Category: Food For Growth

² For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³ While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:2–3

Paul warns us that the Day of the LORD will come like a thief in the night because while people are oblivious to the signs around them, sudden destruction will come upon them, and they won’t be able to escape. The LORD is righteous, and all of His judgments and deeds are righteous. Yet so many declare and proclaim to others that the LORD won’t punish the wicked. That the LORD loves you regardless of how you live your life, so He won’t punish you. They whisper sweet words of false hope into the ears of the people, and the people are eating up these false teachings, not realizing the coming destruction.

Paul clearly states that they will not escape the sudden destruction that is coming on all people who have rejected the LORD Jesus. This why it’s so important that we tell everyone that the return of Christ is near because His return is coming when all the walls of the wicked are down, and they have no discernment of the times. He’s coming like a thief in the night because the wicked will be unaware that He came into the world until it’s too late and all the righteous are gone.

Paul and the other disciples understood this and gladly carried this weight on their shoulders, preaching the Gospel for the sake of others. They didn’t care about their own comforts or lives. They cared only about sharing the true love of God. They loved others more than they loved themselves. Jesus warned His disciples that one of the signs of His return was that the love of many would grow cold (Matthew 24:12).

Today, the Church’s love is growing cold. The oil in our lamp is dwindling. We have unsaved loved ones that we’d rather leave in their sin than spend time planting and watering seeds in hopes that they will be saved and escape the coming destruction. The LORD’s return is closer now more than ever before. Signs are being fulfilled. Trumpets are being sounded. Jesus will soon be returning, so eagerly teach, pray, and fast for those who are still lost in sin, for unrighteousness will never be able to dwell with righteousness.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Tend To The Seeds.

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¹⁵ Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. ~ Matthew 7:15–27

Jesus said to beware of false prophets dressed in sheep’s clothing. And don’t worry about how to identify them; you will know them by their fruit. So, we would do well to watch out for the type of fruit we are being served.

Sometimes it is hard to tell the fruits one from another because they sometimes look so similar. But here is a good acid test.

1. If the fruit or doctrine trivializes the need for evangelism, it is false
2. If the fruit downplays or minimizes the importance of holy living, it is false

Scripture can never contradict itself. Anytime a teaching or a message, or a doctrine, stifles or belittles, or relaxes either one of those two tests, it is false. Don’t just eat up whatever fruit is served to you. Test the fruit against Scripture. Does it confirm or contradict? Don’t just go by the way it looks, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Don’t just go by the way someone else believes, for people will deceive you with flattering lips that tickle your ears. Go by what the Scriptures say. If the Bereans tested all that Paul taught them, how much more should we test those teaching us today?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Judge The Fruit.

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²³ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²⁴ “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. ²⁵ You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the Lord.” ~ Leviticus 23:23–25

It’s believed that today, Rosh Hashanah, God looks down on all of mankind and takes special note of our behavior, attitude, and our relationship with Him. It’s also the day when He decides who will live and who will die that year.

Therefore, the next ten days, the Days of Awe, which will culminate on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), is a time of reflection and self-evaluation. It’s a day of paying special attention to things you have done that aren’t right. People you may have hurt and need forgiveness for. Areas where you need improvement. In other words, it is time for spiritual realignment with God. It would do us well to do the same, not just on this day alone, but every day of the year, to make sure we are living right and the way God expects us to live.

It’s so easy for us to get caught up in the world because the grass tends to look greener on the other side. We often feel like we’re missing out on something but let these next 10 days (starting today) be days to truly seek the LORD and all that He has in store for each and every one of us because there is nothing on God’s beautiful green earth that can compare to what God has for us in eternity with Him.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Seek In The Days of Awe.

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⁹ When the people of the land come before the Lord at the appointed feasts, he who enters by the north gate to worship shall go out by the south gate, and he who enters by the south gate shall go out by the north gate: no one shall return by way of the gate by which he entered, but each shall go out straight ahead. ~ Ezekiel 46:9

In the days of Ezekiel, the people were required to leave the Temple through a different gate than they came. In fact, they were to leave in the exact opposite direction they came. The Scriptures tell us that the Law and the Prophets are just a foreshadowing of good things to come. Then wouldn’t it stand to reason that this is also a foreshadowing of things to come? So often in the Church today, we leave the presence of God the way we entered. We don’t leave changed.

