Category: Daily Bread

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Be His Joy

Hebrews 12:2 ESV

[2] looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

I read a “Sumerian Proverb” that stated:

How can a poor man who doesn’t know how to cultivate Barley manage to  cultivate wheat?

And it immediately got me thinking. So, since I know nothing of farming or harvesting wheat or barley, I asked ChatGPT if Barley was harder to cultivate than wheat. This is what it sent me in response:

Barley is very hardy. It can grow in poorer soils, tolerates drought better, and can handle slightly more acidic or alkaline soils. Wheat, on the other hand, is sensitive to soil quality, moisture levels, and temperature extremes (especially some high-yield varieties).

Barley has a shorter growing season (about 90–120 days). This makes it faster to harvest and less exposed to diseases or extreme weather. Whereas wheat has a longer growing season (100–150 days depending on type), so there’s a slightly higher risk of crop failure if conditions aren’t ideal.

Barley is generally more resistant to common cereal diseases and pests. While certain types of wheat are highly susceptible to rusts and other fungal diseases, requiring more careful management.

But the pay out is greater from the Wheat Harvest. See, wheat typically has a higher yield per hectare and a broader market (especially for human consumption). Whereas Barley has a slightly lower yield, but easier to grow under suboptimal conditions and widely used for feed, brewing, and malt.

God created the Barley Harvest to take place before the Wheat Harvest. The Barley Harvest represents the biological descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Israelites. The Jews. The Wheat Harvest represents the Church. The Body of Christ. Believers. The Barley Harvest He made easier than the Wheat Harvest, as the Jews were easier to cultivate than the rest of the world. He chose Abram because he would teach his children and his children would teach their children and so on and so forth throughout the generations. This is the Barley Harvest.

They sacrificed a lamb for Passover and the blood of a bull for the Day of Atonement pushing their sins forward one more year, so that they didn’t have to answer for them in that day. No matter how hard nations tried to strip them of their identity, they never forgot who they were, their God, or the land He promised to them. But the Wheat Harvest took a bit more work.

God had to come to earth as a man, die, and rise back up on the third day to bring in the Wheat Harvest. It was no longer just animal sacrifice. God sacrificed Himself for the sake of the Wheat Harvest. So, that Jew, Gentile, anyone who was willing could come. No longer was it just outward actions, but inward actions. No longer just circumcision of the flesh, but the circumcision of the heart. The condition of the heart mattered. Animal sacrifice wasn’t enough anymore, now the spiritual sacrifice of yourself and your desires is demanded.

All for a greater reward. It was no longer just one nation the LORD was saving, it was now all nations. Any person who is willing to believe can be saved. No longer was it just passed down from generation to generation, but now people who have never heard, who had entirely different gods were being converted and saved. More work, but an even greater reward.

You are that Wheat Harvest. Harder to cultivate but worth every ounce of effort. God will never look at you and think, oh they’re just too much work. Oh, they’re just not worth the effort. No, He takes pleasure in knowing that you will be with Him for all eternity, so He gladly accepts the difficult labor.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be His Joy.

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A Tenacious Faith

24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. 25 But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone. ~ Mark 7:24-30

In Mark 7, Jesus leaves the familiar territory of Israel and travels into the Gentile region of Tyre and Sidon. This is significant because Jesus Himself said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). Yet here He is—35 miles from Galilee, in foreign territory, entering a house and hoping no one would know He was there. But Scripture says, “He could not be hidden” (Mark 7:24). Why? Because there was a desperate mother whose daughter needed a miracle.

This unnamed Syrophoenician woman had only heard about Jesus. She did not know Him personally. She was not part of the covenant people of Israel. She had no religious standing, no prior relationship, and no guarantee of an audience. Yet when she heard about Jesus, hope welled up in her heart.

Faith comes by hearing. Romans 10:17 reminds us, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Something about Jesus stirred her to believe that if she could just get to Him, everything would change. And so she came. She fell at His feet and pleaded for her daughter’s deliverance. Mark says she “kept asking Him” (Mark 7:26). She was persistent. She was determined. She refused to be denied.

Even when Jesus seemed silent, she continued to ask. Even when the disciples were annoyed, she stayed. Even when the response sounded unfavorable, she did not lose hope. This is the kind of faith that moves heaven. When Jesus said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs,” many would have walked away offended. But not this mother. She turned what looked like rejection into an opportunity.

