Category: Daily Bread

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Do Not Sleep

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. ~ John 3:19

Darkness is not merely ignorance—it is willful rebellion against the light of Christ. Darkness is the domain from which the enemy operates.

In 2 Corinthians 4:4, Paul tells us that the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. But the darker the night, the brighter we Christians must shine.

See what Jesus said, “but while men slept…” (Matthew 13:25a KJV). The men mentioned in the parable are the workers in the field, who represent us, the Church. Therefore, that verse could read like this:

But as the Church slept, the devil came in and sowed weeds amongst the good seed.

The Church has fallen asleep so the enemy wreaks havoc wherever he pleases. We have a duty as Christians. That duty is to let our light shine. To spread the good news of Christ. We have to put the enemy in check by standing up for the Truth of the LORD.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Do Not Sleep.

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Build A Spirit of Defense

Luke 6:45 ESV

[45] The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Have you ever noticed yourself sometimes waking up with a song stuck in your head almost like you’re waking up singing it? Now what about a worship song? Sometimes it’s songs you haven’t even listened to in years but it’s just playing through your head as you wake up as if you had been listening to it nonstop. I believe these moments are your spirit at work when your body is asleep.

See, we are told to build up our spirit man and crucify our flesh. In fact, Jesus says that it is out of the abundance of our hearts that the mouth speaks. Our subconscious would have the same source. Our spirit would have the same source. So, when our heart is full of Christ and we have our eyes set on Him, our spirit man works in our defense even when our mind doesn’t know what’s happening because it is asleep.

It becomes like the watchmen of old. Sounding the alarm. Fighting off the enemy as we sleep. Defending our mind and keeping it safe from evil thoughts and dreams meant to tempt, correct, anger, and/or terrorize us. So, build up your spirit man. Build up your Spiritual defense.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Build A Spirit of Defense.

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Let Your Light Abound

The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field…

Our LORD Jesus explained this parable to His disciples. He said that the Sower who sowed the good seed in His field is Himself, Jesus, the Son of Man, and the field is the world.

The good seed is us Christians, the Church, which He called the sons of the kingdom. And the weeds are the sons of the evil one. The atheist. The haters. The one who has despised and rejected Christ. And the enemy is that old devil himself, and the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.

Dark is the night when the moon is in its new stage, and the clouds blot out the light of the stars. But the darker the night, the brighter the flame of a candle will glow. It can be seen for miles.

Jesus said that we, His followers, are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). We are to light the darkness around us with the saving knowledge of the light of our LORD Jesus Christ. Yes, many will be offended. Many will refuse to hear. Many will say, “We don’t need to hear that right now!” or, “We don’t need to be reminded of repentance!” or “Leave us alone!”

Indeed, the night is getting darker. But where darkness abounds, the light will much more abound if we Christians will only let it so shine.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Let Your Light Abound.

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Depend On The Goodness of God

1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

For everything under the sun, there is a season. And it’s okay to be going through a rough season. A season of pain, sorrow, and heartache. One of confusion, anger, and rage. A season where God seemingly is a miss. That’s how you could characterize this season. Right now. A season where you cry out, “Where is God?” And “why is He not near?” It’s during these seasons of mourning and weeping that we have to do a little more to see the light shining in the darkness. Because no matter how dark the darkness may get or how hopeless the nights seem, one thing does not change, and that is the goodness of our God.

Today, we buried my last grandparent. Emotions were high. Tears were shed. Feelings were felt. There was even chaos at one point, but nevertheless, one thing was constant. One thing remained the same. One thing kept our peace—the goodness of God.

When it feels like the entire world is crashing in, remember, it is the goodness of God that holds us together. It keeps us from falling apart because it is His love that is the goodness of God.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Depend On The Goodness of God.

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You Are Being Saved

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:1-2

Paul said that he wanted to remind his readers, the Corinthian brothers, about the gospel that he had preached to them. He said that they had received the good news, that they were standing in that faith, and by grace they were being saved, if they would hold fast to that good news that he had preached to them.

In other words, they had not arrived; they were still being saved. It was not all said and done; they had an obligation to hold fast to the word that Paul had preached to them.

Imagine a man caught in a storm at sea, clinging to a lifebuoy thrown to him from a rescue ship. He is being pulled from the water, but he is not yet on the ship. The waves are still crashing, the wind is still howling, and the danger is not yet behind him. His only hope is to keep holding on to that lifebuoy until he is brought safely aboard.

That’s the picture Paul paints in 1 Corinthians 15:1-2. The gospel is the lifebuoy. We have received it, we are standing in it, and we are being saved by it—but only if we hold fast. Not because our grip earns our salvation, but because letting go would reveal that we never truly trusted the One who saves.

This is not about living in fear or uncertainty. It’s about perseverance in faith. Hebrews 3:14 echoes this truth: “For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” And Jesus Himself said, “The one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13).

So today, let us examine our hearts. Are we holding fast to the gospel in word and in deeds? Are we trusting in Christ alone—not just once, but daily? Salvation is not a one-time transaction; it is a lifelong transformation. And the good news is, the One who began a good work in us will bring it to completion (Philippians 1:6)—if we do not let go.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your Son Jesus. Help me to live daily for You, and when I fall short, correct me and bring me back in alignment with Your Word. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Grow As Wheat

In 2 Corinthians 4:4, Paul tells us that the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

But the darker the night, the brighter we Christians must shine.

