Category: Daily Bread

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What Your Name Be?

“Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus,” ~ Acts 4:36

Imagine if your friends renamed you by your character what would be? Which of the seven dwarfs would they call you? This man had to be quite encouraging and uplifting for the apostles to rename him, Son of Encouragement. What’d your name be?

Would you be called, Son of Encouragement, or would you be, Lustful Lucy? Dangerous Dan? Angry Aaron? How do your everyday actions define who you are? Do you strive to be more than just another complainer? Just another liar? Just another Debby Downer? Or do you strive to be an encourager? Do you strive to bless? Do you strive to uplift? Do you strive to be a comforter? Do you strive to be a peacemaker?

We have to learn to reprogram our way of thinking. Why? Because that is the only way we can fulfill what Paul tells us to do in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” We must display good fruit, so that others may see who we are and give glory to our Father in Heaven. And the only way to do that is by reprogramming our thoughts, for our thoughts control the rest of our body. Whatever we think, is what we become. As we live our day to day lives, I pray we all develop the fruits of the spirit so that when people look at us, there would only be good fruit to name us after.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Determine Your Name.

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Just Listen

It amazes me that Jonah fled and disobeyed God, yet did not feel he would be punished. But instead, he wanted the people of Nineveh to perish, he wanted them to be punished but not him. He then goes on to say he is so angry that he would rather die than live because he didn’t see an entire race, an entire nation of people, perish. Then when he is uncomfortable because God took away the plant, he would rather die than live.

So, he is mad God killed the plant but mad he wouldn’t kill the entire city of people. Souls… He would rather them go out into eternity unready than to have another chance? If these are the people, God chooses it makes me feel like okay maybe I can be saved. It shows me that God is truly a God of mercy, patience, love, and forgiveness; not a God of anger, vengeance, and hate as the world tries to make Him out to be.

If God is a violent, malicious God as the world tries to say He is, why didn’t He just destroy both Nineveh and Jonah? Why give Nineveh a chance to repent? Why allow Jonah to live even though he wished to die because of silly reasons? God shows His true colors and simply brings Jonah back to reality. He doesn’t get angry and strike Jonah down for his foolishness, but calmly says,

“10You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”

Even with the tantrum that Jonah just pulled, God says listen to me, son, listen. Don’t you see how you pity that plant, how you want that plant? Though you didn’t work for it. You didn’t make it grow. You have no connection to it, yet, you love it. Yet you want to see it grow because it means something to you. Don’t you think I want to see the men and women I created grow? The men and women I labored for. The men and women I took the time to design and form. The men and women I knew before they were even born. Don’t you think I want them to survive the way you want that plant to survive? Don’t you think I want to teach my children who don’t know their left from their right, who don’t know wrong from good, to have a second chance? Of course, I do.

And that same merciful, loving, patient God that gently handled Jonah, still gently handles us. He still takes the time to explain to us. He doesn’t get upset and angry with us. He doesn’t strike us down and condemn us to Hell. But instead He explains why He does things, we just have to listen. We have to stop throwing a fit about everyone else. Everyone who we believe are worse than us. Who we believe deserve to suffer and instead we need to look in the mirror. We need to look at who we are. Who we’ve become while we’ve been looking at the rest of the world. While we’ve been looking at everyone else, who have, we become. Have we become entitled, self-righteous, hypocrites?

But the great thing about God is that no matter how far we’ve strayed. No matter how ridiculous and hypocritical we have become, He still takes the time to wake us up. He takes the time to bring us back to reality. He takes the time to show us His love. His patience. So take the time today to listen to what God has to say. What are we whining about that God wants to explain? What are we doing wrong, that we don’t see?

Peace. Love. Go forth and Just Listen.

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Lead Your Family

“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.” ~ Ephesians 5:23

Husbands are placed as the head of their wives and their home, as Christ is the head of the Church. As a man, it’s your duty to lead your family in the ways of Jesus. That’s what it means to be the head of your wife, not that you become a dictator, but that you lead by example. You live a Godly life so that she can follow. If the head is Godly, then the rest of the body will follow. So, take up your mantel men and lead your household in righteousness. Turn the other cheek, study the Word, worship, pray, so that your family may follow you as you follow Christ Jesus.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Lead Your Family.

