Tag: Daily Bread

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Follow Gad

19 Raiders shall raid Gad, but he shall raid at their heels. ~ Genesis 49:19

Jacob said that raiders would raid Gad, BUT Gad would raid them at their heels. In other words, Gad would see times of great difficulty. He would see times of trouble and distress, BUT he would never remain down. He would never remain defeated. He would always get back up again, no matter what happened. No matter who had attacked. No matter how bad it was, it would never overcome him.

We are much like Gad. For

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; (Corinthians 4:8-9)

We may be attacked. We may be afflicted. Persecuted. Struck down. Raided. But we are not destroyed. So, when we are attacked. When the enemy comes against us, we don’t just remain down. We don’t just tuck our tail and lick our wounds. We are to attack back, in the spiritual.

We fast. We pray. We bring it before God. We spiritually close doors. We self-reflect. We build our spirit-man so that when the enemy comes again, we’ll be stronger and better prepared.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Follow Gad.

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Connect Your Gift

10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. ~ 1 Peter 4:10-11

Each of us is given a gift from God. Something that we are naturally good at. That gift, when used correctly as God intended it, will propel you to your call. And your call will always be built on your God-given gifts. Therefore, your goals and passions should never be random; they should always reflect your God-given gifts and talents.

Don Corder, in his book, “Minding His Business”, wrote something like this: “If you have a tree-climbing job to do, don’t hire a dog, which can be trained to climb a tree, but rather, hire a squirrel, which was born to climb a tree.”

In other words, when we operate within our own giftings, we position ourselves on The Road to Success. BUT as you are all very well aware of, even when operating within your giftings, talents, and experiences, problems will still arise, because there is an enemy who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Therefore, problems don’t scream “Wrong path, wrong mission,” but, on the contrary, they are probably very good indicators that you are on the right track.

Someone once said that if you are not butting heads with the devil, it means you two are heading in the same direction. So, here’s the thing. Problems will arise. Situations will come up. Discouragement will try to weasel its way into your life. But you must shut it down and conquer it with your problem-solving skills.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Connect Your Gift.

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Love Souls

18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ~ Ephesians 6:18

The story of Pinocchio was written as a warning tale. One to sound the alarm, “Hey! If you continue living your life in this way, there will be major consequences that you won’t be ready for. Stop! Change! Do better!” We all know Pinocchio learns his lesson, does good, and is rewarded with his dream being a reality. Pinocchio becomes a real boy. His friend, Lucignolo (Candlewick), was not so lucky.

What made Pinocchio so lucky? Well, it wasn’t really luck. It was that Pinocchio had someone looking out for him. Pinocchio meets and gains the friendship of a fairy with turquoise hair who tries to teach him right from wrong and show him the right way. Pinocchio continuously messes up. Each and every time you think he’s about to hit his breakthrough, he gets distracted by something else. He’s easily persuaded and led astray by others. The night before he is to be turned into a real boy, Lucignolo (Candlewick) convinces him to leave with him to Toyland.

Toyland is where both of them turn into donkeys and are sold to different people. Pinocchio is ultimately freed from this horrible fate and saved from the life of a slave circus donkey by his fairy. Lucignolo (Candlewick), however, dies as a donkey who was worked to death by his owner. There was no one looking out for him. No one intervening in his life the way the fairy with turquoise hair did in Pinocchio’s life.

This is the same fate that many face today. There are many Lucignolos (Candlewicks) in the world. Here’s what I mean. Lucignolo (Candlewick) represents those people who don’t have anyone praying for them. Both Pinocchio and Lucignolo (Candlewick) continuously got themselves into trouble. Were rude. Disobedient. And ultimately ran away from home so that they’d never have to work or study again, but could relax and play all day, every day. Lucignolo’s (Candlewick’s) decisions were no worse than Pinocchio’s decision. The only difference was that Pinocchio had someone watching over him. Someone who loved and cared about him, who could do something to help him, whereas Lucignolo (Candlewick) did not.

