has over 200 different types of bread? They’ve the greatest variety in the world.

Miles: Huh. I didn’t know that.

Dave: It’s such a basic food, that when prisoners are punished, they’re given a subsistence diet of bread and water.

Miles: And yet it can also be one of life’s greatest pleasures. I love the smell of a bakery!

Dave: Really gets the salivary glands running, doesn’t it? So, just what did the Saviour mean when he said those words?

Miles: Well, I’ve always thought it had a duo meaning. We’re asking that our temporal needs be met as well as to be “fed” spiritually.

… Do you disagree?

Dave: No. No. Not entirely. I do believe that the “bread” here is a symbol, so what’s being asked for is entirely spiritual. I don’t believe there’s a temporal or physical application at all.

I think most of us, including myself, have interpreted it as you have: that it has both a spiritual and a physical interpretation. But when we go back and read it entirely in context, you’ll see that there is no physical application at all. It’s entirely spiritual and that fact alone is very beautiful and very reassuring. Let’s take a moment to read it. Would you do that for us?

Miles: All right. Where? The Lord’s prayer is given twice in Scripture.

Dave: I’m glad you brought that out. The first time it’s given, of course, is in the sermon on the mount, in Matthew 6. No. Wait. I want you to read it first in Luke. Luke 11 verses 1 through 4.

Now, the context in which the Lord’s prayer is given in Luke is different from the context in Matthew. Some people will call this a “contradiction.” But it’s not. It’s not. When you compare the timelines of Matthew versus Luke, it’s clear that Luke is talking about an incident that occurred later than Matthew’s account. Go ahead.

Miles:

And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

Give us day by day our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

Dave: We know from Scripture that the Saviour was often in prayer, and we also know that his prayers were effective! The disciples knew this, too, so after seeing and hearing him, they wanted to know how to pray like he did. In answer to their question, the Saviour repeated the same prayer he’d given in the sermon on the mount. This isn’t a contradiction. He’s simply reiterating the same lesson he’d taught before, reaffirming the points he’d made before. We’ll look at this passage some more later, but the point I want you to see now is that this is said in the context of a discussion on prayer.

Miles: Yeah, we tend to quote the Lord’s prayer as a stand-alone passage and never really look at the context.

Dave: Well, today we’re looking at the context.

In both Luke 11 and Matthew 6, the topic under discussion when the Saviour gave this as an example of the perfect prayer is … prayer! They’re talking about how to pray. So put a marker there because we’re going to come back to it, then turn to Matthew 6. Let’s start with verses 5 through 7. Understanding the context in which the Lord’s prayer was given will reveal a truth I think most of us have overlooked. Matthew 6, five to seven.

Miles:

And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

Dave: Listening to sermons on this passage before, I have heard it suggested that what the Saviour was saying was not to pray in the style the heathens prayed, as though there were some repetitious wording they employed in their prayers and Christ was inviting believers to pray in a more conversational style.

Miles: Yeah, I’ve heard that, too. You don’t agree?

Dave: No! I’ve done comparative religious studies before. There may be some exceptions, but for the most part, prayers are prayers. Even if it’s a previously written prayer, like Catholics often use, the emotion, the desire is still there. Yah reads the heart so their prayers still work.

Miles: So if it’s not a commentary on prayer style, what is it? What’s he saying here?

Dave: The answer is found in the very next verse. Matthew 6 verse 8. Read it.

Miles: “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.”

Dave: Notice the word “therefore.” Yahushua is explaining why believers are not to pray like the heathens. It’s because “your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him.” The “vain repetitions of the heathen” isn’t so much a style of praying as it is repeatedly, endlessly asking Yah, over and over, to give you what you need.

Miles: Hmmm … like, say, a raise at work, or enough income to pay your bills. Things like that.

Dave: Precisely. Christ’s point is, you don’t need to ask for that because the Father already knows you need it and He’ll supply it!

Think about. You’re a parent. Do your kids have to ask you to provide food and clothes for them?

Miles chuckles: No! They—I don’t want to say they “take it for granted” because that implies that they’re entitled brats, and they’re not. Whenever my wife or I bring home groceries, they’re great about saying thank you. They say thank you for the meal, new clothes. Whatever.

Dave: Well, that’s good training, bringing your kids up to be appreciative for what’s given them.

