Category: Are You In Need of Cleansing?

¹³When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”  ¹⁵ “But what about you?” He asked. “Who do you say I am?” ~ Matthew 16:13-15

The world has many opinions of who they believe Jesus is, but that doesn’t matter to Christ. The only thing that matters who you say Jesus is. The world won’t stand for you on Judgment Day; we each have to answer for ourselves. Matthew 16:13-30 tells of Peter’s confession of Christ. Jesus asked His disciples first, who the world thought He was, but that did not get His attention.  He was looking for more, for someone to seek deeper, someone to acknowledge who He was.  So He asked directly – probed deeper.

¹⁶Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, … ¹⁹I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” ²¹From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

Matthew 16:16-19, 21

Upon Peter’s confession of who Jesus was, he received several things:

1. 1. A blessing
      • Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah
   2. Authority
      • I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven
   3. Power
      • Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
   4. Inside knowledge
      • From that time on Jesus began to explain to His disciples [what would happen to Him]

Peter received authority when Jesus handed over the keys to the Kingdom.  What does that mean?  The practice of bestowing a ceremonial “key to the city” dates back to medieval times. Feudal lords protected their cities with high walls and imposing gates. All manner of legal papers and customs taxes were required to enter and exit. A “key to the city” gave an important diplomat or merchant the authority to pass at will.

So, once we acknowledge and accept who Jesus is we have the privilege of:

1. 1. Being blessed by God
   2. Coming into His presents at will
   3. This binding and loosing is a misconception by the Pentecostals.  It says “Whatever you bind…” not whoever you bind.  It refers to things, rules, and regulations.  That is why it is so important that a pastor be a man of vision, foresight, and great Biblical knowledge, for it is he who has to give an account for the souls that are given him.

God reveals to His people an understanding of His Word as well as things to come. There is much privilege that comes with confessing who Jesus is.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Confess Who Jesus Is.

Back to Cleansing?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

¹⁹ “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. ²⁰ And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, ²¹ who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. ²² The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, ²³ and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.” ~ Luke 16:19-23

First of all, we notice that both the rich man and Lazarus were descendants of Father Abraham, but that was not a qualification. So, don’t be fooled; no one can get in on ancestral credentials alone. It doesn’t matter if gra’ma was a prayer warrior or if papa was a good Christian man. As they say, God doesn’t have any grandchildren. Each will answer for themselves.

With that said, the next thing we notice is that neither the rich man nor Lazarus expected to die the day they did. In fact, I bet dying was the last thing on the rich man’s mind. That’s how a lot of us are today. We live our lives as if we will live forever as if we are our own judge and jury. We get so caught up in our day-to-day lives and all that we have that we forget that one day we each will stand before God and give an account of our lives.

Today is the day of salvation; tomorrow is promised to no man. What have you done with the time given to you? We hate to think about death, but maybe that’s what we need. Maybe we need to think more about our eternal souls and less about our mortal life. If you were to die tonight and wake up in Eternity, where would you be? Would you be welcomed with peace and comfort? Or would you be welcomed with flames and torment?

Dear LORD, please help us to think eternal thoughts instead of carnal thoughts alone. May our minds be on You, oh LORD, instead of on ourselves and what we can gain. Help us to love You as we ought. Open our eyes so that we can see all that we need to change to be closer to You. Mold us into Your masterpiece. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Back to Cleansing?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

¹¹ “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” ¹² The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” ~ Genesis 3:11-12

When God asked Adam if he had eaten from the forbidden fruit, Adam blamed his wife. Today, men love to make jokes, well I hope they’re just jokes, and they’re not being serious, that Adam had to eat the fruit because Eve was naked. What else could he do? First off, let me just say that this is such a lame excuse. Even though men are, for the most part, joking when they say this, this is how we are today.

We make lame excuses for why we sin. We hate owning up to our sins. Why? I believe it’s because we don’t want to change. See, sin thrives in darkness. If we can make an excuse that allows us to continue in sin, or at least make us feel better for doing it, we don’t have to repent. We can live in the realm of, “it’s not my fault.”

But when we don’t take responsibility for our actions, we can’t have forgiveness. Sin cannot survive in the light, so we have to confess our sins before our God. We have to repent so that we can be saved.

⁸ If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. ⁹ But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

1 John 1:8-9

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Stop Making Lame Excuses.

Back to Cleansing?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

¹ Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” ² The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, ³ but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” ⁴ “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. ⁵ “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” ~ Genesis 3:1-5

I remember a few years ago, one of my friends told me she wanted to be a Youth Pastor and asked me if I thought it was a good idea. So, I simply asked if she understood the Bible and could explain it to people easily. She responded with, ‘No, not really. Not really at all, actually.’ Then, I asked her if she thought reading her Bible was important. She responded with, ‘Yeah. Well, I don’t think you need to read it every day.’ Even though part of her wanted to know God and do God’s work, she didn’t want to take the time to get to know God and His Scripture.

