Daily Bread Archives

October 6, 2023October 5, 2023

Do You Love Him?

¹⁵When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” ¹⁷He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to Him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” ~ John 21:15-17

Three times, Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him. At the third time, Peter’s heart broke because of the question. I want you to remember that just three days prior, Peter had denied even knowing Jesus. And at that third time, Jesus looked directly at Peter. Jesus is now giving Peter the chance to make things right, but it wasn’t enough for Peter to have just said that he loved Jesus. Jesus gave him three things to do to prove that he loved Him. Today, we’re in the same boat as Peter.

We’ve just fallen down. We’ve relapsed. We gave into temptation again. We took a bite of that forbidden fruit. Now, Christ is holding out His hand, asking, ‘Do you love me?’ Of course, we tell Him yes. Of course, we believe that we do as well, but just as Peter had things to do in order to prove his love for Christ, so do we. We have to follow His commands. Yes, we will make mistakes. Yes, we will fall down. Yes, we will give into temptation, but we have to get on our knees, beg for forgiveness, and walk away from our failure. We have to walk away from where we’ve just messed up. It’s not enough to just say that we love Jesus; we have to live for Him. Our actions have to say that we love Jesus as well as our words.

Dear LORD, please help my actions to say that I love You. Help me to never offer You empty words that have no meaning. Help me to always live my life for You. Help me to always put Your ways and Your kingdom first above all else. Teach me to truly follow You and love You the way that You deserve. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Responsibility

³⁹They defiled themselves by their evil deeds, and their love of idols was adultery in the Lord’s sight. ~ Psalm 106:39 ^NLT

The Scripture comes right out and says, “They defiled themselves…” It wasn’t that they were tripped up or deceived into going that way. It wasn’t that someone tricked them, and they had no idea what was going on. It wasn’t even that they were innocent in all of this. But rather, God said they had defiled themselves.

There was no one to blame. They could lay the blame at no one’s feet except their own because it was they themselves who had knowingly defiled their own souls with their evil deeds. It was their own actions that defiled them, not somebody else’s, but their own. And it is the same with us today; we defile ourselves with our actions and with our words, but yet consider ourselves innocent. It’s not our fault, we say. I’m innocent in all of this.

In today’s society, no one wants to take responsibility for his or her actions, and our government and social media encourage it. It’s not your fault; you had a hard life. It’s not your fault; you were mistreated as a child. It’s not your fault; it’s your parents’ fault. It’s not your fault; your childhood was victimized. It’s not your fault; you were born that way. It’s not your fault; it is a disease. It’s not their fault; they are just acting out because they’ve been held down for so long. It’s not their fault; they’re the victim in all of this.

But the Scripture says that they did it themselves. They had defiled their own selves by their evil deeds. There was no one to blame. It is not someone else’s fault for you defiling your own self. Everyone has the responsibility to acknowledge his or her own deeds. Nobody else can accept responsibility for you; you must accept your own responsibility.

The Psalmist said, if I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the LORD would not have listened. It gives God no pleasure in punishing the guilty. He wants everyone to recognize and accept their own wrongdoing and repent and turn away.

Dear LORD, help me to take accountability for my actions. Help me not to blame others for my own mistakes and shortcomings. Help me not to cherish iniquity in my heart but to cherish Your Word in my heart. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Proclaim His Death

¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ¹⁸All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Jesus became sin so that in His death, He killed sin. He did a physical action to achieve a Spiritual result. By accepting Christ and being baptized in water, we do a physical action that triggers the spiritual action of dying to sin, as Christ died to sin. Therefore, since Christ Physically rose on the third day, we will also rise on the day that He returns.

This is what we proclaim spiritually when we physically partake in communion, the LORD’s Supper. Because of this, Communion is a two-fold ordinance, or ritual, as it looks back in remembrance and looks forward in hope to His return, which the early Church often referred to as the blessed hope.

We are now closer than ever before to the return of Christ. To the Blessed Hope that every generation so desperately longed to see. We’re seeing prophecies being fulfilled in our day and age. We see the End Times stage being set before our very eyes. Jesus is soon coming back, but is His Church, His bride, ready for Him? Are you ready for His return?

Times of difficulty are still to come, and we see them preparing for it even now. Nevertheless, the bride is to say come. Even so, come LORD Jesus, come. So, the next time you take the LORD Supper (Communion), think about what you’re doing. Think about the spiritual action you are proclaiming as you partake of the bread and the cup.