“Yes, LORD,” she replied, “yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs” (Mark 7:28). What humility. What boldness. What faith. She was essentially saying, “LORD, I know I may not have a seat at the table, but I believe there is enough power in even a crumb from You to change my daughter’s life.” Jesus immediately responded: “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter” (Mark 7:29).

Her miracle came not because of her status, but because of her faith. How often do we quit praying too soon? How often do we mistake delay for denial? This mother teaches us something powerful: persistent faith does not let circumstances dictate its confidence in God. Maybe you’ve been praying for a child, a marriage, a healing, or a breakthrough for what feels like forever. Perhaps heaven has seemed silent. Maybe opposition has made you wonder if God hears you at all.

Do not lose heart. Delay is not denial. The same Jesus who could not be hidden in Tyre and Sidon still responds to sincere, persistent faith today. He is still moved by hearts that refuse to quit. This mother did not let silence stop her, obstacles discourage her, or offense derail her. She worshiped, persisted, and believed. And her daughter was healed instantly.

What if your breakthrough is on the other side of one more prayer? One more act of faith? One more moment of refusing to give up? Keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking. Jesus still hears. Jesus still heals. Jesus still responds to faith.

Father, help me to be tenacious. Help me to be steadfast in my beliefs and in my prayers, in Jesus’ Name, amen.

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Ignite With Reminders

Romans 7:4

4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to Him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.

Isn’t that an amazing thing…? We now belong to Christ… We are no longer strangers, but are betrothed to the Son of God… Therefore, let us come boldly with our prayers, our petitions, and our requests, since we now belong to Christ.

In other words, we are dead to the Law…, the Old Covenant, and are alive to Christ through His body in a new and better covenant based on better promises (Hebrews 8:6)… Promises like:

  • By His stripes we have been healed.
  • Ask and you shall receive, seek and will find, know and it will be opened for you.
  • Authority to cast out evil spirits in the name of Jesus.
  • The privilege to enter the throne room of God and make our petitions known to Him.
  • To be seated in Heavenly places with Christ.
  • To be fully and completely washed clean of our sin and redeemed from all unrighteousness.
  • To be transformed in the twinkling of an eye into the Image of God.

Those promises are never failing, and will all come to pass for anyone who believes and follows the Son of God. Therefore, encourage yourself with these promises. Let the promises of God fuel you to run the race at before you.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Ignite With Reminders.

 

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Partake In Him

Hebrews 10:19–20 NIV

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body,

The huge curtain that hung in the Temple, separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, represented Jesus’ body… When it was torn from top to bottom at the moment of His death, it immediately opened a new and living way for us to enter God’s Presence with confidence and with boldness—something impossible under the old system.

That’s one of the reasons why the writer declared that we now have a new and better covenant… We now have full access with all permissions granted to enter the Holy of Holies and lay all of our petitions and all of our supplications at the feet of the Father who is on His mercy seat—especially as we gather at His table of grace to receive the cup and the bread.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Partake In Him. 

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Know The Difference

[20] For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. [21] For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. [22] What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.” ~ 2 Peter 2:20-22

So many people are under the impression that Yahweh and Allah are the same person. That both are the God of the Bible. I recently saw a video of a Muslim Imam teaching that those who commit the most horrid of sins ( sexual abuse, porn, adultery, drunkenness, etc.), but pray to Allah are better in Allah’s eyes than those who do none of those things, but do not pray to Allah. This statement really disturbed me. So, what you’re saying is that Allah doesn’t care about our actions. He doesn’t care about how we represent him. All he cares about is whether or not we are praying to him. Whether or not he’s getting recognition and praise, regardless of who is doing it. This is a big key difference between Yahweh and Allah.

See, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob demanded His followers to change for the better. To become more like Him. To go as far as to crucify the flesh and all of its desires. To be about our Father in Heaven’s business, and not our own. Throughout Scripture, the LORD condemned the people for simply praying, sacrificing, and bringing offerings, but their actions were wicked. He went as far as to say the prayers of the wicked are an abomination to him. Their offerings and sacrifices are evil in the sight of the LORD. Why? Because the LORD is a good and sovereign God, and sin is displeasing to Him. He does not make excuses for, defend, overlook, or allow sin to dwell with Him.

