Biblical Chocolate Cheesecake

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but on every

Word going out of the mouth of God." Deut. 8:3

When it comes to the bible, you don’t want to go on a diet, you want to get fat. That is the goal. My husband likes to describe the kingdom of God as an upside down kingdom. Here is one more way that is upside down. With physical food, you can eat too much. You can eat the wrong thing. Sometimes what you eat can make you sick, or give you a tummy ache, or give you gas. Sometimes food can spoil. If leftovers sit too long in the refrigerator they will eventually grow mold and have to be thrown away. Physical food has an expiration date; it is recommended you eat it by that date. We once got a load of food donated to the mission that had expired 5 years prior. The pasta crumbled to dust, and when you opened cans or jars you would often find black stuff floating in whatever was supposed to be there. People can have allergies to food. If they eat the wrong thing their throat can swell shut and they can die. Sometimes it can give you a rash. Americans are often told we eat too much and we need to cut down. When we do it can make us healthier, it can cause us to lose weight and make us feel better, and make us have more energy. We love to eat, it brings us great pleasure. It is rare to find a person who doesn't like to eat. Most people rarely go a day without eating, and often won’t even go a few hours without eating.

The bible as been described as our bread of life. It feeds us just as physical food feeds our physical body. Without it, we will starve to death. There may be a few more parallels between physical food and the spiritual food of the Bible; but when it comes to all those things I mentioned above, that’s when the kingdom get turned upside down. You can never eat too much of God's word. You will not find any part of his word that is bad for you. All of it makes you spiritually healthy; no part could make you spiritually sick. It won't make you feel bloated (pride). It never spoils, the leftovers will always be as good as the first time you tasted it. It will never grow mold, we never have to throw it away. It doesn't expire; the recommended date is today, tomorrow and forever. The only people who may have an allergic reaction to this food are the ones who choose to reject it and the God who spoke it. It brings life and not death. You can't eat too much.  You will never be told you need to cut down. If you eat less of it, it will never improve your health, give you more energy, or make you feel better. Do you love to eat this bread? Does it bring you great pleasure? Do you ever go a day without eating it? Are you suffering from spiritual malnutrition? Are you settling for stale bread left on somebody else’s plate once a week; or are you getting your own fresh hot loaf to enjoy daily*?

What is your favorite meal? What is your biblical chocolate cheesecake? Please share.

*From Dan Bohi; Revival at Central Church of the Nazarene, Flint, Mi.