Dear LORD, please strengthen my faith and my love that I might withstand any and every form of persecution that comes my way. Help my life to proclaim Your death until You return. Help me to never get caught up in the pleasures of this world; instead, help me to always cry, ‘Come, LORD Jesus, come.’ In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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The Ram

⁸Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. ~ Genesis 22:8

God asked Abraham to do the unthinkable. To take his only son Isaac, whom he loved, and sacrifice him. Abraham, being the faithful and trusting servant that he is, did as God commanded. So, as they (Abraham and Isaac) venture up the Mountain, Isaac looks around and notices that they have the fire, they have the wood, and his father, Abraham, is carrying the knife, but there is no sacrifice. So, puzzled, he asks his father, “Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

Abraham’s response is so profound he says, “God will provide for Himself a lamb.” Isn’t that remarkable? And sure enough, God did provide for Himself a ram. This is the same for us today. God has called each of us to sacrifice our own self on the altar. Not physically, but spiritually. Why? Because Jesus already came as our only sacrifice. It was never God’s plan that man should die, but that God Himself would die for man. Our only acceptable offering for sin. Jesus is the Lamb of God, the Lamb that God Himself provided, the Lamb that taketh away the sin of the world.

Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice. Thank You for taking my sin upon Yourself. Thank You for being my sacrifice even though I don’t deserve it. Thank You for redeeming me and reconciling me back to You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Friendly Fire

¹ After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill Him. ²Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. ³So His brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. ⁴For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” ⁵For not even His brothers believed in Him. ⁶Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. ⁷The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. ⁸You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” ⁹After saying this, He remained in Galilee. ~ John 7:1-9

Jesus never did anything in order to impress others. He never gave in to peer pressure, even when it came from His own brothers. They didn’t even believe in Him, yet they were trying to give Him advice on His call. This is still true today. There are many people who don’t even believe in your call from God or even in God Himself, but they want to try to tell you how to fulfill that call from God. They sound very sincere when they do it, too, but rarely does the enemy send attacks that look like attacks.

When Eve was tempted in the Garden, the Serpent didn’t come at her with anger and aggression. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, Satan didn’t come at Him with anger and aggression. They were both asked questions. It probably didn’t even sound malicious when it was said. It probably sounded like enlightenment. If the enemy wants you to drink poison, he’s not going to label the bottle with a skull and cross bones. No. Instead, he’s going to label it healthy and say how it’ll help you and free you.

The enemy will use anyone he can in order to hinder the saints of God because we are the hands and feet of Jesus while on this earth. It’s us that goes out and makes disciples of all nations. We’re to spread the good news. We’re to keep charge over the earth. We’re to protect it and keep it. We’re supposed to keep evil from taking over the entire earth. So, the Devil uses whoever and whatever he can in order to overcome us.

Dear LORD, please help me to follow You regardless of what others do. Help me to always seek Your approval above all else. Help me to follow Your ways and fulfill the call that You have for my life, regardless of how hard or difficult it may be. Please strengthen me so that I may not fall prey to the attacks of the enemy; in Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Only Sacrifice

²¹For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:21

Once a year, the High Priest would lay the sins of the nation of Israel on the scapegoat. In the same way that the sins of Israel were transferred to the scapegoat, the Father laid on Jesus the sins and iniquities of the whole world.

Therefore, when the sin and iniquities of the whole world were placed on Jesus, He became that scapegoat. Now, to completely fulfill every iota of the Law, the scapegoat has to be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel. Azazel is a place, not a goat-demon. So, where is this place then? In short, it is Hell because Jesus has to take the sins and iniquities away from the camp and away from the people. Why? For the wages of sin is death…

This is not talking about normal physical death, but the second death. Otherwise, there would be no need for the second death mentioned in Revelation 20 if the normal physical death satisfied that requirement.

If physical death was the penalty for sin, and Jesus paid that penalty by dying on the cross, we would not have to physically die; otherwise, that is called double jeopardy. Neither would those who die without Jesus be sent to hell because the wages of sin would be satisfied by their physical death. But since the wages of sin is not normal physical death, the payment is left outstanding and has to be paid by someone. Who? Jesus, our only propitiation for sin. There is nothing like the love our God has for us to lay down His own life for His enemy.

Dear LORD, thank You for Your sacrifice on the cross for my sins. I know that I don’t deserve Your love, but You give it anyway. Thank You for Your mercy and Your grace. You are our only pure and perfect sacrifice for our sins. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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The Only Cleansing Blood

¹⁴And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times. ~ Leviticus 16:14

The first time the high priest went into the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement, he took with him the blood of a bull into the Holy of Holies, and with his finger, he sprinkled some of the blood seven times. The blood of the bull did not take away his sin but only covered it or rolled it ahead one year. He was still filled with sin, and no amount of sacrifice could do anything to change that. Why?

Because the blood of Jesus is the only blood that is sufficient to take away the sins of the world, but you have to accept that sacrifice. You have to accept that free gift of salvation. God does not force salvation on anyone. It must be a cognizant decision on the part of the worshiper to receive the free gift of salvation. There’s no all roads lead to God. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The Scriptures say that it is for man once to die, and then the Judgment.

Therefore, once we die, that’s it. There’s no do-over. There’s no second chance. The door is shut. Forgiveness and salvation are only given as an option to the living because once you die, it’s time for Judgment. Therefore, today is the day of salvation; tomorrow is promised to no man.

