Daily Bread Archives

May 4, 2023May 3, 2023

Sound and Heed The Alarm

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, ~ Joel 2:1

The coming of the LORD is nearer now more than ever before. It draws nearer and nearer with each and every day. Why? Because the more we remove His presence from our societies, the more we usher in the darkness. The more we persecute His people and spiritually kill the innocent. And soon it will be too much. The LORD will have to once again get up off of His Throne and intervene. But this time, He won’t set His Godliness to the side. He won’t come as a humble carpenter. This time He’ll come in all of His glory and majesty. The kings of the earth will tremble at His greatness when He returns for His people and removes the barrier between mankind and God. What a frightful day for the unbeliever. For those who do not follow Him or His ways.

So, the LORD, through Joel, warns His Church, His people, blow the trumpet in Zion. Sound the alarm. Let them know what’s coming. Let them know what’s at stake. Do whatever you must do to get their attention. Shout over the noise. Shine into the darkness. Don’t let them go on with their lives, unaware of the coming destruction. The coming plagues. The coming wrath.

The LORD is coming soon, but He hasn’t come yet. He’s given us a chance. He’s given us an opportunity to heed the warning of the trumpet. To heed the warning of the alarm. To heed the warning of the LORD and run to Him. To repent from our wicked ways. To turn to Him in humility and a sorrowful heart. The LORD has given us a chance to be saved. Don’t miss the opportunity for salvation. Don’t miss the opportunity to warn others of the times we are living in. Today is the day of salvation; tomorrow is promised to no man.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Sound and Heed The Alarm.

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Release The Fire From Your Bones

⁹ But if I say I’ll never mention the Lord or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it! ~ Jeremiah 20:9^NLT

Jeremiah lived during the time before the Babylonian exile. The LORD came to Him and warned Him about the coming exile of His people because of their sin. Jeremiah passionately warned his people and the people persecuted him for it. They condemned him. Threw him into a cistern. Put him in the stocks. They even whipped him, yet Jeremiah never lost his passion.

He did all the LORD commanded, yet he still saw Judah taken into captivity by Babylon because they refused to believe. Because they believed his words were too harsh. Because they believed the love God had for them would never be removed regardless of how they lived their lives. Then one day, Nebuchadnezzar took the entire city of Jerusalem and, in doing so, conquered Jerusalem.

Jeremiah never stopped warning the people. He was so filled with the Spirit of God that if he were to remain silent, it would be like keeping a fire shut up in his bones. Today, the Church doesn’t have this same kind of passion. We preach God loves everybody, so He’ll never send you to Hell for sinning. God loves and accepts everyone, so there’s no need to change. And if anyone feels that passion begin to burn in their bones and they begin to passionately preach, teach, and warn the people, they are attacked. They’re intimidated into submission by faceless and nameless bullies online. They’re doxed and harassed by people passionate about the wrong things. Things that lead them and others farther and farther away from God.

Don’t let that passion in you for the things of God die. Don’t let the flame burn out. Don’t let the fire in your bones dwindle. Release the passion. Speak the Truth. Warn the sinner. Wake up the saint. Be passionate for the LORD. All other communities are allowed to be passionate about their beliefs, so why can’t Christians be passionate about the things of God?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Release The Fire From Your Bones.

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Don’t Forget To Say Thank You

⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. ~ Philippians 4:6^NLT

We always quote to never be anxious about anything, but in all circumstances, make your request be known to God. This is a common teaching in the Church, yet the Church is ridden with fear and anxiety. We worry about any and everything, just like the world. Why? Because we aren’t making our requests known to God accurately. We are to make our requests known with thanksgiving.

When was the last time you prayed a prayer of thanksgiving, thanking Him for all that He’s done for you? All that He’s doing for you? And all that He will do for you? We are to enter His gates with thanksgiving and enter His courts with praise. Maybe we don’t have His peace because we don’t know how to receive it. Maybe if we focused more on the things we are thankful for rather than the things we believe we need in that moment, the peace of God will begin to work in our lives.

Even secular studies have shown that the more thankful a person is, the less anxious, stressed, worried, etc., that person is. Today I challenge you to not just bring complaints before God and expect Him to change things for you. Instead, start each morning out with thanksgiving. Thank Him for keeping you safe as you slept. For His mercy and grace that gave you breath this morning. Thank Him for all He has done, is doing, and will be doing in your life. Then make your request to the LORD. Then thank Him for hearing you. The more thankful you are, the more you will see yourself and your life change.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Don’t Forget To Say Thank You.

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Never Give Up The Battle

³⁴Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. ³⁵The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. ³⁶So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.’ ~ John 8:34-36

We’ve all heard, ‘The Truth will set you free.’ Or ‘Whom the Son sets free is free indeed,’ but what does that mean? What does it mean to be set free? Jesus is saying that we are freed from sin. We are freed from the chains of sin so that we can overcome as He overcame. Our freedom is from a Spiritual yoke of slavery since we are in a constant battle in the spiritual realm, according to Ephesians 6:12.