Miles: Right. But I guess what I’m trying to say is that they’ve never doubted that we would provide for them. They may not have gotten every luxury they’ve wanted, but their needs have always been supplied.

Dave: You haven’t held out on them, made them come to you X-number of times, bowing down and saying, “Oh, great and wise father, please give me some supper”?

Miles laughs: Of course not. I mean, a little bowing and scraping from time to time isn’t a bad thing, but no. Never for anything they actually need. I mean, that’s my responsibility to provide for them as the parent!

Dave: And that’s Yahushua’s point. You’re a child of Yah. He’s your parent. He loves you. He already knows what you need! You don’t need to ask—and bow and scrape—you don’t need to grovel and repeatedly beg for what you need. As your divine parent, Yahuwah has already pledged to provide it! And not just because you’re a believer. Turn back one chapter. This is still part of the sermon on the mount. Chapters and verses were added later. What does Matthew 5, verses … uh, verses 43 to 45 say? Would you read that?

Miles:

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Dave: Again, Christ’s point is that you don’t have to beg that your temporal needs be supplied. This is the “vain repetitions” of the heathen! The gods they serve are not loving gods! But Yahuwah is a loving Father. You’re His child. He’ll supply your needs.

Okay, let’s go back to Luke 11. This is where the other place the Lord’s prayer is recorded that you read a minute ago and, like the sermon on the mount where the Saviour first shared it, it’s given in the context of prayer. Read verses, let’s see … 9 to 13 for us.

Miles:

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Dave: If we, as sinful human beings, give good things to our kids, how much more can we expect our Heavenly Father to give us good things when we ask?

Miles: Okay, I’m a bit confused. I’m feeling like you’ve got two messages going here. First you’re saying you don’t have to ask for temporal needs. But here in Luke it says to ask.

Dave: You don’t have to ask for temporal things, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing for which to ask, and this brings us back to what Yahushua was talking about when he asked that Yah would “give us this day our daily bread.”

The “bread” he’s talking about here is spiritual bread. You remember the story of the woman at the well? Let’s take a quick look at that. John chapter 4.

Miles: All right, um …

So he came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Yahushua therefore, being wearied from his journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Yahushua said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. [John 4:5-8]

Dave: The sixth hour is noon as the Hebrew day started at dawn. So, he’s tired. He’s been walking a long way and it’s noon. He’s hungry and thirsty so he sits down there and rests while the disciples go to buy food. Now, we won’t read the rest of the story. We already know what happens next. After her conversation with Yahushua, the Samaritan woman believes and hurries off to invite out her friends and neighbors just as the disciples return with their purchases.

Drop down to verse 31 and read from there. It’s here that Scripture provides the interpretation of food when used as a symbol. Go ahead.

Miles: Let’s see … the woman left her waterpot and went into the city … uh,

In the meantime his disciples urged him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”

But he said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”

Therefore the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him anything to eat?”

Yahushua said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to finish his work.

Dave: Food, then, in a spiritual sense is a symbol of knowing and doing the word of Yah.

Now. Let’s take this interpretation and go back to Matthew 6 and see if this fits. So. Verses 5 to 8: don’t be like the heathen. Your heavenly Father knows what you need. Verses 9 to 13 is the Lord’s prayer then in verses 14 to, uh, 23 is more commentary on what is meant in the Lord’s prayer as well as the importance of prioritizing laying up treasure in heaven rather than on earth. Because this is the point Yahushua is working toward: getting our priorities straight. Start reading in verse 24.

Miles: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve [Yah] and mammon.”

Dave: “Mammon” isn’t a word we use in modern English very often. It comes from a common Aramaic word that means—

Miles: Wealth or riches.

Dave: Right. Most of us know that. Now, what most of us don’t know is that this word is similar to a Hebrew word that means “to be firm” or “steadfast.” We get the affirmation, “amen,” from this same idea.

Miles: Huh? What does that have to do with being unable to serve two masters?

Dave: Basically, it’s referring to “that which is to be trusted.” To put it another way, you can trust in Yahuwah, or you can trust in … your business acumen, your bank account, your job security . . . whatever it is that you trust in that gives you peace of mind. Yahushua is saying you can’t trust in that and in Yahuwah.