Wickedness is a stench in the nostrils of the LORD. Therefore, He made a way for us to be saved. To be redeemed. To be taken out of the wickedness and cleansed from all unrighteousness so that we might dwell with Him. Praise, prayers, sacrifices, offerings are all meaningless to God unless we live for Him. And if we dare to enter His presence, then we must make sure we are living a life pleasing to Him.

Today is the National Day of Prayer. It’s the day we are encouraged to pray a personal prayer of repentance and to pray for the return of righteousness in the culture. We don’t serve a god like other gods. He is a Holy and Sovereign God demanding more than lip service from us. Today, let our prayers not be in vain. Let our actions be pleasing to Him, so that our prayers might be heard by Him.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Know The Difference.

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Don’t Hit Snooze

Jeremiah 8:20 ESV

20 “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.”

Look around at the condition of the Church— or the so-called Church: We have mega-church pastors championing a godless agenda, pushing racism, and defending the right to slaughter helpless unborn babies in their mothers’ wombs. We have “bishops” boldly stating that they “are of the opinion that we need a third Testament, because the Bible has become problematic.” The Church is in a mess and it’s as if we don’t even realize it.

We don’t recognize the times that we are in and when we do, we do nothing to prepare ourselves or others. The Church, we as a whole, has been lulled to sleep. It’s as if the alarm has gone off and we keep hitting snooze. The alarm may quiet for us in those few moments before sounding again (until it eventually stops all together) but the times continue. No matter how many times we hit snooze, time keeps propelling us forward at a high rate of speed.

The LORD said that the fields were white on to harvest. In other words, the fields are so ready to be harvested that it is at the point where the crop could go bad and be lost. Jeremiah and his people missed the harvest. They went into captivity because of their sin. Their transgression. Their slumber. The Church is no different.

A time is coming when there will be tribulation on the earth like never before. Man’s wrath on the Church let loose without restraint. All because we fall asleep in times of safety and prosperity. It’s in these times that we have to awaken and prepare. We have to get ourselves ready. We have to make sure our family is ready. We have to wake up and pay attention to the times. Because the end is right around the corner.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Don’t Hit Snooze.

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Treating Others

12 So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. ~ Matthew 7:12

As a seller, I work hard to make sure that I go above and beyond for my customers. I become flexible to the best of my ability, in order to make the transaction as easy and pleasant as possible for them. I am very proud to say that by doing this, I have a 5-star rating across all platforms that I sell on. But no matter how hard you try, no matter how much you bend over backward for some people, it’s never enough.

I recently had a guy who wanted a PS2 system and some games, but couldn’t make it for over a week. Now, most sellers don’t hold items for people, especially not expensive items like this one, and for so long. But I did it anyway. I held the item for him, without asking for a down payment to hold the item (it cost well over $100). I met him on the date and time that worked best for us both. He came. Checked it out. Made sure everything was good. Paid. Took his item. And left. When I checked my rating, he had given me 4 stars. Why? I’ll never know. He said I was very nice, great to work with, great communication, but yet only gave me 4 stars.

It’s in these moments that I have to remind myself that you can bend over backward and go out of your way for someone, and it still won’t be enough. They won’t appreciate it. And that’s okay. How you treat others shouldn’t just be about what you can get in return. Yes, I would’ve appreciated a 5-star rating, and yes, honestly, it did bother me, but at the end of the day, it’s okay. We, the Church, are to be Christ to the world, whether or not we get the appreciation we deserve. Even in something as simple as selling a gaming system and some games, I was able to look back at that situation and interaction with pride, knowing that I treated my customer as I would like to be treated. That I treated him as the Church should treat others.

So often we get caught up with how we react in the huge things, that we forget that the little things matter just as much, and sometimes, even more. You never know how your actions and reactions can impact someone else. How they can either turn people to Christ or away from Him. We are His representation on this earth. And if we want to represent him well, then we need to live by His Golden Rule.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Treat Others As You’d Like To Be Treated.

