Category: Daily Bread

Posted on

Help Out Of Your Abundance

Matthew 5:38-42 NIV

[38]  You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ [39] But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. [40] And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. [41] If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. [42] Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Apple and Samsung are the two largest rivals when it comes to phones. Everyone either has an Apple phone or a Samsung phone. Here’s what I find interesting about them: Samsung sells its OLED screens to its biggest rival, Apple. Let that sink in for a minute. Instead of refusing to sell to their rival and therefore making their product have a step up on their opponents, they sell to them. And you know what? They make a lot of money doing that.

See, when we stop focusing on how we can destroy our enemy and instead focus on how we can better ourselves, it doesn’t matter what the enemy does, we cannot be stopped or overcome. We can even help our opposition, or competitor and still be prosperous. We don’t have to force someone else to lose in order for us to win.

There’s always room for everyone. We can all succeed. We can all be great. Your opponent isn’t always your enemy, sometimes they help you get better and sometimes you can help them. Therefore, if God is for you, who can be against you? And if none can be against you, don’t worry about what the enemy or competition got going on. Worry about you. Are you doing what you need to do? Are you pushing forward?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Help Out Of Your Abundance.

Like and Share This:
Posted on

Be An Excellent Light

[14]  You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. [16] In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. ~ Matthew 5:14-16NIV

We Christians are on display for the whole world to see. Some are cheering us on, while others are just watching, but some are hoping and praying that we stumble and fall. So, let us throw off all that hinders and all that fetters us, so that we can run this race with strength and endurance.

We have all that we need to live, A Life of Excellence through Jesus’ divine power, so that we can be certain of where we will spend eternity.

In everything you do, always remember that eternity is looming large in front of each one of us, and eternity is a long, long time.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be An Excellent Light.

Like and Share This:
Posted on

Watch Each Action

27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the LORD in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the LORD. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the LORD, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. ~ 1 Corinthians 11:27-32

The physical manifests in the spiritual. Now, let us consider the significance of what Paul just said. Two words jump out at us as we read what Paul said:

  1. Unworthy
    1. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the LORD in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the LORD.
  2. Discerning
    1. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.

This is the only time that those two particular words are used in the New Testament. However, the lemma for discerning is used several times.

But as it is, Paul is saying that this is a very solemn time. It’s not a time for fun and games, and playing pattycake. It’s a time to inspect yourself and ask the hard questions that require honest answers:

  • Am I living a Christian life?
  • Am I sexually pure?
    • Meaning I’m not sleeping with someone who is not my spouse
    • I’m not engaged in pornography or illicit behavior
  • Am I mixing the occult with the things of God?
  • Am I walking in love, righteousness, and holiness?
  • Is there any unconfessed sin in my life?
    • A sin that nobody knows about— but me
    • Hatred
    • Lust
    • Any ungodliness at all

Our physical actions manifest in the spiritual. For every physical action there is a spiritual reaction. So, as we go throughout our take notice of your actions. Is there an area of your life that you are giving into the flesh and making excuses for? Have you asked the LORD to search your heart and show you anything you have missed? Each day is a gift, don’t allow a temporary pleasure of this world to separate you from the love and covering of God. For what would be a blessing can quickly turn to a curse, if taken outside of that covering of God.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Watch Each Action.

Like and Share This:
Posted on

Have A Holy Reverence

27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. ~ 1 Corinthians 11:27-32

Communion is holy. It’s not a right that is given to everyone. Jesus Himself says that His body was broken for many. It’s only for those who follow Christ. That means those who pick up their cross and follow Him. Those who spend time in prayer and worship. Those who read their Bible, study it, meditate on it, and memorize it.

Communion is not a right, but a privilege for those who are true disciples of Christ. Therefore, it’s not for everyone. Because not everyone has been sanctified by the blood, it’s only for those who have spiritually died with Christ so that they might proclaim His death until He returns for them.

It’s not something we need to fear, either. It’s something that we need to have reverence for and truly judge ourselves before partaking, asking the question, “Am I living in accordance with the Word of God to the best of my ability?”

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Have A Holy Reverence For Communion.

Like and Share This:
Posted on

Please Remember Them

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:10).

Christians experiencing persecution… with the threat of imminent death… have a better and deeper appreciation for the Gospel and for salvation than we who are not. Have you noticed Christians in persecuted lands, when they are given their very first Bible, they hold it as something incredibly precious, holding it to their breast in floods of tears. While we, here in the West, are too busy to read our many Bibles, or we just can’t be bothered, claiming we can’t understand it anyway. We stay safe and sound in our comfortable homes, sitting on our comfortable pews and in air-conditioned buildings, while our brothers and sisters are being murdered and mistreated for the sake of the Gospel.