If you’re trusting in, say, the fact that you appear to be next in line for a promotion, that’s going to satisfy your worry over how you’re going to pay unexpected medical bills, or your kids’ education, or whatever it is that keeps you awake worrying at night. That is where your focus and your trust will be.

Miles: Okay, yeah. I can see that.

Dave: The problem is, “no man can serve two masters.” If that is where your focus is, then you’re not seeking spiritual bread. You’re not focusing on learning what the will of Yah is for your life, and you’re certainly too distracted to focus on actually doing the will of Yah in your life.

Miles: I hate to interrupt, but we’re going to take a quick break. Let’s continue this when we come back.

* * *

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* * *Part 2: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: So. When we’re focused on “that which is to be trusted”—whatever that looks like to us individually—we’re not focusing on trusting Yahuwah or doing His will in our lives.

Dave: Well, we don’t have time to focus on learning the will of Yah and doing it if we’re focused on other things. Unless Yahuwah is our number one priority in life, we’re not going to have the time, or the physical or mental energy, to do anything but focus on temporal matters. This is why the next passage is so important. It also explains why we’re to ask for spiritual bread, the knowing and doing of Yah’s will. Go ahead. Pick up where you left off at, uh, what verse was it?

Miles: Verse, uh … 25. Okay, going on.

Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if [Yahuwah] so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of [Yahuwah] and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. [Matthew 6:25-33]

Dave: These are the things the heathens pray for continually. When Christ was talking about their “vain repetitions” he wasn’t talking about a prayer style. He was talking about this: focusing on temporal matters, constantly beseeching your god for food and clothing, for a roof over your head. For a job. That’s what the heathen pray about over and over and over again.

But Yahushua is saying, you don’t have to pray for that! Yahuwah already knows you need it. And like any good parent, He’s going to provide that without you having to ask. If you will prioritize seeking spiritual bread—knowing and doing the will of Yah in your life—then everything else will be added to it.

Miles: This is a great analogy. You know, thinking about it, bread gives us life. Without food, our bodies die. And just like our physical food gives our physical bodies life, spiritual food gives our spiritual bodies life. Let me find a text here. I think it’s … yeah. Ephesians 2 verse 10. It says: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Yahushua for good works, which [Yahuwah] prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

I like how knowing the will of Yahuwah goes hand in hand with doing the will of Yahuwah.

Dave: And that’s why it’s symbolized by food. Knowing and doing the will of Yah leads to eternal life! So when we’re praying “Give us this day our daily bread,” we’re acknowledging that spiritual bread leads to eternal life and we’re asking the Father to give us what He knows we need for this day.

Miles: It’s a trust walk, isn’t it?

Dave: It absolutely is. When knowing and doing His will is our number one priority, we’re focused on that. We’re going to ask for His bread when we know that doing His will brings with it eternal life.

The question each one of us needs to ask ourselves is do we truly trust Yahuwah? Or do we hedge our bets? Do we shuffle obeying Yah down to second place, or third, or even lower in our priorities?

Remember: you don’t have to ask a loving Father to provide what you need. A loving parent doesn’t have to be reminded over and over that you have needs.

Miles: And Yahuwah is a loving parent.

Dave: So we don’t have to pray about that! Instead, we can focus on other things, more important things, like asking for spiritual bread.

This theme of Yahuwah providing for our needs is all through Scripture. Would you read Philippians 4 verse 19 for us? These words of faith are part of Paul’s closing words in his letter to the Philippians.

Miles: “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Yahushua.”

Dave: Paul had total confidence that Yahuwah would supply our needs, not only temporally, but spiritually as well. You can find this same thing throughout the Old Testament, too.

What lesson was Yah trying to hammer home to the stubborn Children of Israel in the Wilderness?

Miles: Uh … that, no matter what their need, be it water, food, or a way of escape, He would provide?

Dave: Exactly! In fact, one of the names for Yahuwah given in the Old Testament is “Yahuwah will provide.” We’ve talked about this before. The name, Yahuwah, comes from the Hebrew verb of being, Hayah. You can find Yahuwah our Provider listed in Bible Commentaries as “Jehovah-Jireh” or, more appropriately, Yahuwah-Yireh. But it is a pledge that whatever we need, He will supply, both physically and spiritually.

Too many Christians follow Yahuwah only after prioritizing other things. We’re to put Yah first and last and best in everything. When we do this, everything else will be added unto us.