The prayers of a righteous person availeth much. Our prayers can make all the difference in someone’s life. Because prayer isn’t just empty words or good thoughts sent towards someone to make them feel better. Prayer is communicating with the God of the Universe. The Creator. It’s pleading, begging, and seeking the LORD God Almighty for His Divine intervention. So, why don’t we do it more? Think about it this way, for every prayer you pray for another person, might just save the soul of the person you pray for. There is nothing more important to the LORD than saving souls because He loves those souls.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Love Souls.

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Pay Close Attention

1 Peter 5:8-9

[8] Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. [9] Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

I recently watched the 2019 live action Italian film, Pinocchio. Throughout the film, Pinocchio constantly gets himself into trouble. He gets himself into trouble right before each breakthrough. Each and every time something stops Pinocchio and he is led astray right before he can do what he needs to in order to achieve what he wants. In order to get to the next level of his life.

The enemy is just like this. He will distract us so that he can steal our harvest. So that we never overcome. So that we never reach the next level of our lives. So that he can keep us bound where we’re at forever.

Paul tells us that we aren’t unaware of the devil’s schemes. That we are to be on guard and pay attention to all that surrounds us. To all that tries to come against us, so that we might finish the race  before us.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Pay Close Attention.

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Strive To Fully Dwell

Mark 16:17-18

[17] And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; [18] they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.

Jesus said that in His name we would do many miraculous things. But do we actually fully understand what Jesus meant by “in my name they will…”? Here’s what I’m getting at. When someone speaks in tongues, they don’t start by saying “in Jesus name.” But when it comes to casting out evil spirits or healing the sick, we believe you HAVE to say “in Jesus name” or “in the name of Jesus.” But what if that isn’t what Jesus was talking about?

See, anyone can invoke the name of Jesus and get results. We saw this with the Seven Sons of Sceva, at least until they faced something stronger than they were prepared for. I don’t think Jesus is just talking on the surface level of “Say my name and x, y, and z will happen for you.” Jesus is not a magical genie that will perform commands you give, or grant any wish you make simply because you use His name.

Jesus said “in my name you will…” You have to be dwelling in His name to see results. You have to be dwelling in His name for the spirits to recognize you and the authority you have through/in Christ Jesus. It’s not about whether or not you say His name, it’s about whether or not you are dwelling in that name.

Here’s an example. Towards the beginning of their ministries both Paul and Peter use the name of Jesus when performing a miracle. Peter when healing a lame man and Paul when casting out an unclean spirit. Fast forward in their ministries when they have grown in Christ and are truly dwelling in His name. Peter’s shadow is healing the sick. Handkerchiefs that touched Paul’s skin is casting out demons.

The very two things they once had to speak to and invoke the name of Jesus in order to see results was now coming to fruition without even a word being spoken. The LORD was working through them. Jesus was dwelling through them. It’s the greatest example of “it’s no longer I who live, but Christ who lives through me.” That is what we are aiming for. That’s what we’re running towards. That’s what we are striving for. To be so in tune with God that our shadows are charged with His Spirit. Our skin is charged with His Power.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Strive To Fully Dwell.

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Don’t Take It For Granted

Deuteronomy 29:29

29 The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

I think that a lot of the time, as Christians, we forget that the Scriptures weren’t written in English. Our favorite or preferred translation is just that, a translation. It’s not perfect. It’s not flawless. And a lot of times, it misses the deeper picture the author was trying to get across to his audience. Does that mean that we shouldn’t read translations? Or trust them? No.

I’m saying, don’t just read one translation and ignore all the other ones. Don’t just take the translations at face value either. Dig deeper. Use those online resources that we have available to us. The entire Bible in its original language (the documents that were translated) are available for anyone to see. They have definitions, root words, etc.

We miss so much, not because we don’t read, but because we cling to one single translation and shun all of the rest. No one translation is perfect. Only the original is. Therefore, search the original. Don’t just accept what someone has translated, check their translation. See if there is something more going on in the original language.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Don’t Take It For Granted.

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Relight That Dwindling Fire

Hosea 10:12

[12]  Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

So many of us desire revival. We want to see the Church on fire for the LORD and the book of Acts our reality once again. But little of us truly understand and comprehend that revival will cost you something. It’s not free, but costly.