But how often do we forget that this blessing comes with a cost? While we sit in padded chairs and sip lattes after service, our brothers and sisters in Christ are worshiping in whispers… Standing in locked rooms with the curtains closed, and no light because of fear… They’re hiding in caves or in damp, dark cellars… Or sitting in prison cells, for those who have been caught

Some are burying their children. Others are preparing to die themselves. They are not statistics… They are part of our family—the body of Christ. And when one part suffers, the whole body should feel it (1 Corinthians 12:26). So, I ask you will you remember them? Will you weep for them? Will you pray for them? Will you let their courage ignite your own courage?

Because the persecuted church is not just surviving—they are shining, they are thriving. And their tears and their blood water the soil of revival. Let us not forget the ones who carry the cross in silence… and in chains, scarcely known to the world. Let us lift them up before the throne of grace, where their cries are heard, and their reward is sure.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Please Remember Them.

Like and Share This:
Posted on

The Three-Strand Sacrifice

So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened ~ Luke 11:9-10

Jesus had just finished telling “The Parable of the Persistent Friend.” In the parable, a man goes to his friend’s house at midnight and bangs on his door. When no one comes to the door, he yells, “Friend, lend me three loaves.” But the friend, probably a little annoyed at the late-night interruption of his sleep, yells back, “Go away, I’m sleeping, my children are sleeping, my family is sleeping, I’m not opening my door for you!”

But instead of taking no for an answer, he continues banging and asking, probably even begging, because he is a desperate man in need. He needs his three loaves. Jesus concludes His parable by saying that the friend of the man will not get up and open his door and give him what he needs or asks for, just because he is his friend, but because of his persistent, continuous banging on the door, and his relentless asking to borrow the three loaves. He will not leave until he gets what he came for.

Here is the thing. Far too often, we Christians miss out on a blessing or on an answered prayer because there is no answer, and we drop our heads, turn around, and walk away, leaving the answer behind.

Now, I want you to notice that the man had a friend but asked for three loaves. If it is one friend, why not one loaf? But he asks for three loaves. Why? It’s a parable about our consistency in prayer and our doggedness in asking. We are offered a three-strand cord according to Isaiah 53:5.

5            But He was pierced for our transgressions;

He was crushed for our iniquities;

                         upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with His wounds we are healed.

Here we see that because of His redemptive and atoning work, Jesus offers us Salvation, Peace of Mind, and Healing for our bodies.

This is Jesus’ three-strand sacrifice that we can have; all we have to do is ask. We don’t need to be sick and harassed in our minds. We don’t need to be condemned to eternal punishment. We have salvation, peace, and healing.

Father, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die for us, and then raising Him from the dead as a sign. Thank You, LORD Jesus, for being willing to suffer and die so that we might have life and life more abundantly. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, amen.

Like and Share This:
Posted on

Don’t Create A New Religion

3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. ~ 2 Timothy 4:3-4

Jerome is often revered as an important early Church father. I used to feel that way as well, until I began to actually read what it was that he wrote. See, Jerome argued for the perpetual virginity of Mary, abstinence over marriage, shrines to the saints, as well as a few other controversial beliefs. Now, controversy isn’t really the problem. Jesus was more than controversial, and He is the founder, perfector, and forerunner of our faith. So, that’s not the issue. I think my biggest issue with Jerome is that he is known for saying, “ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.”

See, when we begin to push ideologies that are contrary to the Word of God, regardless of how insignificant they seem, we are sprinting down a very slippery slope. As soon as we begin to compromise with one thing, no matter how small, it will grow to larger and larger compromises.

These teachings helped define the Roman Catholic Church doctrine that has led many astray. They have separated mankind and God once again. They’ve forced all leaders in their church to remain 100% celibate and forbid them from marriage, only to have the majority fall into some form of sexual sin. They’ve not only welcomed idolatry or even condoned it, they push and force it upon anyone that would be a part of their church through the rosery (praying to Mary) as well as praying to the saints.

When we allow ourselves to make what seems like insignificant changing of Scripture, we open ourselves up to spiritual blindness that will keep us from seeing the Truth.

So, when you read your Bible, pray first. Seek the LORD and ask Him to open your eyes that He might show you His Truth and that you might see it. Do your best to read His Word unbiasedly. Allow Him to guide you and not yourself or another. Scripture will always defend and explain Scripture. Therefore, let Scripture speak and not what you want it to say. When you read and come to a conclusion, question yourself. How did I come to this conclusion? Is there anything wrong with that belief? Is there any verse that contradicts this belief?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Don’t Create A New Religion.