Miles: When we do this, what does this look like on a practical level? We put Yahuwah first. Okay. How does that impact our daily lives and the decisions we make?

Dave: That’s a great question. Let’s bring it down to the practical level.

Well, for each of us, it will look a little bit different because our circumstances are all as individual as we ourselves are. So, let’s look at a rather extreme example in the life of Christ himself. You know, the Saviour wasn’t a hypocrite. He didn’t teach what he didn’t also do.

Let me rephrase that: he practiced what he preached.

Miles: He not only talked the talk but walked the walk.

Dave: Perfect. Yes. Let’s go to Matthew chapter 4.

This actually occurred shortly before Yahushua gave the sermon on the mount so this was a fresh lesson in his mind as he was teaching the importance of prioritizing Yah first in all things and asking for our daily bread, asking for daily knowledge of Yah’s will in our lives.

Miles: All right, I’ve got Matthew 4. Where do you want me to read from?

Dave: Uhhh … go ahead and start with verse 1. We’ll discuss it as we go along.

Miles: “Then Yahushua was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the son of [Yah], tell these stones to become bread.’”

Don’t you just love the understatement Matthew’s got going there? “And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.” I’d think more like starving! Ravenous! Famished!

Dave: Which made the devil’s temptation all that much harder to resist. He’s physically weakened by this point and here comes the devil saying, “If you’re the son of Yah, all you have to do is simply turn these stones into bread.”

But see, Yahushua was there because he had been led there by the spirit of Yah. He was obeying his Father’s will. He was hungry. Starving, sure. But he was also trusting that his Father would supply his need. That’s why he was able to respond as he did. Read it. Verse 4.

Miles: “Yahushua answered, ‘It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of Yah.”’”

Dave: See, Yahushua knew that life, both physical and spiritual, is based on food. Physical food gives us temporal life. Spiritual food gives us eternal life. Yahushua was there because it was Yah’s will for him to be there. So, he could trust the Father to take care of him.

Miles: Don’t you think, though, that Yahushua had something we don’t have? He knew he was to die by crucifixion, so wouldn’t that have let him know he wasn’t going to starve to death in the wilderness?

Dave: Well, first of all, when he’s so hungry it feels like his spinal cord is pushing through his stomach, it wouldn’t lessen the temptation to provide himself with food by whatever means possible. Secondly, though, he may not have known his precise manner of death. He had a clear understanding of his role as the second Adam and as the Lamb of Yah. Dying while resisting temptation in whatever form would certainly have fulfilled that, so no. I don’t think he had the assurance of knowing what the future would bring any more than we have.

Miles: Huh. Okay.

Dave: But the temptation’s not over. The devil does what the devil does. Keep reading verse 5.

Miles:

Then the devil took him up into the holy city, set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the son of [Yah], throw yourself down. For it is written:

‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’

and,

‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” [Matthew 4:5-6]

Dave: So you want to quote Scripture, Yahushua? Okay. Here’s another temptation and I’m going to quote Scripture to back me up!

Miles: Of course, being the devil, he quotes it out of context!

Dave: And what was Yahushua’s response? Verse 7.

Miles: “Yahushua said to him, ‘It is written again, “You shall not tempt Yahuwah your Elohim.”’”

Dave: See, Yahushua is trusting in his Father. He’s suffering, yes. He’s starving to death but he’s still trusting in his Father. He’s not out there deliberately exposing himself to the devil’s wiles. He was led there by Yah’s spirit, so he’s going to continue to trust that his Father will supply his needs. And his greatest need is the spiritual food of knowing and doing his Father’s will. That’s our greatest need, too.

But, again, the devil does what the devil does. He raises the ante yet again. Verses 8 and 9.

Miles: “Again, the devil took him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, ‘All these things I will give you if you will fall down and worship me.’”

Dave: This is really raising the ante! “Look, Yahushua. You don’t need to die. I’m the prince of this earth. I will cede everything to you. All you have to do is just worship me. That’s it! And then the world will be yours. Didn’t you come to wrest the world back from me? Just worship me and I’ll give it all to you. You don’t have to die.” But what was the Saviour’s response?