Dear LORD, please forgive me of all of my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Please take Your rightful place as LORD and King of my heart and life. Please direct my path and guide me through each and every circumstance that comes my way. Thank You for Your love, grace, and mercy. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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The Workings of Fear

¹⁸ There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. ~ 1 John 4:18

Fear, an age-old enemy, attacking from generation to generation, relentless in its pursuit to defeat the strongest of men. A very true and accurate description of Fear by someone I love and miss dearly. Fear is an enemy that will intimidate you and throw lies your way in hopes that you never stand up to it. Why? Because Fear will have to back down. Fear uses this tactic because Fear doesn’t have the authority to touch you.

Here’s what I mean: Fear can’t beat you. It can’t scratch you. It can’t cause you actual harm. It can’t take your life. But it can convince you that others will. It will try its best to control you because it knows that if you refuse to give in to its demands, it no longer has any root in your life. So, it’ll bring friends with it, like anxiety, depression, suicide, shame, etc.

Mankind has struggled with Fear from the very beginning. After Adam ate the fruit and heard God in the Garden, Fear entered his life. Each and every one of his offspring after him have had to battle this enemy in one form or another. How do we fight and defeat this relentless enemy?

By standing firm in the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. Love that doesn’t take into consideration its own needs or safety but will do whatever it takes to protect those dwelling in said love. This is what we hold to. The love of God.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Stand In Love.

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The Redeemable

¹ Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. ²A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. ³He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. ⁴So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. ⁵When Jesus reached the spot, He looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” ⁶So he came down at once and welcomed Him gladly. ⁷All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” ⁸But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” ⁹Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” ~ Luke 19:1-10

Jesus said He had to go to Zacchaeus’ house that day. The reason is that the next day, He was going to be in Bethany and then the Triumphal Entry, so He had a whole schedule to keep. Right. But why Zacchaeus? I believe it’s because Jesus came to earth to redeem the unredeemable. He healed the sick. Gave sight to the blind. Made the lame walk. And His disciples after Him baptized eunuchs. So, the lowly right. Many believe He had to go to Zacchaeus because he was a tax collector. Well, that doesn’t really make sense because He ate with many tax collectors, which is why the Pharisees were always upset with Him, and He even had a tax collector as one of His twelve Apostles. So, I don’t think that’s it.

Here’s the thing. When you go back and read the law, it says that only those without a defect could serve as high priests and enter the presence of God. So, no lame, blind, mute, or deaf could enter—as well as no dwarfs.

Zacchaeus was a dwarf. Jesus had to eat at his house because He wasn’t going back to Jericho. That Thursday, He was gonna die. So, He had to redeem all the unredeemable before then.

That’s why He had to stay at Zacchaeus’ house that night. His heart wasn’t hardened against God. He was willing to repay anyone that he had cheated 4x the amount. And would give half his possessions to the poor. Jesus didn’t have to say anything to him. He was just willing to do whatever it took to be right with God. So, God chose him to redeem on behalf of all other dwarfs that are redeemed because now God dwells in and with any willing heart. Not just those who are physically without flaws.

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Be The One

¹¹On the way to Jerusalem He was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. ¹²And as He entered a village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance ¹³and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” ¹⁴When He saw them He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. ¹⁵Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; ¹⁶and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. ¹⁷Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? ¹⁸Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹And He said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” ~ Luke 17:11-19^NIV

There were ten lepers. Jesus spoke to them from afar off and told them to present themselves to the priest. There was no miracle. No change. Nothing immediately happened. In fact, I’m willing to bet that if they hadn’t walked in obedience to the high priest, they would have never been healed because that’s when they noticed their healing. Then, only one returned. A Samaritan. The Samaritans aren’t Jews of any kind.

Their ancestors were foreigners, from all over, that Sennacherib, King of Assyria, removed all Jews from Samaria and placed foreigners in their place. He did this because he had just seized Israel, and Samaria was Israel’s capital. They then began having plagues because of the amount of idolatry and corruption, to the point that the king sent a captured priest back to Bethel to teach them how to live in the land and not offend God. They then began to mix their religions with Judaism.

This is what the Samaritan man came out of. Paganism mixed with Judaism, yet he was the only one who returned to Jesus to thank Him. And he was the only person who received salvation. That word healed or made well that Jesus tells him, doesn’t mean physical healing. He already received that. It’s the Greek word Sozo, which means full entire healing and deliverance. It means to be saved. 9 Jews who had the Scriptures, the Prophets, and all the teachings of God in its entirety saw their healing and kept walking, but one man who had generations of mixing paganism and Judaism came back and fell at Jesus’ feet when he saw he was healed.

So many of us who grew up in the Church are missing out on a real relationship with Christ because we take it for granted. We aren’t as grateful. We aren’t seeking Him the way we should. We aren’t giving Him the thanksgiving and praise He deserves. While those who have never set foot in Church are finding Christ and surpassing us in the things of God. We’ve become like the nine instead of like the one.

Dear LORD, please help me to never take you for granted. Please teach me to love You the way You deserve. Teach me to follow you. Teach me to be grateful and thankful. Help me to always seek You with all that is within me. Even if no one else comes to You, LORD, help me to be the one that does. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Category: Daily Bread

Do You Love Him?

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