Like and Share This:
Posted on

Begin To Uproot It

Matthew 5:43-48,

[43]  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ [44] But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, [45] so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. [46] For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? [47] And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? [48] You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Hatred is a dangerous root. It blinds you from the Truth, allows you to stumble over obstacles, holds you back, and eventually, hatred consumes you. See, hatred doesn’t always come in a form we expect. Sometimes, it’s subtle. A slight annoyance whenever someone’s name is mentioned or you see them. Overly harsh towards them. Falsely accusing them and refusing to acknowledge evidence.

We, as Christians, are held to a higher standard. It’s not always easy. In fact, most of the time it’s hard. It’s an uphill battle. It’s having overcome the world while you also have to fight your flesh. See, the enemy will subtly plant seeds of hatred within you by sending you excuses that don’t sound and at all. He’ll tell you, “You don’t hate them. You just don’t like them.” “Even God hated Esau.” When we begin to make excuses and try to justify our hate, roots of anger, bitterness, rage, defensiveness, and pride begin to dig into us.

So, what are we to do? Start with the determination to change. The determination to love my brother and my enemy. To love all people. And remind oneself that we are to be Christ to the world. That we are now the light of the world.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Begin To Uproot It.

Like and Share This:
Posted on

Seek While You Still Can

[6]  Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon him while He is near; [7] let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. [8] For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. [9]  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. ~ Isaiah 55:6-9

Many people believe the Bible is boring or a tough read, but honestly, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. See, the Bible is like an onion it has many layers and with each layer the potency of who God is becomes stronger and stronger. When it comes to God and His Word, there are layers. Each story, character, event, punishment, reward, proverb, song, saying, word in the Bible was specifically chosen by God for us in order to lead us to His salvation and reveal to us who He is.

When you begin to understand that there are more than just the basic surface level teachings and reasons for the recorded events and reasons for the recorded events and people in the Bible, that’s when you begin to understand there’s so much more to the surface level meaning you’re reading. Why? Why are there so many layers?

Because God is a God you have to seek out. You have to seek Him to find. Call on His name to hear from Him. He’s laid it all out for us but it’s on us to seek it out. This is because even though you may have a high IQ and are naturally gifted, it doesn’t mean you’ll understand the spiritual aspects of these stories. You need God’s Spirit through His Son Jesus in order to begin to understand and get to know Him.

See, our wisest things we can come up with can’t even compare with the foolishness of God. So, in order to tap into that understanding, you need God to help you and guide you into it. And because God is so far above us in wisdom and understanding we, in this finite state, will never truly understand every layer of every verse in the bible.

Now, don’t misunderstand me, I’m not saying there’s no way we’ll understand the Bible. I’m saying there are several secrets and mysteries that we won’t understand or receive a revelation of, in this lifetime. But I do believe on that day when He returns and we are caught up to Him in the air and we are changed in the twinkling of an eye into the perfect incorruptible body we long for, all will be revealed.

God’s Word is layered so that we might seek Him out and for to know Him. There’s never going to be a time you know everything you need to know about God, so study His Word. Seek wisdom and understanding while you still can.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Seek While You Still Can.

Like and Share This:
Posted on

Work To Rest

1 Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. 2 For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, as He has said, “As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest,’” although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works.” 5 And again in this passage He said, “They shall not enter my rest.” 6 Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 again He appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. 9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from His works as God did from His. 11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. ~ Hebrews 4:1-11

The author of the book of Hebrews says that Joshua, though he led the people into the promised land, he never actually gave them their day of rest. See, before they even fully entered the promised land, they had to go to war with those in the promised land. Why? The people occupying the promised land at that time had corrupted the land. They were sacrificing their own innocent children to their demon gods. They were polluting the land with innocent blood, and the LORD God said He had had enough of the senseless bloodshed. So, when Israel went into the land, they had to remove the wicked who were occupying that land and polluting it with their wickedness.

So, never did Joshua usher the people into a day of rest. They never had the pleasure of enjoying that promised day of rest, so what then? Is the promise forgotten? Is it too late? By no means. This day of rest will come for all who believe and follow Jesus the Messiah. That is what we are working towards. The second coming of the Messiah, when He will gather us to Himself and then at the very end of the age establish His throne on this earth and rule for 1000 years. That will be our day of rest. A time of peace when our God literally comes down to us and rules the earth from His throne.

So, how can we be sure that we will one day enjoy His promised rest? By working for Him today. We are to pick up our cross and follow Jesus. We are to build the Church by encouraging each other, helping each other grow, and winning souls for Christ. That is our work. We aren’t to keep Christ secret and tucked away in our hearts. He, the Light of Men, is to show through us every single day and lead others out of darkness and to Him.

So, this Labor Day, as you rest from your physical work on this earth, I want you to think about your spiritual work and that promised day of rest. I want you to truly think about and judge whether or not you are truly working for Christ. Are you building His Church? Are you winning souls? Are you discipling? Are you working?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Work To Rest.

Back to Encouragement?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

Like and Share This:
Proudly powered by WordPress