Miles: “Then Yahushua said to him, ^‘Away with you, Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship Yahuwah your Eloah, and Him only you shall serve.”’” [Matthew 4:10]

Dave: Yahushua knew he was doing his Father’s will, so he wasn’t going to take an easy out. Spiritual food leads to eternal life, and he wasn’t going to sacrifice that for the temporal “honor” of ruling the world. But it cost! Don’t kid yourself. It cost Yahushua everything. Read the next verse. Verse 11.

Miles: “Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him.”

Dave: “Then . . . angels came and ministered to him.” Yahushua was so weak from his 40-day fast, that he didn’t have the strength to leave the wilderness. But even so, he wouldn’t cave into Satan’s temptations. Following the will of his Father was more important so he continued to obey. And, when the temptation was past, his Father provided for him just as promised.

Miles: This is the kind of faith, the kind of determination we need to have. The devil could offer him nothing—not even his own life—to convince him to disobey the revealed will of his Father.

Dave: When you have received your daily bread for that day, the knowledge of the will of Yah, and you seek to obey, then your only goal will be to stay within the parameters of Yah’s revealed will.

And when we’re walking in the path laid out for us by Yah’s revealed will, we don’t need to worry about anything! Even the fiercest temptations can be overcome when we know that we are in line with Yahuwah’s revealed will. This is a promise.

Turn to 1 Corinthians 10: 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and read verse 13. This is a promise we can all cling to.

Miles: All right, um … “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but [Yahuwah] is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

Dave: When we ask Yahuwah to give us our daily bread, this promise is ours to claim. And with this promise, we have the assurance that we don’t have to worry. See, the devil often uses fear to try and compel people to sin. It’s fear, fear of loss of a job, or being unable to pay bills, or whatever, that leads many to step out of the path of obedience. When afraid, people will prioritize other things, things that they feel will keep them safe. But we don’t need to do that. What we need to do is to surrender our wills to the will of Yah. Make seeking His kingdom our top priority. Then, everything else, everything we need, will be added unto us.

Miles: I really like this way of looking at it. When we ask for and receive the spiritual bread that leads to eternal life, we’ll be constantly surrendering our will to Yahuwah’s, because we’re going to trust that he knows best. And that’s really good encouragement right now, isn’t it?

Things in the world today are so intense—

Dave: And they’re not getting back to normal! Whenever we reach “normal” again, it’s not going to look like our old normal. It will be a new normal.

Miles: I’m often reminded of what happens when a frog is placed in a pot of water. If you drop the frog in a pot of boiling water—don’t do this, I’m just saying if someone were psychotic enough to do so—the frog would immediately hop out. Scalded, but alive.

However, if you put a frog in a pot of cold water and slowly turn the heat up, there will never reach a point where the frog hops out. He’ll just stay in there until he dies. And that’s how I see the stress levels in the world today. Satan’s coming at us from every angle.

Dave: You’re right. He is. Reminds me of 1 Peter 5:8 where it says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” That’s where we’re at and we’ve got to keep our eyes on Yahuwah and our will aligned with His. We’ve got to, as Christ said, keep asking for that daily bread.

Miles: That was 1 Peter 5:8?

Dave: Yeah?

Miles: It’s interesting knowing the context. The verse right before that one, 1 Peter 5:7, is one of my favorites. It says, “Casting all your care upon Him for He cares for you.”

Dave: That’s a great promise! So, yes. Even though the pressures are increasing, even though the devil, like a roaring lion is going about seeking whom he may devour, we can continue to trust and obey. We have nothing to fear if, every day, we will seek the spiritual bread that brings eternal life.

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You are listening to World's Last Chance Radio.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

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For nearly two thousand years, every believer has longed to see the Saviour return and put an end to sin, establish righteousness, and set up Yahuwah’s ever-lasting kingdom on earth. But as year after year, decade after decade, century after century has gone by, many believers have grown perplexed. Believers have been expecting Yahushua to return “soon” now for, literally, centuries!

So where is he? Why hasn’t he returned yet?

After all, two thousand years isn’t “quick” or “soon” by any definition of the word, so where is he and why does Scripture say his return will be “soon” when we haven’t seen him yet? Is it fair or even honest to continue to claim his return will be “soon”? These are fair questions that deserve honest answers.

