Category: Food For Growth

²² Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, His body, and is Himself its Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. ²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, ²⁶ that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷ so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. ²⁸ In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, ³⁰ because we are members of his body. ³¹ “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” ³² This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. ³³ However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. ~ Ephesians 5:22–33

One of the most controversial verses in today’s world is, “Wives submit to your own husbands.” This one verse upsets many people. It sparks arguments and debates. Many are offended by this verse, but why? Jesus said, “Blessed is he who isn’t offended by me.” So, how can Scripture offend us? I believe it’s because we don’t fully understand what Paul is instructing us.

Paul instructs wives to submit to their husbands because the husband represents Christ in the marriage, while the wife represents the Church. Paul said that husbands are to be like Christ and love their wives in the same way. He didn’t leave the meaning of this up to private interpretation; Paul tells us exactly what that means. Husbands are supposed to love their wives by giving themselves up for their wives. In other words, everything that the wife does is on the husband, just as everything we’ve done and everything we will do was laid upon Christ. This is why wives have to submit to their husbands because the husband is holding the weight of the marriage.

As women, we’re very emotional creatures. Why? Because we weren’t created to hold the weight and stress of our marriages as well as the stress of providing for the family on our shoulders. It is not an insult to say that God created man as the head of the household because he’s responsible for its provision and its success spiritually and financially. Whereas women are emotional to better raise up the children. This seems to be very insulting to women today, but what greater role can a person have than to raise the next generation of humans? We’re literally responsible for teaching and nurturing the next generation. That’s more power than any job in the world can offer.

That doesn’t mean that it’s solely up to the woman to raise the children either; fathers are extremely important. Don’t get me wrong, women can have jobs as well, but we were all created for certain roles. We were all created for specific calls. Man and woman complete each other. This is why we become one. Today’s culture tries to teach any and everything that is contrary to God’s word and what He stands for. But as Christians, we embrace God and the things of God. But if we join together and unite as one, God will help us to make it through the good times as well as the bad times. Ignore popular culture and live your life sold out to Jesus and live His plan.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Prosper As One.

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³³ …let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. ~ Ephesians 5:33

This is a mutual command with a mutual benefit. These two work in tandem with each other. Husbands, do you feel like you’re not being respected? Well, take a look at your wife’s love gauge that monitors her love tank. Is it full? Is it empty? Or is it somewhere in between?

If men want respectful wives, they must first be loving husbands, and wives must submit to their husbands if they want loving husbands. It goes hand in hand. A wife respecting her husband doesn’t mean that we, husbands, lord it over our wives or that the wife has no say in matters that belong to you both. All household decisions must be made mutually and must be beneficial to both; in fact, it must be mutually beneficial to the whole family. Just as Christ doesn’t move without us first doing something, neither does a husband do something without the wife. A marriage is about becoming one flesh.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be One Flesh.

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⁹ But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. ~ 1 Peter 2:9–10

We are royal because God has adopted us as sons and daughters, just like Moses was adopted by Pharoah’s daughter. We walk in power and anointing because we have been baptized with God’s Holy Spirit. Just like Moses came out of the palace, we, too, have been called out of darkness and into God’s marvelous light. We are empowered to perform signs and wonders and miracles and healings and even raise the dead.

Signs and wonders are appearing in the Church in these last days. More and more reports of healings, and deliverances are happening all over the place, especially in third-world countries throughout Africa and South America; even right here in America.

God’s Spirit has been poured out on all flesh. He fulfills the Word He has spoken, and He has spoken. Therefore, be like Moses and seek wonders. Seek signs. Seek the glory of Almighty God. And most importantly, seek freedom through Christ Jesus, because you have been chosen by the LORD God Almighty. You have been called by name.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be Empowered By God.

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⁸ You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” ⁹ Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation! ~ Psalms 27:8

It’s so easy to get into a rut after your initial repentance. It’s easy to stop searching the Scriptures, hungry to learn something new, or to stop praying diligently because you already saw the answered prayer you wanted, but we are instructed to continuously seek the face of God. This is beyond dispute. No way you can argue against it. No, how can you deny it? You just can’t. We are to chase the presence of Almighty God. The Psalmist is crying out to the LORD not to hide His face from Him. Not to remove His presence from him. He knew that if God removed His presence from him, it would take away his help, and the anger of God would be against him. He knew that he would become like one that has been cast off.

Cain said that God was driving him away from the land where the presence of God dwelt, so then he will be hidden from the face of God. Resulting in him losing his way and becoming a wanderer upon the earth. And if it weren’t for God placing a mark on Cain’s head, Cain would have become a victim of anyone or anything that wanted to kill Cain. This was the fear of the Psalmist. This should be the fear of all of us. We should all continuously be striving for the presence of God so that we might never take it for granted and be removed from His Holy presence.

LORD God, help me to always seek your face. Help me to never get tired of Your presence or Your Word. Clean my heart so that I might delight myself in the things of You. Help me to always dwell in Your presence. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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¹² Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. ¹³ Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. ~ Philippians 3:12-15

When Paul says that he presses on, he is saying that he is working hard to pursue at least three things: the things of God, the purposes of God (his calling from God), and the presence of God. You cannot pursue those things without pursuing the Giver of those things. It’s impossible. Besides, Paul said to let the mature think this way.