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Pray For Lips of Praise

“‘18 I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them. I will comfort those who mourn, 19 bringing words of praise to their lips. May they have abundant peace, both near and far,’ says the Lord, who heals them.” ~ Isaiah 57:18-19NLT

The people of Israel were punished for their sin, the LORD God withdrew Himself from them, but they were stubborn. Though they were stubborn, their hearts were not against God, so in His mercy, God looked down and said, I will heal them anyway. I will lead them in spite of their stubbornness. I will comfort the mourners, and in doing so, I will bring praise back to their lips. I will rain down peace on them. Why?

Because He is the God that heals. He is the God of mercy. And most importantly, He is the God of love. His love is never-ending. When we are in trouble, no matter our past, He will run to rescue us, heal our land, and bring us back to be a people of praise. Our nation is in unrest, but just as God brought back the people of Israel, He will bring back our people. He will heal our land and bring comfort to all who mourn. If we allow God to, He will bring peace back into our nation; we just have to open the door to Him and set our hearts towards Him.

So that when He returns to us and heals our land, praise will return to our lips. When praise returns, God returns and abides, for He abides in the praises of His people. Through praise, we are healed, restored, renewed, changed because we grow closer and closer to God. It wasn’t until they praised that the walls of Jericho fell down. It was the Tribe of Judah (praise) that led the People of Israel out into battle. Praise changes everything, so let everything that has breath praise the LORD.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Pray For Lips of Praise.

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Obey To Trust

“8 Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name.” ~ Isaiah 26:8

Isaiah equates trust to obedience. If God is good, then wouldn’t His laws be good? Wouldn’t they be for more than just keeping us from having fun? God tells us in Jeremiah 29, that His desire for us is good. He wants us to prosper and to have a fulfilling life. God has a plan for each and every one of us. So why don’t we trust Him enough to obey Him?

As a child, I often heard the words, “If you won’t listen, you’ll feel.” In other words, if you aren’t going to trust that I know better, that I know that what you want to do will lead you into harm’s way, and you refuse to listen and heed my warning, then you will feel the pain I am trying to keep you from. Like children, we lack trust because of the over-inquisitive curiosity that is in us. We can’t help but think that the grass is greener on the other side. That somehow, those things that we see others doing is better than the promises God has for us.

We lack trust in God. See, the law wasn’t created to stop us from having fun. The law was created so that we may have life and have life more abundantly. See God knew how each action would affect us and where it would lead us to, so He created boundaries for us so that we didn’t swim too far out into unchartered waters where we can drown, be attacked, or get lost. These boundaries aren’t just so that He can control us; these boundaries are our protection so that we don’t have to go through unnecessary pain and suffering.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Obey To Trust.

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Abide In His Love

“9 My heart is broken because of the false prophets, and my bones tremble. I stagger like a drunkard, like someone overcome by wine, because of the holy words the Lord has spoken against them. 10 For the land is full of adultery, and it lies under a curse. The land itself is in mourning— its wilderness pastures are dried up. For they all do evil and abuse what power they have. 11 ‘Even the priests and prophets are ungodly, wicked men. I have seen their despicable acts right here in my own Temple,’ says the Lord.” ~ Jeremiah 23:9-11

During the time of Jeremiah, not even the prophets and priests, the holy men of God, were living their lives according to God’s Law. They not only lived in sin, but they led others to live in sin as well. They led the nation of Israel away from God. They justified their sins and the sins of the people with reassuring Scriptures that they took out of context. They painted God as a God of only peace, patience, love, and mercy, instead of a God of righteousness, holiness, and justice. They taught a version of God that justified sin, instead of the God who demands His people flee from sin, so that they would not corrupt themselves and their land. Because of this, their punishment was severe.

Today, we are following in the same paths of these false prophets and priests. We no longer call sin, sin, but instead, we justify sin by saying, “God understands,” “My Jesus loves everyone,” “You cannot judge, only God can judge.” We no longer stand for what is right, but instead, we fall into the demands of culture, falling prey to their beliefs and their feelings. We no longer hold to the morality that God set, but instead, we have created our own morality. Yes, God loves everyone, yes, God is a God of mercy, but God is also a God of righteousness.

God’s underlying love that He has for all of creation can only do so much for you. Just as a father cannot stop his son from being jailed for his crime because the son didn’t call the father who could pay his bail, our Heavenly Father cannot pay our bail, our fine, our debt, because we have yet to come to Him and ask. So, the love of our Heavenly Father can only do so much if we refuse to abide in His love.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Abide in His Love.

