Category: Food For Growth

Matthew 5:3 NIV

[3]  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus made the kingdom of heaven is accessible now through faith in Him as the ultimate sacrifice (1 Corinthians 5:7-8), and then will be fully realized when He returns to make all things new.

Therefore, we don’t have to wait for the physical manifestation of God’s kingdom of heaven to enjoy its royal decrees and privileges, such as:

• No weapon formed against us will prosper, and we will refute every tongue that accuses us (Isaiah 54:17)
• By His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24)
• He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deut. 31:6; Heb 13:5)
• We will renew our strength and we soar on eagles’ wings (Isaiah 40:31)

But here is the thing, Jesus only promises this kingdom to the “poor in spirit”—those who humbly acknowledge their need for God’s grace by fully submitting to His authority, as I described with the Greek term ptōchos meaning to bow down timidly and the Hebrew concept of “afflicting” one’s soul (ʿānâ with ně·p̄ěš) (Leviticus 16:29-30).

Matthew 5:3 is a promise to those who live humbly, seeking God’s forgiveness, as foreshadowed in the Day of Atonement when the high priest made atonement for Israel’s sins.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Live Humbly.

Matthew 7:13-14 NIV

[13]  “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. [14] But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

I recently went back and watched the Land Before Time movie series for the first time in over 20 years. It had been so long, it was like I was watching it for the first time. And as I watched I realized that the teachings of the Bible will always be seen in everything, whether we want them or not. For instance, these kids got separated from their parents and had to make a long journey by themselves to the meeting place.

So, as they’re going along they reach a split in the journey, if you will. One tells them they have to go one way the other says to go another way. Why the disagreement? Because the one leading was taking them through a path the rest deemed too difficult when there was a perfectly good easy path next to it. Why did he choose that path? Because that was the way his mother had told him to go.

So, what happens? They split from the leader and follow another one down the easy path. The issue? It leads them to tar. To lava. To unforeseen dangers. The path the leader was taking them was rougher. It would take more work and effort but it was the safest way. It was the most reliable. The best way to go.

The life God has called us to isn’t an easy one. It’s a rough one. It’s one of denying our flesh. Picking up our cross and carrying it. It’s one of rejection from the world. Sometimes, it’s even lonely. But it’s the only path to Christ. It’s the only path to salvation. No it Isn’t easy, but won’t lead you to destruction.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Beware The Easy Path.

“Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” ~ 1 John 2:6 (NIV)

Following Jesus isn’t just about belief—it’s about living differently. Every day presents choices: respond with patience or anger, give generously or hold back, speak truth or stay silent.

John pushes us to examine how closely our lives reflect Jesus’ example. It’s a call to intentional living, not just empty words. We aren’t to live our lives however we want. We are called to live as Christ. How will you reflect Jesus in your actions today?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Reflect The Son.

²⁴ Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. ~ Genesis 2:24

After God created woman and brought her to man, it says that the two shall become one flesh. Jesus recites the same words in Matthew 19:5 and again in Mark 10:7. Love binds together, hate scatters apart.

A man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one. And so, that is the reason why husbands must love their wives as Christ loved the Church, because they have become one flesh with us. Therefore, if we do not love our wives, we do not love ourselves.

In the same way, if we do love our wives, then it shows that we also love our own selves. It’s a win, win kind of situation. We are not in competition with each other. We are not envious of each other. When one succeeds, we both succeed. We have become one flesh. This is An Acceptable Kind of Love.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Love Each Other.

²⁴ Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. ²⁶ And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. ~ Matthew 7:24-27

Tim Barton of WallBuilders.com (and if you’ve never checked out this website, I strongly encourage you to) reminds us that a staggering 34% of all Founding-era political documents, written between 1760 and 1805, contained direct quotations from the Bible.

Think about that … One-third of our formative political writings were Scripture! That’s not just a coincidence—that’s a testimony. It reveals just how deeply God’s Word shaped the thinking, language, and convictions of the men who formed our republic. It shows that the Bible wasn’t merely a book of private devotion—it was the public foundation of policy, liberty, and national purpose. It shoots down every accusation and every attempt to try to deceive us that America was not formed on biblical values. It’s just a great, big lie to deny.

A 1984 study by political scientists Donald Lutz and Charles Hyneman confirmed what WallBuilders.com continues to teach: that the Bible was the single most frequently cited source in all political discourse of that era, far more than any Enlightenment philosopher like Locke, Montesquieu, or Rousseau.

This tells us something profound about our Founders: they didn’t look to France, or to the halls of academia, or to the ideologies of men to figure out how to build a just society. They turned to God’s Word.

The Bible shaped their understanding of:

• Human nature (fallen and in need of accountability),
• Law and justice (rooted in God’s character),
• Government (limited in power, answerable to God),
• Freedom (not license, but liberty under truth),
• and Morality (objective right and wrong, not relative opinions)

Concepts such as inalienable rights, checks and balances, the rule of law, and personal responsibility are not modern inventions—they are biblical principles that our Founders drew directly from Scripture. The farther we stray from these well grounded and spiritually/biblically sound beliefs held by our founding fathers, the farther we go into darkness and chaos. Many big cities look like the third world countries now. There’s no safety, hygiene, or sanity in many areas of the US today. Why? Because we push against the natural order given to us in Scripture and push forward anarchy. We as a nation cannot thrive in chaos. So, let us return to our roots. Let us once again look to Scripture as the source of justice, righteousness, and the liberty.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Return To The Roots.

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the LORD. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth… ~ James 5:7

A farmer doesn’t give up in the middle of the growing season. He knows the harvest takes time. So does your heavenly Father.

Paul says in verse 10: “As we have opportunity…” That means the opportunity will not last forever.

• You have a moment to sow
• A moment to speak truth
• A moment to act in love
• A moment to obey God’s prompting
• Don’t waste your moment

Ephesians 5:16 — “Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

We don’t have time to waste. We must live urgently, generously, and eternally-minded.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Pay Attention To How You Live.

⁸ For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Paul adds to Jesus’ warning of what you stole you shall reap. Jesus left the statement very general, but Paul got specific by bringing in the flesh and the spirit. What does it mean?

Well, Paul is explaining that living to gratify the sinful nature:

• Lust
• Selfishness
• Laziness
• Impurity
• Pride
• Sexual immorality
• Along with others

You will only reap corruption. Which means: Decay, ruin, death. Not just future judgment, but present spiritual deterioration as well.

But there is a better way. Sow to the spirit, which means living in step with God’s Holy Spirit and doing what pleases God.

Then you will reap the blessings of God and experience the abundant life…life everlasting. You will have a hope and a future.

What are we talking about? We’re talking about living your life in such a way that you do not grow weary.