Category: Daily Bread

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Be Proud Of Your God

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ~ 1 Corinthians 1:18

The oldest known depiction of Jesus on the cross isn’t in a Cathedral or sanctuary. It’s not a memorial place or Church. It’s graffiti on Rome’s Palatine Hill dating back to around 200 AD, mocking both a Christian and our LORD Jesus. The depiction is known as the Alexamenos Graffito with an ancient Greek inscription translating to “Alexamenos worships [his] God.’ It depicts a man worshipping one on the cross. The person on the cross? A man with a donkey’s head.

The artist attempted mockery. The goal to mock a Christian for worshipping a God who was crucified. Something they couldn’t fathom, something they saw as foolishness. So, they mocked him and his God. See, to the world, a God being crucified by His creation was absolute foolishness. How great could a God truly be if He allowed His own creation to crucify Him, the most gruesome, disparaging, humiliating, and shameful way to die? Today is no different. They can’t understand because it’s not of the World. It’s of the Spirit. God humbled Himself to save mankind. To save the creation He loves.

He took away the sting of death, the hold of the grave, and the power of Sin. Then He rose on the third day so that one day we will rise with Him. See, on that cross, the LORD cancelled every debt we had along with their legal demands. He did what no one else could. No human. No angel. No spiritual being in Heaven, on the Earth, or under the Earth. No one could accomplish what Christ did on the cross.

So, when you are mocked for your faith in Christ and your love for that old rugged cross, that is so shameful and despised, don’t feel any type of way because not only are you not alone, but the only feeling that you should be feeling is sadness for the one whose heart is hardened to God. Because regardless of what they believe, one day every knee will bow and every tongue will profess that Jesus Christ is LORD. Therefore, we don’t feel embarrassment, shame, or even anger or offense towards those who mock the cross; instead, we should feel sorry for them. We should pray that they won’t wait til’ that day comes to bow their knee and confess with their lips. Because that day there will be no more hope for them.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be Proud Of Your God.

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Sacrifice The Flesh Through Christ

20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. ~ Colossians 2:20-23

Paul writes to the people of Colossae not to fall into the trap of self-made religion that has an appearance of wisdom, but they don’t actually build the spirit-man in order to stop the indulgence of the flesh. Just because you are able to stop eating a certain food doesn’t mean you can overcome the flesh in your own power. I’ve seen many different people convince themselves that if they give up a certain food, especially pork, they’ll be good with God at the end of the day. They’ll somehow be better off than others.

I know someone personally who hasn’t eaten pork in a decade and thinks that will help him when he stands before God. He’s able to restrict himself in this one way but in nothing else. He gives in to his alcoholism, gambling, rage, and allows any and everything to fly out of his mouth, especially when he is angry. He’ll use the name of the LORD as profanity and His essence to curse, and not even bat an eye; but because he doesn’t eat pork, he thinks he is somehow more justified with God than a Christian who does eat pork.

Here’s the problem: he has no relationship with the LORD. It sounds good because he’ll point out that he’s keeping the Law, yet there is no other Law that he keeps. Not the Sabbath, the feasts, or even the other dietary laws. Nothing. Here’s the thing: we can’t redeem, fix, or change ourselves based solely on not doing something in the physical without Christ. Not eating pork isn’t going to get you brownie points with God. Afflicting your flesh without Christ is useless. There is nothing you can do to achieve Salvation. Nothing you can give or change to earn it. Salvation is a free gift from God given to those who have faith. That is the only way to the Father: faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Sacrifice The Flesh Through Christ.

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Rejoice For His Return

1 And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.
9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. ~ Nehemiah 8:1-3, 9-12

On the first day of Tishrei, the Feast of Trumpets, the people of Judah returned home to their Promised Land of Judea. After over 100 years in captivity, they were able to openly read, teach, and discuss the Torah in the streets. And when they heard it, they wept. They mourned. They hadn’t been keeping their Law as they should have in captivity. And when they did, the Levites calmed all the people, encouraging them to rejoice because it was a Holy Day. And the people did as the Levites encouraged them to.