To me, it’s one of two reasons why a pastor would preach against men and women of God pursuing His presence. An excuse for spiritual laziness and because of a lack of understanding. I know that it’s a lot of work to maintain and grow a strong, vibrant relationship with Jesus, but anything good is not easy to achieve.

So, I suppose that is the reason why those same pastors who preach against chasing the presence aren’t seeing miracles in their services because they don’t chase after the presence. And without the Presence, there are no miracles. Healings. Signs. Wonders. Or Salvation.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Press On.

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¹⁸ Moses said, “Please show me Your glory.” ¹⁹ And He said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. ²⁰ But,” He said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” ²¹ And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, ²² and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. ²³ Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.” ~ Exodus 33:18–23

Moses had just seen miracles upon miracles, yet he still pleaded with God to see His glory. God was already sitting down with Moses and talking with him like a man talking with his friend, face to face. Moses wasn’t satisfied. He had a strong desire for the LORD, as David described in the Psalms. Moses was like a deer panting for streams of water.

This is how God wants all of us to be. He wants us to know more. He wants to show us who He is. And just as God granted Moses his request and placed him in the cleft of the rock and then caused all of His goodness to pass by Moses, so will God grant our requests to see His glory and know Him better.

We don’t serve a distant, far-off God. Our God is close and personal. He dwells with us, in us, and through us. God desires us to seek Him with all that’s within us. Jesus describes seeking out mankind like a shepherd who leaves the 99 to find the 1 lost sheep. This is the same kind of love that God desires us to have for Him.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Seek and Desire God.

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⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁹ As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. ~ John 15:7, 9, 11

It’s all about RELATIONSHIP. Jesus said if you abide in me and my words in you, that is relationship. Now listen to me. You cannot maintain a good and proper relationship without communication. Meaning: You have to actively pray and seek the LORD. You have to actively praise and worship the LORD. You have to regularly read and study your Bible so that Jesus can speak to you.

Now benefits: You can ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you, and then Jesus reiterates the requirement: Abide in my love. It’s imperative, essential, and critical that we establish, nurture, and maintain that relationship if you want the benefits, that is.

Therefore, if we meet the requirement, then we can have the benefit. The benefit is: Ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for us. This word “wish” is a strong desire or too long for eagerly.

Now, I want you to understand that this is not a Christmas list that you hand over to God. Oh LORD, You know how I’ve been longing for a Lamborghini, and voila, it’s parked off in the driveway the very next morning. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way at all. I wish it did. I have a few things on my wish list that I wouldn’t mind asking for and getting. But it’s not like that.

The next benefit is this: That His joy may be in us, and our joy might be full; that is: to make complete. It’s joy unspeakable and full of glory. Joy that the world cannot give, nor can it take it away. The kind of joy that the heathen does not recognize, nor can he comprehend it. It’s joy in times of trouble. Joy in times of persecution. Joy in times of hardship. Joy in the good times. And joy in the bad times. Your joy is complete.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Seek His Joy.

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Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.” ~ John 4:39‭-‬42

One of the most powerful weapons we have as Christians is our testimony. You don’t have to know the Scripture better than the greatest preacher. You don’t have to be able to explain every controversial verse in the Bible. All you need to witness is your testimony because in it is the power of God. That’s all this woman used. All she did was say what Jesus had done in her life, and many Samaritans believed in Jesus because of what she said. It stirred something in them to seek Jesus out for themselves. That is a powerful thing.

The enemy will try to tell you that you’re not good enough to witness or you don’t know enough Scripture to witness. All you need is your testimony. That’s it. There is power in a changed life. It’s even more powerful to live your testimony. I remember being a child and not really liking my uncle. He was rough, to say the least, but when he got saved, there was a physical change in him. His language changed. He was loving. He was kind. I genuinely enjoyed his company. If his testimony didn’t affect anyone else, it affected his 13-year-old because I truly saw the power and love of God change Him. Your testimony isn’t just for you. It’s so that others can see Christ in you. Don’t keep your testimony to yourself. Share your testimony with others. Live your testimony as my uncle did. Let your light shine so that others might see Christ in you.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Live Your Testimony.

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⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ~ James 1:5

So many of us read the Bible and never fully understand what God is saying to us. We know Bible verses, but we don’t know how to put them into practice or how to use them. The Bible is our sword; therefore, when we don’t know how to use our sword, we are like a child wildly wielding a sword, expecting to defeat our well-trained enemy.

We can’t overcome our enemy if we don’t know how to use our Heavenly weapon from God. It’s only by these Heavenly weapons that we have the chance of overcoming the enemy. And it’s only through understanding how to use our weapons that we can overcome our enemies. Therefore, spend time in prayer seeking the wisdom of God. Seek the wisdom of understanding the knowledge that you already have.

Dear LORD, please open my spiritual eyes so that I may see the spiritual connotation of Your Word. Show me what You mean when You wrote, and not what I want to see or what I believe. Teach me according to Your Word that You spoke, not what I interpreted. Remove the blinders of my biased beliefs from physical and spiritual eyes so that I might see Your Truth, Your way, and to fully comprehend it all. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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