What will it cost you? Rest. Me time. A missed meal or three. Your free time. Your relaxing time. Your “TV” watching time. Your “eating” time. And your time enjoying a good outing. It requires more than just a desire to see it take place. It requires a discipline that refuses to live without seeing it.

So, what are we to do? First, we must revive ourselves… before we can revive others, we must… ourselves be revived. We must enjoy being in the Presence of God again. Enjoy reading and studying His word. Enjoy the gathering of ourselves together. We must nurture the burden of prayer. We must have a love and a burden for lost souls. Our desires must be Christ-centered, not me-centered.

In other words, we have to light the fire again. We have to break up that fallow ground and return to our first love. We have to get off of the fence and choose to make and be a difference.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Relight That Dwindling Fire.

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Forget About The Season

2 Timothy 4:1-2 ESV

[1]  I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: [2] preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

Paul warns Timothy that he needs to be prepared in and out of season. What does that look like? The best example of this, is Jesus Himself. Jesus came to Israel and the fig tree didn’t have any fruit on the tree. So what did Jesus do? He cursed it.

The fig tree represented the Israelites. The physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When Jesus came to them, they weren’t ready for the Messiah. They didn’t recognize Him. Instead, they hated Him. Accused Him and had Him killed. They weren’t prepared out of season.

The LORD is returning. He’s coming at a time we wouldn’t expect. At a time that just may not be when we’re in season, so what are we to do? Bear fruit. The LORD uses us and calls on us to be prepared whether we think the timing is good or not. So what are we to do? Bear fruit.

We are to constantly be on guard, bearing fruit, seeking the LORD, so that we might be ready for anything. Why? Because the LORD doesn’t work according to our time, but according to His own. Therefore, we must always be ready for the LORD.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Forget About The Season.

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Don’t Bow To A Place Holder

14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. ~ Genesis 1:14-19

In the Old Testament, God is referred to as our sun in Psalms 84:11. Here’s what I find interesting about this: almost every single civilization worshipped the sun at one point in time. Even ancient Israel. In fact, God told Ezekiel that this was the greatest of the abominations the house of Israel was committing (Ezekiel 8:16). The worship of the sun had even penetrated the house of Israel. I believe that the sun was created as a sign to all of humanity and to be a type of symbol for God, if you will. I don’t believe it was ever created to be worshipped.

So, when the people of Israel began to choose the representation or symbol or foreshadowing instead of the actual God of the Heavens and Earth, the LORD’s anger began to burn against them. I believe that this is why the sun will eventually be no more. Isaiah 60:19-20 and Revelation 21:23 actually prophesy that the true Light of the World will take His rightful place as the only sun. The only separation of light and dark. The only Light that can truly destroy darkness.

There’s so much in our lives that are just a foreshadowing of the good things to come, and those things, oftentimes, actually end up taking away from the true essence that is to come. We cling to the temporary happiness of the world instead of the everlasting joy of the LORD. The lust of the flesh instead of the love of the LORD. This world promises so many counterfeits and pushes temporary but immediate pleasures that we forget the everlasting promises of the LORD. We trade the eternal for the temporary. The spiritual for the flesh. So, what are we to do? We search the Scriptures and seek the LORD for the good and perfect things to come to His people.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Don’t Bow To A Place Holder.

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Act On Love

1 Samuel 1:4-8 ESV

[4] On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. [5] But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. [6] And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. [7] So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. [8] And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”

This love story, though extremely short, is my favorite. I talk about this all the time. It’s not just that it says He gave her a double portion because he loved her, but the way he tried to console her. You can hear the love in his words. The desperation to fix this problem and ease his wife’s pain.

My only problem with this story, is that Hannah is praying by the temple alone. She’s by herself. Elkanah is no where to be found. It never once says that he prays to the LORD on her behalf to open her womb.

See, we can love someone but not put that love into action. True love isn’t just words, it’s actions. It’s not just wiping the tears away, it’s faith, praying, going before the LORD seeking His intervention.

So, this Valentine’s Day, bring your relationship before the LORD. Ask Him for His help, His guidance, His direction in your relationship. Let God be a part of your love story.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Act On Love.

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