See, today isn’t like the days of Ezekiel when they had to go to the Temple to worship and commune with God. Today, the LORD Himself dwells in us. Jesus lives through us. His Spirit dwells, guides, and transforms us into the image that was lost so many years ago. Therefore, we should never leave the presence of God, worship, the same way we entered. We should always be leaving the presence of God changed for the better. We should always be leaving His presence transformed.

We have the LORD God dwelling in us like never before; take advantage of that. Don’t allow the cares of this world to pull you away from all that God has in store for you. They can’t compete with His plans for your life. Cling to Him. Grow in Him. Be transformed in Him so that one day He’ll come back to take you home to Him.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Don’t Leave The Way You Came.

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⁴ But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. ~ Revelation 2:4

Jesus prophesied that the days are coming when the love of many will grow cold. What love? The love God gave us. The love for Him. The love for people. The love for life. The love for good. Those days are drawing nearer and nearer every day. Why is this love growing cold? Because Christ is no longer our chosen Savior. He’s no longer our betrothed because another has caught our attention. The world has caught our eyes and all its shiny toys. We’ve become like the Church in Ephesus, we do much good, but while doing good, we lose our first love. I once heard a pastor say that the Devil gets us by doing a good thing instead of the right thing. Not every good thing is for us to do because not every good thing is for us to do.

For instance, King David could’ve gotten caught up in building God a temple for Him to dwell in, but when God told Him it wasn’t for him, David didn’t lose sight of his first love. He kept his eyes on God and all that God had in store for him. Jesus only had 3 ½ years to complete all He had to do, yet He always made time to pray and seek His Father in Heaven. Jesus didn’t get caught up in all that He had to do; He made sure His love never grew cold. He made sure He was on fire for God, regardless of the amount of work ahead of Him. As Christians, it’s easy to get caught up in doing good things, but we must never let that keep us from doing the right thing, which is seeking God first and His Kingdom.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Don’t Do The Good Thing.

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¹ He went away from there and came to His hometown, and His disciples followed Him. ² And on the Sabbath He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to Him? How are such mighty works done by His hands? ³ Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. ⁴ And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” ⁵ And He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. ⁶ And He marveled because of their unbelief. ~ Mark 6:1–6

Jesus’ whole experience in His hometown can be summed up in one sentence, “They took offense at Him.” Maybe it was jealousy; maybe it was something else. Nevertheless, those hometown folks took offense and stepped into a period of spiritual darkness since they would not let the light of Jesus shine upon them. Their love had grown cold. Therefore, their faith had dwindled as well, leaving them without any kind of discernment that their Messiah and their Healer was standing before them. Because of their lack of unbelief, Jesus, in turn could do few miracles there. This isn’t a lack of the power of God.

This isn’t a lack of Jesus’ faith; this is the lack of faith people have in God, as well as the love that they have for their God. I was recently reading a Church’s website that stated that one of the codes that they live and work by, is by the code they have labeled: “We think inside the box.” This is given with the short explanation of “It’s about: Embracing Limitation” On the surface, this sounds good. It sounds like they are embracing a chapter out of Paul’s book on humility, but this isn’t humility. This is limiting God by embracing our limitations. But we must remember when we are weak, then we are strong (2 Corinthians 12:10). Therefore, we must embrace the strength of God, not the weakness of man. Our God isn’t limited; He doesn’t work in the realm of possibilities or maybes. God works and dwells in the realm of the impossible and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

Therefore, don’t be like those in Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth who refused to believe that Jesus was more than just your average carpenter. Jesus was, is, and always will be God made flesh. He was, is, and always will be the Light of the World, for He lives through us who are the light of the world. So, let your light shine before men that they may see your good works, and praise your Father in Heaven.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Don’t Be Like Nazareth.

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² For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³ While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:2–3

According to Jesus, not everyone will be saved. In fact, Jesus says that some will not escape. But escape what? Escape the sudden destruction that is coming on all people who have rejected the LORD Jesus. That is why it’s so important that we tell everyone that the return of Christ is near. We should be either going or sending missionaries to places like China and the middle east so that they might be saved.

Those of us who have heard and accepted the Gospel are charged with the responsibility of bringing the Good News to a dead and dying world. Why? Because only those that can see can lead the blind into the sight of Christ. Only those that can hear can lead the deaf into the voice of Christ. Even Christ Himself tells us to share the Good News with others so that they might be saved. Christ is no longer here physically on earth. He spiritually lives in us and through us. Therefore, we are now the light in the darkness. We are now the ones that must lead others to Christ.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Lead Them Through The Dark.