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Fill

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NKJV)

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Nothing is of value without love. In other words, nothing has any profit if there is no love. No amount of tongues. No matter how many spiritual gifts. No prophecy. Not even a good and correct understanding of all Scripture. Not even faith… and without faith, it is impossible to please God, so just imagine now how important love is.

So, in other words, the house has to be filled. You have to be filled. With what? The love of God. Not worldly love that had no definition, but Godly love. Love from God that brings you closer to Him. Closer to His heart.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Fill.

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Who Will Go For Me?

16 Who will rise up for Me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for Me against evildoers? (Psalm 94:16).

This is a very pertinent question: God is asking, “Who will?” God has given us dominion over the earth. We have been commissioned to rule and to reign, to subdue, and to correct and to bring into submission to our God all inhabitants of the earth. Teaching what is right and correcting what is wrong by the Word of our God. We are the hands and the feet of Jesus, often referred to as His body. Now He is asking, “Who will rise up for Me against the Wicked?”

But instead of rising up, the Church has submitted its authority. We’ve compromised with the enemy and have gone to sleep on our watch. We no longer sound the alarm when the enemy is approaching. We no longer tell of the goodness of God. But why is that? Are we too busy trying to be like the world that we no longer are trying to save the world?

Church leaders are guilty of the same sins the world is guilty of, and some have taken it even further. God instructed His people, His Church, to come out from among them and touch no unclean thing. But the Church has stained her garments with the juices from the fruit of evil. Once in the book of Isaiah, God looked around for one man to stand in the gap to intercede for the nation so that He might not destroy it, but He found no one either willing or able. So, in Isaiah 6, He asks again, “Whom shall I send and who will go for us?”

God is always looking for someone to rise up, someone to stand up, and someone to go and tell. Is that someone you? Will you rise up? Will you stand up when no one else will? When all are satisfied slumbering, will you get up and seek the face of God on behalf of someone, maybe a close relation, or a good friend? Maybe for your country and your government leaders. Do you complain about what’s happening in the world and especially in your country, or are you seeking the LORD, are you standing in the gap for your country and calling upon His Name that He might not destroy or bring His wrath? Will you say, here am I, use me?

Father, here am I, if You can use anything, use me. I will go where You send me, and I will say what You tell me; only be close to me and help me hear and understand Your voice and instructions, in Jesus’ Name, amen.

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Hear The Trumpet Blast

Joel 2:12-14 ESV

12 “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and He relents over disaster. 14 Who knows whether He will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?

The LORD is merciful; He is not willing for anyone to perish. He said that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11). But men love darkness more than they tolerate the light. As it was then, so it is now, men refuse to heed God’s warning.

They decline His invitation to repent and to seek Him. They reject the offer to draw near to Him so that He can and will draw near to them. They want another way. A way free from personal responsibility.

They despise the way of the cross. They loathe holiness and hate righteousness. It’s their way or no way, so they turn and go their own way, rejoicing in their own will and delighting in their own strength.

Therefore, there’s coming a trumpet call. A day of reckoning. A day of great darkness and gloom. A day of intense dread and terror when the Spirit of the LORD shall be taken up, and the dead in Christ shall rise, and we who are alive and remain shall be caught up to meet our LORD Jesus in the clouds, and there we will be with Him forevermore (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

For those of us who are being saved… it will be a day of great joy, and much rejoicing. But for those who refuse to heed the alarm—those who reject the trumpet call to repentance, and who remain in their sins… it is a day of dread, fear, and trembling — a day of thick darkness and great gloom.

For on that day, the LORD, the LORD Jesus Himself, will come and take His Bride away, and those who have refused His salvation will be left behind.

The door will be closed. And it will be locked. And no one else will be let in. The opportunity has passed. The chance of repentance is gone—it’s over. Your choice has been made. The lines have been drawn in the sand. And now, it’s over.

So, the LORD who said, “Come all ye who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” will also say, “Depart from Me, I never knew you.”

And those who hear those harsh words of hopeless despair will go away into eternal punishment in the lake of fire that burns forever, and ever.

The opportunity is now. The time of repentance is now. Today is the day of salvation. The trumpet call has gone out, the alarm has been sounded. Are you ready? Are your family members ready? Co-workers? Friends? Neighbors? Today is the day of repentance, tomorrow is promised to no man.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Hear The Trumpet Blast.

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