Fortunately, Scripture itself contains the answers to these important questions and an explanation of why time has gone on so long. If you would like to learn more, look for the previously aired radio program called, “If Christ is coming soon, where is he?” [Program 119] Once again that’s “If Christ is coming soon, where is he?” on WorldsLastChance.com. You can also listen to it on YouTube! Don’t give in to Satan’s doubts or let your faith become discouraged. There are perfectly reasonable explanations for why time has continued so long. Listen to our programs and find out why today!

* * *Daily Mailbag (Miles & Dave)

Miles: Samuel from Kisumu, Kenya has written into our Daily Mailbag. Did you know the country of “Kenya” is named after Mount Kenya? It’s the highest mountain in the country and the second highest in all of Africa. It’s second only to Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Dave: I actually did know that, yes. As the second highest peak in Africa, Mount Kenya joins a list of seven “second summits.” They’re the second-highest mountains on every continent but did you know that these second-highest mountains are actually considered more difficult to climb than the highest peaks themselves? There’s less infrastructure in place for mountaineers on these second-highest peaks, so they’re actually more difficult to climb. Consequently, these second-highest peaks actually have lower success rates and a higher rate of fatality.

Miles: Isn’t that interesting? I did know that, actually. I did some minor mountaineering when I was younger.

Dave: Well, aren’t we both so smart today?

Miles laughs: Let’s see if we can apply our smarts to Samuel’s question. It touches on a fear I think many people have.

He writes: “Dear brothers, I am really struggling with something that has been troubling me for some time. My question is, can I lose my salvation? I am not talking about the error of ‘once saved, always saved.’ I do not believe that and know you do not, either. My fear is that I will sin to the point that the Holy Spirit will leave me. I do not want that to happen yet I cannot seem to stop sinning. I am very afraid that I will commit the unpardonable sin by being unable to stop sinning.”

Dave: This is a very good question. It’s not one that every Christian asks, but it is one that troubles many. Not all Christians believe that they will continue to sin until Yahushua returns. These Christians believe that, if they are alive when Yahushua returns, they will need to surrender to the point that Yahushua living in them will not commit sin.

Miles: Well, to be honest, I used to believe that way, too.

Dave: Me, too. I dismissed those who believed they would continue to sin until Yahushua’s return as people who believed in “cheap grace.”

I was wrong. And I want to explain why because this addresses part of Samuel’s question. We’ll get to the other part in a minute.

The main thing to remember is that we all have a fallen nature. All of us. Without a single exception.

Miles: Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of Yah.”

Dave: Exactly. It’s the fallen nature we’ve all inherited from Adam. Now, using Yahushua’s parable as an example, can a bad tree produce good fruit?

Miles: No.

Dave: Neither can we. As long as we have a fallen nature, we cannot, even through full surrender, live sinless lives. This was the entire struggle Paul wrote about in Romans 7. Why don’t you turn there really quickly. Let’s take a look at that passage. Start reading at verse 14.

Miles:

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do! But what I hate, I do! And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.

As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. [Romans 7:14-19]

Dave: Sound familiar? Haven’t we all found ourselves caught in this cycle?

Miles: Oh, yeah!

Okay, going on. Verse 20.

Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in [Yahuwah’s] law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? [Romans 7:20-24]

Dave: The other law at work within us is the law of inheritance. We’ve all inherited sinful natures. But Yah knows this! And He has provided for that. Read verse 25.

Miles: “Thanks be to [Yah], who delivers me through Yahushua Christ our Lord!”

Dave: This isn’t to say that we’ll just go our merry way, blissfully indulging in sin and not even trying to resist.

Miles: No. Scripture makes it clear we’re to resist the devil.

Dave: Right. And this is where faith comes in. We accept by faith that the blood of Yahushua covers us. We accept by faith the promise that when he returns, we will be gifted with higher natures. And we don’t give up, we don’t lose our grip on faith when we occasionally stumble and fall into sin.

That’s what Satan wants you to do! That’s why he presses down all these feelings of guilt on you. But what does Yahushua say? What did he tell the woman caught in adultery?

Miles: “Neither do I condemn you.”

Dave: Right! It’s not Yahushua condemning us. It’s not even Yahuwah condemning us because John 5:22 tells us that the Father has committed all judgment unto the son. It’s Satan pressing down on us these feelings of guilt. It’s Satan that is trying to get Samuel, and many others like him, to doubt and lose their hold on Yah.