This is the mentality of most of the Church today. Part of us wants God, but the other part doesn’t want to put the time into God. We don’t want to take the time to read God’s word so that we know what He has planned for us, what He expects from us, who He is, His characteristics, His likes, and dislikes. In today’s world, we know more about celebrities than we do our own God. This is the biggest problem in the Church today.

See, Satan knows the Scripture forwards and backward. That’s how he trips us up. He’ll ask us, “Did God actually say…” and if we don’t know the scripture, then we’ll begin to doubt. We’ll have no defense against his attacks and schemes. Look at what the Psalmist writes about how to keep your heart pure.

⁹ How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. ¹⁰ I have tried hard to find you— don’t let me wander from your commands. ¹¹ I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. ¹² I praise you, O Lord; teach me your decrees. ¹³ I have recited aloud all the regulations you have given us. ¹⁴ I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches. ¹⁵ I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. ¹⁶ I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word.

Psalms 119:9-16

The only way for us to overcome sin and withstand the schemes of the enemy is to know the Scripture. This is our main weapon against the enemy. When we know Scripture, we can put it into practice, and we can overcome any obstacle that may come in our way. Don’t allow laziness to keep you from your most important Spiritual Weapon.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Spend Time In The Scripture.

Back to Cleansing?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

¹³ Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. ¹⁴ For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. ~ Matthew 7:13-14

Many people don’t look forward. They don’t want to think about the future, only about the now. While the present is important, the future is just as important, if not even more important. Because the present won’t last forever because the future will become your present sooner or later. Not knowing what you want or where you are going is like putting on a blindfold and entering an obstacle course. Because that’s what life is, it’s an obstacle course filled with uphill battles, downward spirals, but most importantly, a finish line.

People love to say, “It’s not the destination; it’s the journey that counts,” but what’s the point of a fun journey if it lands you in jail? To some fun is drugs. Setting fires. Stealing. Murder. Sure those are extreme cases, but what’s the difference between drugs and sleeping around? They both land you in the same place, Hell.

We love to look at others and compare our sins to justify our behavior as better than others, but what good is being “better” if you’re going to the same place as them? We don’t like to talk about it because we don’t want to change, we don’t want to do hard things, we don’t want to let go, so we don’t want to think about the most important question, Where Will You Spend Eternity?

Eternity isn’t avoidable; it’s inevitable. Every one of us will have an eternity, and only we can decide where we will spend it. It’s our choice. But how can we choose if we don’t know the requirements? We love to say we’ll get saved when we get married, or when we hit a certain age, or when we get a certain amount of success. But what if those days never come? Tomorrow is promised to no person, so don’t wait for tomorrow. Accept your salvation today.

What seems important now won’t seem important in eternity. Those things that we want now that are holding us back aren’t going to mean anything when we’re in eternity. Life is precious; we only get one chance to get it right. So choose today to decide where you want to go. Don’t just wait for tomorrow because tomorrow never comes. Do it today.

Peace. Love Go Forth and Choose Your Destination.

Back to Cleansing?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. ²⁴ Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. ~ Psalms 139:23-24

Sometimes we live in sin, and we don’t even know it. We don’t even realize that what we’re doing is sinful. David was a man after God’s own heart; that didn’t mean that he was a perfect or sinless man. It meant that he wanted to love God with all of his heart. So, he asked God to search him and know his heart, but he doesn’t just stop there; he goes on to ask God to point out anything in him that offended God.

This is how we need to be today. We have to want to please God. We have to want to love Him and serve Him with everything in us. As Christians, we are fighting to be mini-Christs. The only way we can do that is to ask for the LORD to convict our hearts so that we may know what we need to change. This is the only way we can be changed so that He can guide us on the path to righteousness.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Ask God To Search You.

Back to Cleansing?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

⁴² So the people of Israel followed all of the Lord’s instructions to Moses. ⁴³ Then Moses inspected all their work. When he found it had been done just as the Lord had commanded him, he blessed them. ~ Exodus 39:42-43^NLT

The people of Israel weren’t blessed until they did everything the LORD had commanded them was done as the LORD commanded them. They understood that the LORD had standards that they had to meet. They didn’t make excuses; they didn’t get upset and call it unfair; they didn’t get offended; instead, they did exactly as they were told. They strove for God’s approval.

In our world today, we have no standards to reach. We’re easily offended. We make excuses. Why? Could it be that we’ve become lazy? Is it because we’ve become selfish? Or maybe we’ve become prideful, so everything offends us? I think the root of it all is the lack of love. Instead of seeing God’s commands as a guide to loving Him, we see them as a list of do’s and don’ts that stop us from having fun.

God doesn’t take away good from us; He protects us from evil. God’s commands are for our good, and yet we rebel and expect God to still bless us. We can’t live our lives as if He doesn’t exist and then expect Him to open the windows of Heaven and pour down blessings upon us. We have to abide in His love if we want to benefit from His love.

⁹ As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

John 15:9-11

Seek after God and follows His commands, then watch as the windows of Heaven open and pour down blessings on you more than you could imagine.

⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

Psalms 23:5

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Follow His Commands.

Back to Cleansing?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

²⁹ Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’” ~ Mark 12:29-30

We always quote this verse, but we never really explain it. We never really get deep. We are quick to say, “We love God,” but do we really understand what those words mean? See, we automatically assume that loving God is just this kind of mental thing, where we say, “yep, I love God. I’m a Christian,” and that’s it. But in reality, loving God is both a mental and a physical act.

Jesus knew this would happen. Jesus knew that we would only speak with our mouths, but never act on our words, so He explained to us in the book of John that if we loved Him, if we loved God, we would keep His commands. John 14:15, “¹⁵ If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Which we do, to a certain extent.

We keep the commands that suit us. We cherry-pick the commands, and we think this is okay. We think that it’s not as bad as others, so it will be overlooked. And sometimes, we just straight up refuse to believe that something is a sin because it is tradition. It is something passed down. It is something we feel was built into us. When we do this, it’s like the young man that committed adultery in the book of Proverbs. Just as “he [did] not know that it [would] cost him his life,” we do not realize it will cost us our life.

Just as the young man knew deep down that it was wrong, but nevertheless made excuses for himself, we do the same. We read it’s wrong. We know it’s wrong. But yet, we still do it. We convince ourselves we’ll get away with it. Not realizing it will cost us our lives.

Obeying is love, and love is obeying. They are inseparable. You can’t cherry-pick the bible and then try to make up for it in other areas. That’s why it is said in the book of 1 Samuel 15:22, “to obey is better than sacrifice.” In today’s world, we don’t go out and sacrifice rams or lambs; we sacrifice other things.

Giving to the poor is a sacrifice. Clothing the naked. Feeding the hungry. Going to Church. These are all sacrifices. And yes, each and every one of them is important, but if you do not obey, your sacrifice is meaningless. Anyone can give money. Anyone can give food. Anyone can do these things, but obeying, obeying very few people can do. That’s why it’s how you love. Because you’re putting God’s desires and plans, first. When you obey, you are cleansing yourself from all unrighteousness and getting one step closer to that initial creation you were meant to be. You are one step closer to getting back to the image of God.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Obey.

Back to Cleansing?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

He said to another person, “Come, follow me.” The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.” Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.” But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” ~ Luke 9:59-62^NLT

Jesus called a few people to follow Him, but they all made good excuses not to go, at least initially. Whether or not they were planning to go later, or after they had accomplished the things they said they needed to accomplish, is left to be seen. Jesus, on the other hand, equated it to putting their hand to the plow and looking back. Now, no one can deny that these men had some really legitimate reasons not to go.

The first man requested that he go and bury his father. To us, who are living in the 21^st century, it would appear to us that his father has either just died or is about to die. The fact is that he was requesting a leave of absence to go home and perform his earthly duty as a good son, more than likely, firstborn son, that is, to take care of his parents until they died. We can’t argue the nobleness of that gesture. Yet Jesus says there are more important things to be done.

What about the other man? All he wanted to do was to say goodbye to his parents. Again, maybe in the time we are living in that would entail sticking our heads into the front door and yelling, “Bye.” But not in that culture. They would have a goodbye celebration that could take days.

These are all good excuses. What about us today? We have the same legitimate excuses not to follow or do what we are called or asked to do. And we say something like, “God understands.” Yes, you are right; God does understand. He understands that He has called you, and He wants you to respond right away without excuse. We’re only fooling ourselves when we say, “God understands.” It’s just another excuse to ease our conscience and let us feel that we have a legit reason not to obey. So the truth is, what God understands is that you do not want to do what He has told you to do or called you to do, and He understands that that is called putting your hand to the plow and looking back.

Heavenly Father, I ask You to help us make good, righteous decisions when we are called or asked to do something for Jesus. Help us to not to make excuses or to fool ourselves into believing that You overlook everything. Yes, LORD, You are merciful, and we thank You for that, but You expect us to be obedient as well. So, help us, Father, to fulfill our calling in Jesus’ name, amen.

Back to Cleansing?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” ~ Matthew 16:26

It is so easy to get caught up in the day to day worries of life, so much so that we place our worship and prayer life on the back burner. We get so distracted with the here and now that we lose focus with eternity. It’s no joy when the pressures of life, family, relationships, or work envelope us.

But God is faithful, and though we are hard-pressed on every side, we are not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but we are not destroyed, praise the LORD. Let us, then, take time to set our priorities and refocus our sights. God will lift our heavy burdens when we set our eyes on Him.

Our Father and our God, You are the Great I Am, the one and only true God. We seek Your face and call upon Your mighty name. We lay our burdens at Your feet. Help us, O LORD, to leave them there and not carry around those heavy burdens. Teach us to trust and obey, even when we see no possible way. For You alone call those things that are not as though they are, You alone see the end from the beginning. So help us to increase our faith and our trust in You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Back to Cleansing?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content