They didn’t know what they were rejoicing for, but they did it anyway because they believed and trusted the Levites. They rejoiced in something they didn’t know, nor fully understand. Today, we know what they were rejoicing for. We now know the mystery. This is the day set to foreshadow our Savior returning for His Church. What a great day to rejoice and look forward to. They rejoiced in what they didn’t know or understand; let us now rejoice even more in what we do know and understand.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Rejoice For His Return.

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Look Back & Look Forward

1 And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.
9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. ~ Nehemiah 8:1-3, 9-12

Nehemiah went from being the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes I of Persia to the governor of Judah. Let me just explain how significant this is. They had been in captivity for over 100 years. Nebuchadnezzar tried to take away their very own identity and culture by teaching them Babylonian culture, literature, language, and even changed the names of the most promising of them. They went from Babylonian captivity to Persian captivity. By the time they returned and they read the Law of Moses, they wept. They mourned. It was a big deal. For the first time in over 100 years, they returned to the land of their fathers. To the land God had promised them. Men and women born into captivity in a foreign land who had no understanding of the Law of Moses until now. It’s the first time they’re hearing it read out loud publicly in the streets.

Now, let this sink in for a minute: they returned to their promised land on the first Day of Tishrei. The Feast of Trumpets. A feast that foreshadows the Messiah returning and bringing His Bride to be with Him forever. Now, let’s even add another layer to this: the Bride of the Lamb is described as the New Jerusalem. We are going up to Heaven to enjoy the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in the New Jerusalem that will one day be on this Earth. Nehemiah and his people returned to their Promised Land on the first day of Tishrei, the Feast of Trumpets, and one day we will be taken up to our Promised Land when our Savior returns.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Look Back & Look Forward.

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Come, LORD Jesus, Come

1 Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble for the day of the LORD is coming; it is near, 2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations.
10 The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. 11 The LORD utters His voice before His army, for His camp is exceedingly great; He who executes His word is powerful. For the day of the LORD is great and very awesome; who can endure it? ~ Joel 2:1-2, 10-11

The early Church described the Day of the LORD as a day of rejoicing. As our Blessed Hope. The prophets described the Day of the LORD as a fearful day. A day of great trembling. Joel poses the question, ‘Who can endure it?’ Isaiah tells the people to wail, for the Day of the LORD is near (Isaiah 13:6-13). Jeremiah describes it as a day of vengeance, where the sword of the LORD will spill much blood (Jeremiah 46:10). Ezekiel says it’s a day of doom for the nations (Ezekiel 30:3). Amos even goes as far as to say, ‘Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord!’ he even questions why they would desire it since it’s a day of great gloom and darkness (Amos 5:18-20). This now begs the question: why did the early Church and the ancient prophets be so polar opposites on what the Day of the LORD is? One word: Jesus.

The Prophets wrote from a position of hopelessness. See, before Jesus there was no hope. There was just this day of reckoning coming from God that none can endure. The LORD returning and His recompense with Him. See, there was no sacrifice for their sin other than the blood of animals, which could never wash away sins. So the ancient prophets (Joel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, etc.) only saw the coming wrath of God, not the hope. But Paul saw the full picture. See, Paul saw how dreadful the Day of the LORD would be for all who don’t believe. For all who aren’t ready for His return, but to those who are saved. Who are ready for His return, it is a day of great rejoicing. A day of great hope. Paul, because he was ready, saw Jesus. He saw his Savior because His Passover Lamb had been slain and Jesus had gone behind the curtain in Heaven and sprinkled His own blood on the Ark of the Covenant.

See, for us, the Church, Jesus isn’t our punisher; He is our coming groom returning for His bride. Our God returning for His people. We are spared from His wrath, not because we don’t deserve it, but because we’ve been washed in His blood.

Today at sunset, the Feast of Trumpets will begin. So, let us today remember what that day foreshadowed. It wasn’t just blowing a trumpet for no reason. It foreshadowed the coming Messiah to carry us from this Earth and take us back to be with Him forever. So, today, let the Bride say ‘come.’ Let us prepare ourselves for our Messiah’s return. For our Groom to carry us away and save us from His coming wrath. That is what we are celebrating, remembering, praying for, and dwelling on. Our Savior is coming to redeem us, so that we might not be caught up in His wrath.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Come, LORD Jesus, Come.