Miles: That’s a good point to remember. We tend to put Yahushua on such a high pedestal that we forget the Pharisees’ number one, chief complaint against him: “This man receives sinners!”

Christ received sinners. He welcomed them! So any feelings of guilt, or judgment, or rejection aren’t coming from him or the Father.

Dave: So, in answer to your worry, Samuel, that Yahuwah is going to arbitrarily reject you because you’ve sinned one too many times, that’s a doubt from the devil. Reject it!

Miles: I’ve always loved that hymn that goes, “Chief of sinners though I be, Jesus shed his blood for me.”

Dave: Do you know where that phrase comes from? Chief of sinners?

Miles: Paul, isn’t it?

Dave: Yeah, let’s read it: 1 Timothy chapter 1. Start with, uh … verse 12.

Miles: “I thank Christ Yahushua our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.” [1 Timothy 1:12-13]

Dave: Ignorance and what?

Miles: Unbelief.

Dave: So, see. It wasn’t just ignorance. We know from Acts 17:30 that Yahuwah winks at our times of ignorance. Paul is saying here that, in addition to being ignorant, he also sinned due to unbelief. That’s more serious. Go on.

Miles:

The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Yahushua came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. [1 Timothy 1:14-16]

Dave: Okay, so in this version it says Paul was the “worst of sinners.” Other versions say “chief of sinners.” Whatever. The idea is the same. No matter how bad you are, no matter how low you’ve sunk, no matter how many times you’ve repented only to sin yet again, there is mercy and grace for you.

Yahuwah doesn’t turn His back on any that wish to be His.

Miles: You know, when I was reading Samuel’s letter, a thought struck me, and that was this: if Samuel truly had committed the unpardonable sin, he wouldn’t be worried about it. If you’ve truly sinned so far that your heart isn’t responding at all to the Holy Spirit, you’re not going to be concerned at all about being lost.

Dave: That’s true. Remember: our salvation is based upon Yah’s grace and Yahushua’s death on the cross. It has never, and will never, be based upon anything we can ever do.

Miles: 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Dave: Amen. The final point I want to address is just a reminder that Yahuwah reads the heart. Yes, we have fallen natures. But He knows this! We are to continue to strive, but we will also continue to make mistakes due to our fallen natures. But Yahuwah isn’t going to arbitrary reject anyone who genuinely desires to be saved.

Do you still love your kids when they do wrong?

Miles: Of course!

Dave: So does our heavenly Father. In conclusion, I’d like you to read Romans 8 verses 33 to 35 and 37 through 39.

Miles: Aw, one of my favorite passages of Scripture. It says:

Who shall bring a charge against [Yah’s] elect? It is [Yahuwah] who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of [Yahuwah], who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of [Yahuwah] which is in Christ Yahushua our Lord.

* * *Daily Promise

Hello! This is Elise O’Brien with today’s daily promise from Yah’s word.

Deuteronomy 32 says:

For Yahuwah’s portion is His people …
Jacob is the place of His inheritance.

He found him in a desert land
And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness;
He encircled him, He instructed him,
He kept him as the apple of His eye.

As an eagle stirs up its nest,
Hovers over its young,
Spreading out its wings, taking them up,
Carrying them on its wings,
So Yahuwah alone led him … [Deuteronomy 32:9-12]

Gladys Hankerson was really struggling when she picked up the phone to call her sister. Her 30-year-old son had just died and, on top of that heart-rending tragedy, she was going through a divorce. The future seemed bleak and life overwhelming.

Gladys lived in Florida in the United States. Her sister lived almost a thousand miles—or over 1500 kilometers away, in the state of Maryland. But it wasn’t her sister’s voice that answered. Instead, a young man she’d never heard before picked up the phone. Gladys had accidentally misdialed her sister’s area code. Instead of 4-1-0, she had dialed 4-0-1, the area code for the state of Rhode Island, even further away.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, child!” She exclaimed, embarrassed, and quickly hung up. But that wasn’t the last time Gladys accidentally transposed the numbers of the area code she was dialing. After the third, or fourth—or fifth!—time, the young man on the other end introduced himself as Mike Moffitt.

“We might as well get to know each other,” he said, amused. “Where are you from?” It was the beginning of a friendship that would span over 20 years. Looking back, Gladys recalls, quote: “During that time I was downhearted, and he felt [for me] and lifted me up.” It was an odd friendship: a woman in her sixties in the deep south and a man in his mid-twenties, but it was a connection they both cherished.