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²⁰ Then He began to denounce the cities where most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. ²¹ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ²² But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. ²³ And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. ²⁴ But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.” ~ Matthew 11:20–24

Many believe that Jesus saved everyone that He spoke to. That He had a 100% salvation rate, but Jesus had to call out entire cities because they saw the good works of Jesus but refused to repent. They refused to tell anyone else about the Good News of Christ. And that is exactly what is happening now in our time.

Instead of taking the Good News to those who have not heard, we keep the Gospel to ourselves, claiming, “Ah, they’ll be okay because a Good God doesn’t expect me to go and tell them the Good News, so He can’t hold them guilty for me not doing my Christian job.”

My question is, are you taking the Good News to everyone in the world? Why do you think Paul worked so hard at evangelizing the whole world? Because without it, people are doomed. So, the responsibility is on us to tell them, but lazy Christians refuse to go into all the world and preach the Good News. I don’t mean go into the most remote places of the world and become a missionary; not everyone is called to do that. I’m talking about those who don’t share the Good News with anyone. Especially those who claim that sharing the Good News is toxic and/or the problem with the Church today. Accepting and believing the Good News of Christ is the only way to Salvation. Unless we share that Good News, people won’t hear, and if they can’t hear, then they can’t believe.

We only have this one life to share the Gospel with as many people as possible. Don’t let someone else pay for you not taking the time to tell them about Christ. Don’t let the world convince you that Christ is offensive or politically incorrect when it’s only through Christ that we can be saved. For it’s only Christ that has overcome the world.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Tell All.

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¹³ Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. ~ James 5:13-15

James tells us that if we are suffering, being oppressed, then we should pray that we might be freed from this suffering. But when it comes to being sick, James tells us that we need something a little more. Why? When the disciples couldn’t cast out a specific type of evil spirit causing an illness in a boy, Jesus basically told them that they were too childlike in the faith. Not that they had childlike faith, but that they were children in the faith. They weren’t mature Christians. They were children, not elders. Their faith and relationship with God weren’t where they needed to be to have the authority and power to heal this boy.

Many of us miss out on our healing because we aren’t elders in the faith. It’s not about the length of years you’ve served Christ but what you’ve done in those years of serving Him. The disciples of Christ were serving Him the longest; nevertheless, Paul (who persecuted them and other Christians) was the greatest apostle who ever lived, doing things and understanding things that they didn’t. Though their relationship with God was longer than Paul’s relationship with God, Paul had to correct some of them as well as some of their followers. So, I said all of this that you might understand that just because by Jesus’ stripes we have been healed unless we or the person anointing us and praying for us is an elder in the faith-filled with power and Truth, we just might miss out on our healing.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Go To The Elders.

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⁸ And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. ⁹ Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. ¹⁰ But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. ¹¹ Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” ¹² And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, ¹³ and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, ¹⁴ for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” ¹⁵ And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel. ~ Acts 6:8-15

Stephen is recorded in the Bible as the first martyr. He was stoned to death because those around him who refused to accept the Truth could not disprove the Truth he spoke. Stephen wasn’t stoned for the good things he did. He wasn’t even stoned for the signs and wonders he did. He was stoned because of Jesus. Stephen set aside himself, and with great power and authority, he followed in the footsteps of Christ. He made a difference wherever he went to the point that the heads of the synagogues came to disprove all that he said, but because Stephen was a Spirit-filled man of God, they couldn’t. This is what angered them the most. This is what they arrested him for because they couldn’t dispute the Truth.

The Word of God is Truth. It is irrefutable. There is no flaw or contradiction in it because it was breathed out by God-Himself. God authored the entire Bible through the men He used to write the words down. Because of this, we can stand in confidence when we read our Bible. Some will say many are leaving the Church right now because of the flaws in the Bible. This isn’t a flaw in the Bible; this is a flaw in the Church. The Church today is no longer full of grace and power as the early Church was 2,000 years ago. We can no longer defend our own beliefs as Stephen could because we no longer read our Bibles through unbiased eyes seeking the Truth. We no longer fast, pray, and worship as the early Church did. They were Spirit-filled Christians who didn’t just say they were Christians, but they had the power of Christ dwelling in them that manifested in their speech and their actions.

Even though it’s our natural response to being questioned, don’t lean on your own understanding. Listen for the Spirit, and He will give you the words to speak. He will show you what you don’t yet know or understand. Seek God as the early Church did. Study the Scripture as the early Church did. Allow God to use you as the early Church did. If you do these things, when you are confronted, you will be able to defend your faith as Stephen, and the rest of the greats of the early Church did.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be Filled with Grace and Power.

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