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Give up The Reins

21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ ~ Matthew 7:21-23

This is one of the most half-quoted and half-focused verses in the Church today. We hear and quote the words, “not everyone who says to me LORD, LORD will enter the Kingdom of Heaven,” but that’s usually where we stop. We often quote this in terms of believing in Christ but living in sin. While I do believe those two things are incompatible, it’s a little more nuanced than that. It’s not just believing but fully submitting to God. To the Spirit for change, the Son for Salvation and redemption, and the Father for our path in life.

The will of the Father is so important that Christ submitted fully and completely to it, even when He could’ve said no. Even when He could’ve walked away, the Son submitted to the will of the Father. It’s not just about saying, ‘I believe ’; it’s about living ‘I believe.’ Fully and wholeheartedly submitting to God. In full humility. Submission to the Son for redemption and Salvation, to the Father for His will and plan, and to the Spirit for change and transformation. We have to fully give up our rights to ourselves and what we think is best. We have to give up the reins and allow God to lead us.

Faith isn’t just about what you believe to be true but how you live your life in regard to the Truth. Faith alone has never been enough. Abraham had faith in God, so he took his son to the mountain to fulfill any command God had given him. He didn’t fully understand, but he had faith. Faith in the God in whom he believed. We, the Church, are the Spiritual children of Abraham, and we are to follow in his footsteps by fully giving up our ownership of ourselves and all we have, just as he did.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Give up The Reins.

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Reject The Rejection

10 … I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. ~ John 10:10b

33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. ~ John 16:33

8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our bodies. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:8-10

I recently saw a post the other day of one of my childhood movies. It was comparing two scenes from The Incredibles. The scene where Mr. Incredible tells Buddy to fly home and the flashback of Buddy remembering the event. The original event was Mr. Incredible in the middle of fighting a bad guy, while trying to send Buddy, who was a young child not knowing what he was doing, home to his parents. Buddy ultimately compromised the entire mission, allowing the bad guy to get away and putting several people’s lives at risk. Buddy’s flashback was Mr. Incredible coldly telling him to fly home. No bad guy. No danger. Nothing. Just a cold, heartless adult walking away from a child seeking his attention.

See, the Spirit of Rejection had gotten a hold of Buddy. He didn’t see the danger he was putting himself and others in. He didn’t see that he was just too young to be out there fighting crime. All he saw was no. That’s what rejection will do to you. It’ll dig itself deep inside of you, twisting events and conversations in order to make you feel alone. Make you feel like no one cares. Make you feel rejected.

Rejection will blind you from the Truth in order to keep control over you. In order to keep you bound so that other spirits like anger, rage, depression, anxiety, fear, trust issues, etc. So, what do we do? We have to first identify the root cause of the rejection, and then give it to God. We have to pray for discernment to see what has opened this door in us and then seek the LORD to close that door.

We don’t have to live our lives in pain. Angry. Depressed. Anxious. Fearful. We aren’t meant for that life. We are meant for so much more. We are meant for life and life more abundantly. A life in Christ Jesus with love, hope, and peace. A life where we know who we are and who we are in Christ.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Reject The Rejection.

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First Look At The Water

28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. ~ Luke 14:28-32

I’ve seen so many posts from people who made mistakes when setting up their eBay stores. Their advertising percentage is too high, their shipping has issues, their listings have flaws, and all of these things have cost them a lot of money in sales. And all I can think when I see these posts is, “Why didn’t they do some research before they dove right into reselling?” Before I started, I watched video after video after video, just trying to learn as much as I possibly could from those who are successful in what I wanted to do. I watched their tips, tricks, things they would’ve done differently, and ways they messed up. I watched so many videos that even my family members started learning stuff by default because it’s all I watched. I didn’t just jump into anything; I needed to know what I was getting myself into. How to set myself up as best as I possibly could.

See, in life, we can’t just dive straight into everything without first at least checking the water. It’s not always because we’re not good at something or because the enemy is just attacking us. Sometimes, we are our own biggest obstacle. We have to first learn to crawl before we can learn to walk, and then one day we’ll be running. Yes, the LORD is for you, but you also have to do your part. So don’t just dive into any and everything without first, at the very least, researching the very basics.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and First Look At The Water.