“It just progressed over the years," Mike says. "Every time you talk to her, you know it's going to be a good conversation. It's kind of like an old-school pen pal.” He appreciated having another motherly figure in his life.

Gladys was thankful as well. “When I’m talking to him,” she says, “I can feel the love.”

Recently, when Mike, his wife, and their children were planning a trip to Florida, he decided to finally meet the woman with whom he had been friends for so many years. Now in her 80s, it was a surprise Gladys never anticipated. When her daughter escorted Mike into the room, Mike announced, “I’m Mike from Rhode Island!” Gladys promptly responded with a very happy, “I’m blessed.”

Their friendship may have begun with a wrong number, but Yahuwah had plans for this connection. Just when Gladys was hurting so deeply, Yah brought into her life someone who could be a blessing and encouragement to her. And Mike has felt blessed to have Gladys as a friend in return.

In Psalm 37, David declared: “The steps of a good man are ordered by Yahuwah, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For Yahuwah upholds him with His hand.”

If you feel alone and disheartened, know that the Father’s eyes are upon you, too. You can ask Him to bring someone into your life. He loves you and wants your happiness.

We have been given great and precious promises. Go and start claiming!

* * *Part 3: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: I really appreciate today’s study on the Lord’s prayer. One part of it in particular is encouraging. It seems like so many prayers fall into a rut of asking Yahuwah for things that you need. It’s really mind expanding to take the Lord’s Prayer in context and see that Yahushua is saying, “You don’t have to pray for that stuff. Your Father’s got it covered. He knows you need it and He’ll provide it.”

It’s really faith inspiring.

Dave: It is. We can trust our Father to provide for us just as we, as earthly parents, provide for our kids. Realizing that the true bread we need to be asking for is bread that leads to eternal life teaches us also that our prayers should have real depth.

How many people treat prayer like a Christmas wish list to Father Christmas? They’ll state their needs and throw in plenty of wants and skip over entirely the spiritual blessings they could and should be asking for.

Miles: What about the prosperity gospel? Those aren’t prayers or even wish lists at all. They’re demands! “I gave you 10 pounds in offering, Lord. Now you owe me 100. Pay up!”

Dave: Prayer is so much more than a Christmas wish list or a list of presumptuous demands. It’s what binds our hearts to the Father’s. It’s what gives us strength and believe me! We need His strength now more than ever.

Miles: Have you heard of Albert Simpson?

Dave: Uh … I don’t think so. Doesn’t sound familiar.

Miles: Well, he’s more commonly know by his initials. A. B. Simpson was a Canadian theologian, author, and the founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. He once wrote, quote: “Prayer is the link that connects us with God,” unquote, and in the Lord’s Prayer we’ve got the perfect prayer. It covers everything we need to prepare us for eternal life.

Dave: Yes! If we will prioritize Yahuwah, if we will put doing and knowing His will first, He will provide everything else. We don’t have to waste our time and energy focusing on temporal matters. We can focus on what’s of primary importance: knowing and doing His will, because that’s what gets us ready to inherit eternal life.

Miles: I like the thought that divine bread prepares us for eternal life. So, when we pray “give us this day our daily bread” we are making a conscious choice to trust Yahuwah to bring us what we need for that day to prepare us for eternal life. And we’re all different! Our experiences are different; our histories are different. What I need to get ready may be different from what you need to get ready. But we can trust Yahuwah to provide for us, individually, with what we need.

Dave: Because that’s what Fathers do.

Miles: That’s what Fathers do.

Please join us again tomorrow, and until then, remember: Yahuwah loves you . . . and He is safe to trust!

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This program and past episodes of WLC Radio are available for downloading on our website. They're great for sharing with friends and for use in Bible studies! They're also an excellent resource for those worshipping Yahuwah alone at home. To listen to previously aired programs, visit our website at WorldsLastChance.com. Click on the WLC Radio icon displayed on our homepage.

In his teachings and parables, the Savior gave no “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, the thrust of his message was constant … vigilance. Join us again tomorrow for another truth-filled message as we explore various topics focused on the Savior's return and how to live in constant readiness to welcome him warmly when he comes.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.