See what Jesus said, “but while men slept…” (Matthew 13:25a KJV).

The men mentioned in the parable are the workers in the field, who represent us, the Church. Therefore, that verse could read like this:

But as the Church slept, the devil came in and sowed weeds amongst the good seed.

The Church has fallen asleep, and the enemy wreaks havoc wherever he pleases.

You see, the weeds are the children of the devil, who masquerade as wheat, and the wheat is the Church.

But we will know them by their fruits. They will say things like:

“Oh, Jesus would be right there holding her hand as she gets an abortion.”

“Or Jesus would be a part of the LGBTQIA+ community.”

Or they express their discomfort…, to say the least…, with some of the things that Jesus said, especially His exclusive claims about salvation.

The first female priest in the Church of England said, “I sometimes wish Jesus hadn’t said some of the things He said.” And it was not said in a positive light.

These people are weeds that the enemy has slipped in and sown amongst the wheat that drain the light and fuel the darkness.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Grow As Wheat.

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Live By Your Belief

17 For there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves. Therefore the Levites had to slaughter the Passover lamb for everyone who was not clean, to consecrate it to the LORD. ~ 2 Chronicles 30:17

This word consecrated means to be dedicated to service and loyalty to God, and so involves proper conduct (as prescribed) of any person or object so dedicated. That means, there is no hidden sin in them. For David said that if he had cherished iniquity in [his] heart, the LORD would not have listened (Psalms 66:18).

But when we repent and turn from our sins and forsake our iniquities, God hears, and when He hears, He will answer. But if we don’t and we come to the LORD’s table— unrepentant, Paul said we can get sick and even die. Therefore, if just taking communion while living in sin can lead to death, how can we believe our actions have no eternal consequence.

Regardless of what you believe, how you live your life on this earth matters. It will directly impact your eternity. It will directly impact whether or not you spend eternity with Christ Jesus. See, if you are living a life of sin that isn’t pleasing to God, then regardless of whether or not you believe, your soul is indeed in jeopardy.

Therefore, don’t just believe and leave it there. Walk by faith. Live your belief. Don’t just give the LORD lip service. Believe and live by that belief. In other words, if you believe that Jesus died and has been raised again, then live that way. If you believe He is coming back, then live like He will be here tomorrow. Don’t just believe it, live like you believe it.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Live By Your Belief.

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Trust In Your Buckler

5 Every word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. ~ Proverbs 30:5

This means that faith in our God is not just belief—it’s trusting Him to cover you, to absorb what would otherwise destroy you.

A buckler, on the other hand, is a small, usually round shield used for close, hand-to-hand combat to deflect blows, parry sword strikes, and facilitate offensive maneuvers. How does that relate to God being our Buckler?

Just as the buckler was a close personal shield, so is our God a close personal shield who deflects spiritual attacks, danger, and harm before they can overwhelm us.

God is our ever-present protector in the spiritual battles of life. He shields us from attacks, gives us wisdom to parry temptations, and empowers us to stand firm and take action in His name. Like a buckler held in the fist, God is intimately close, moving with us and defending us in every moment of the fight.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Trust In Your Buckler.

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Cherish Your Freedoms

13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. ~ John 15:13

Today is the day we set aside to remember our brave men and women who served honorably in our military, whether in a time of war or in time of peace. Today is their day.

We remember your service, and we thank you for serving your country honorably. Your sacrifice does not fall on hard hearts. I realize it is not a light matter to serve one’s country.

I myself went straight from high school graduation to boot camp. While all my friends and the majority of my graduating classmates celebrated our graduation by taking the summer off, I was shipped off to boot camp, where I celebrated my 18th birthday.

So, again, thank you all for your service! Your service is very much appreciated. Without sacrifice there is no freedom. And freedom does not come cheap. Freedom is never free. Let us not let their sacrifice die.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Cherish Your Freedoms.

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Live It

Matthew 5:14-16

[14]  You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. [16] In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Eric Metaxas wrote in his book, Bonhoeffer, that German church leaders believed aligning with the Nazi state could restore the church’s influence or German national strength, but in reality, they were surrendering the church’s independence and mission.

He highlighted how the German Church didn’t respond with immediate resistance, not because the evil wasn’t apparent, but because it seemed gradual, respectable, and even regular at first.

Just like during the lockdowns, pastors were arrested and fined for not complying. Likewise, pastors and church leaders were arrested under the Nazis for noncompliance.

During the lockdowns, churches were not allowed to gather for worship because it was believed that doing so would spread the disease. Yet, at the very same time, massive nationwide protests erupted across America, with an estimated 15 to 26 million protesters taking to the streets. And what was done…? There was widespread property damage, riots, looting, arson, and clashes with the police.

What am I saying? What is the point? Our freedoms are fleeting. Our right to worship and serve God is being threatened. Now isn’t the time to give up the little bit of power we have left. Now is the time to stand up for your faith. To speak out for Christ. Pray diligently and fast with earnestly seeking the favor of God.

We don’t give up our freedoms and rights for a possibility of power or authority. How can we have power or authority without rights and freedoms? We can’t. Our job as Christians is to be Christ to the world. We do that by teaching, preaching, and living the Gospel.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Live It.

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