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Don’t Be The Pike

12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. ~ Proverbs 13:12

In 1873, German zoologist Karl Möbius placed a Pike (a voracious ambush predator found across the Northern Hemisphere) in a glass tank with a group of schooling fish. Karl Möbius separated the Pike from the group of schooling fish with a transparent glass barrier. The Pike continuously attempted to get to the other fish but kept hitting the glass barrier. After failing over and over again, the predator gave up and retreated to the back corner of the tank. Karl Möbius then removed the glass barrier, but the Pike didn’t attack when the other fish entered his side of the tank. They swam all around him, yet he didn’t move. He didn’t attempt to catch them once. Not long after, the Pike Fish died of starvation in a tank full of food. This experiment later became known as the Pike Effect.

Some of us are like this Pike. We’ve tried so many times, but failure has beaten us down. It puts us in a place of hopelessness. A learned helplessness that keeps us from trying even when the obstacle has been removed. Even when there’s nothing more stopping us, we still refuse to try because our brain has been conditioned to believe that it’s pointless. That family member that we’ve been praying for for so many years has only gotten worse. That cancer diagnosis that we’ve been praying against hasn’t changed. That relationship we’ve set before God seems to have worsened. That sin we’ve been struggling with feels like its grip has only gotten tighter. We feel helpless and broken. But we can’t give in.

We can’t give up. There is a time and season for everything. Sometimes, the enemy puts a barrier between us and what God has for us. We hit that glass so many times that we just feel like there’s no getting through. Like there’s no way around it. But we aren’t that Pike. We are children of God Most High. Sons and daughters of God the Almighty. We are not without hope. Some of us are in a time of testing that feels like it will never end. Some of us are in a Job season, and the whole world is just weighing on our shoulders. But here’s the thing: we aren’t in the tank alone. We aren’t fighting the enemy on our own or in our own power. We fight in the Name and power of our LORD Jesus Christ. And because of Him, we are never without hope. Yes, the fulfillment may be delayed for a time, but not forever. For when we call on Him, He answers. And when we cry out to Him, He runs to our rescue. You are not alone. Never let the enemy convince you otherwise.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Don’t Be The Pike.

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A Dangerous Friend

22 All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast 23 till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life. ~ Proverbs 7:22-23

I recently watched The Twilight Zone for the first time. It was an episode called “To Serve Man,” and it really just made me think, this is exactly the Church. See, this 9-ft-tall alien came to Earth to solve all of mankind’s problems. Poverty, World Hunger, as well as international conflicts. And when he followed through on these promises, mankind gave him and the rest of his people (the Kanamits) their trust. They trusted them so much that more and more Kanamits came to Earth, and in return thousands of humans went to their planet. The Kanamits end goal? They were taking mankind to their planet to cook them and eat them. They were keeping them in rooms and serving them fattening food to get them ready for slaughter like an animal.

The Kanamits were able to conquer all of humanity without a single weapon. Not one single threat. They simply offered to fix all of their problems and followed through on it. They asked for nothing in return from humanity other than trust. That’s all they asked for. For mankind to trust them. That was all they asked. Nothing more, nothing less. And because they gave mankind everything they promised, mankind in turn gave them their trust.

The Kanamits painted the perfect planet to mankind. Even sending them back letters from family members praising how amazing the planet was. A foolproof plan to manipulate mankind into willingly coming with them to become their food source. Like an ox going to the slaughter, none knew it would cost them their life. This is the Church today.

The enemy doesn’t always show up like a roaring lion prowling around seeking someone to devour. Sometimes, the enemy shows up like a friend, promising to fix all your problems. Promising that he will give you all of these wonderful things, and in return? You just have to trust him. And by the time you realize what’s really going on, he has your soul, and there’s no return. There’s no hope, but thanks be to God that He has given us an out. That He has sent His Son, Jesus, to destroy contracts and redeem us from all that we have done.

Thank You, LORD, that You have always given us a way to return to You. That from the beginning of time You were working to our Salvation. To our redemption. Thank You for sacrificing Yourself for me. For redeeming me from darkness. Please forgive me for each time I’ve given in to temptation and fallen short. Please open my eyes that I might have the Spirit of Discernment. That I might discern the attacks of the enemy. That I might see his schemes before I fall prey to his traps. Teach me how to discern between good and evil. Righteousness and unrighteousness. Please help me, LORD. Cover me in Your precious and holy blood. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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