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Be The Ax In His Hand

“15 But can the ax boast greater power than the person who uses it? Is the saw greater than the person who saws? Can a rod strike unless a hand moves it? Can a wooden cane walk by itself?” ~ Isaiah 10:15 NLT

We are God’s vessels. It’s not by our own power, strength, smarts, or skill that we succeed in life, but it is by the grace of God that anyone receives anything good. For all good gifts come down from the Father of Lights. So, praise the LORD for He is good. He gives to all of humanity, including the wicked. We are nothing without God, just as an ax is nothing without the one who wields it.

So, allow God to use you. Allow Him to take you into your Promised Land. Allow Him to show you all that you are capable of achieving through Him. God wants to take you to the next level; all you have to do is allow Him to do so. Don’t fight God; put your trust in Him. Don’t let fear, pride, anger, or anything stop you from the plan that God has for your life. For no matter how much wisdom we have, nothing we plan for ourselves could ever match what God has in store for those who listen to His voice and follow the path He created just for each of us.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be The Ax In His Hand.

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Focus On Your Eternity

“7 Listen to me, you who know right from wrong, you who cherish my law in your hearts. Do not be afraid of people’s scorn, nor fear their insults. 8 For the moth will devour them as it devours clothing. The worm will eat at them as it eats wool. But my righteousness will last forever. My salvation will continue from generation to generation.” ~ Isaiah 51:7-8NLT

Don’t be discouraged when you are being persecuted, insulted, and excluded because of your faith. Jesus came to Earth to give all of mankind life, and they not only persecuted Him, but they also crucified Him. But He wasn’t discouraged. He did not allow His countenance to fall, for He knew in whom He trusted, and He knew the plans that His Father had for Him and the entire Earth.

When the world attacks you, don’t be discouraged because God is for you. He will bring you through this persecution, through this pain, through this suffering. Your treasure isn’t here. Your home isn’t here. Your reward isn’t of this world because you are not of this world, which is why the world will never accept you as its own. Both Peter and Paul understood this, which is why they both tell us to rejoice in persecution.

Our reward is Eternal Life with Christ, Jesus. No more pain. No more suffering. An Eternity where only love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control abide. So, let us not focus on our current persecution, for as Paul said, this is only light affliction to what is to come.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Focus On Your Eternity.

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Let Him Clean You

“6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on Him the sins of us all.” ~ Isaiah 53:6

No one is perfect. God didn’t get off of His throne to die for the sins of only some people. He didn’t pay the debt for only certain sins. God died and paid the debt for each and every sin known to man. Past, present, and future, doesn’t matter. God paid for them all.

We should’ve been the one on the cross, but instead, Jesus took our place. He took our punishment so that we didn’t have to. We don’t have to go through Eternity without Him; we can receive forgiveness for every sin we’ve ever committed. All we have to do is repent and confess. That’s it. Repent for our sins and confess that Jesus is LORD. We don’t have to live broken, fearful, ashamed, living in bondage because of our sin; Jesus came and paid our debt. There is no sin too great for God. There is no one too dirty for Him to clean.

You don’t have to clean yourself before going to Him because you can’t clean yourself. The whole point of going to Jesus is to be cleansed by Him. If we try to clean ourselves, it would be about as productive as washing a dirty body with a muddy rag. We can’t fix ourselves. We can’t clean ourselves. We can’t heal our own wounds. Only our creator can fix His creation. A broken pot cannot repair itself; it needs the potter to come and make it new. We are the broken pot, and God is the potter.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Let Him Clean You.

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God Remembers You

“1 But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and He sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.” ~ Genesis 8:1

After God punished the Earth, He remembered Noah. God didn’t leave Noah alone. He didn’t forget Noah. God sent a wind, so that the waters could be removed, and Noah and his family could exit the ark and enter into the new world that God had washed clean for them.

God may remove you from a situation that you’re in, but could it be so that He may cleanse the land of wickedness and bring you to a new land that is not corrupt so that you can thrive? God doesn’t change, and if He remembered Noah, He will remember you.

So don’t be discouraged by your current circumstance, for God may be creating for you a new world to flourish and grow. Not every loss, is a loss. Not every break, is a time of punishment. Sometimes God removes you from a situation, so that He can bring you into a better one. And when the land is ready for you, God will remember you and bring you into your new land.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be Encouraged.

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