Even though we’ve been set free, that doesn’t mean we no longer have a battle before us. Instead, according to Paul, we are in a constant battle. In fact, the author of the book of Hebrews says that we still have to run the race set before us. But because whom the Son sets free is free indeed, when times become difficult, and obstacles are in our way, we can look to Jesus for help.

So, even though we still have a battle set before us and a race to run, we can still overcome because sin no longer has a hold on us. We are overcomers through Christ Jesus. It won’t always be easy, but it will be possible. So, don’t give up. Never stop fighting those attacks from the enemy. Yes, sometimes it may seem impossible. Sometimes the battle may take more than one night. Sometimes, the battle may even seem hopeless but don’t lose hope. It’s always darkest right before the dawn.

Therefore, put on your spiritual armor and go to war. Fight for your soul because that’s what’s at stake. Use your two silver bullets, ‘the word of your testimony’ and ‘the blood of the Lamb.’ We are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus, who first overcame so that we might also overcome through Him.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Never Give Up The Battle.

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Call Mary to The Teacher

²⁸When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” ²⁹And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to Him. ~ John 11:28-29

Lazarus had been dead in the tomb for four days when Jesus finally showed up. When Mary and Martha heard Jesus was on His way, only Martha got up and ran to Him, but Mary remained morning in the house. After speaking to Jesus, Martha returned to get Mary. That’s when Mary got up and went to Jesus.

See, Martha was grieving her brother as well, but she could handle it. She could deal with it. She still had faith in Jesus regardless, but Mary was struggling. She only got up because Jesus called her. Sometimes, we have to be Martha. Situations and circumstances happen that will attack our faith, but if we remain strong, we must help our brother or sister.

Martha knew where her hope was. She knew in whom she trusted. So, after speaking to Jesus and being renewed, or at the very least comforted by the Comforter Himself, she left her safe place and went to get her sister so that she could also get to a place of safety.

This is our job as Christians. We’re to hold on to Jesus, but we’re also to go help our brother or sister and lead them back to Christ when they stray. This is why we’re the body of Christ. We are to help our brothers and sisters fight when they can’t fight anymore. We’re to help encourage, lead them back to the Master, and help them find green pasture. We’re never to leave our brother and sister behind without trying to help them.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Call Mary to The Teacher.

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Judge Between Light and Dark

²¹ I have not sent these prophets, yet they run around claiming to speak for me. I have given them no message, yet they go on prophesying. ²² If they had stood before me and listened to me, they would have spoken my words, and they would have turned my people from their evil ways and deeds. ~ Jeremiah 23:21-22^NLT

Not too long ago, I was having a conversation with someone who said, “After all, we weren’t created to judge. The Bible tells us not to judge.” I responded, “That’s debatable.” Her posture then straightened, and she got noticeably annoyed as she said, “Well, I wasn’t created to judge.” This is the average Christian today. We’ve been brainwashed from childhood that making a judgment on whether something is right or wrong is not only wrong to do, but it’s hateful. Why?

Because the enemy knows that if we correct people and show the Truth, Light will begin to penetrate the darkness. More people will be saved. The more righteousness will be done on the earth and the less souls he will be able to claim. To judge simply means to deem either right or wrong, and the most important part for a disciple of Jesus is that it’s not our own opinions; it’s God’s. God has had His Word written for us so that we don’t have to guess what’s right or wrong. So that we didn’t have to guess whether we were living in sin or for Him. God’s Judgment gets rid of the guessing. He’s laid it all out for us in Scripture. So that we might live and not die.

If we want to live in eternity with God, then we have to live on this earth for Him. We have to judge between what’s right and what’s wrong. What’s good and what’s evil. What’s true and what’s false. How can there be Light in the darkness if the Light is forbidden from judging between the Light and the darkness? The Light in this world will continue to dwindle unless men and women of God stand up for righteousness and begin to righteously judge with love and compassion.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Judge Between Light and Dark.

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Confidently Stand On The Word of God

¹⁶All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. ~ 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The Word of God has been given to us so that we may grow as disciples of Christ in righteousness and relationship with Him. We can have confidence in His Word because it was God-breathed and not the opinions, thoughts, or misunderstandings. The Bible is the Word of God that we are to stand on. This is a part of our spiritual armor.

¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

Ephesians 6:15

We’re to stand on the Word of God. We’re to build our lives on His Words. His unshakable, infallible, untainted Word. How do we stand on the Word of God? We read it. We study it. We learn and memorize it. So that we can have confidence in our beliefs. The more we learn about God, the closer we draw to Him. The closer we draw to God, the more peace we have. The more confidence we have because we can then always be ready to defend our beliefs against anyone who would try to cast doubt on them (1 Peter 3:14-16).

The Word of God is a foundation. We build our faith through our relationship with Him, which only comes through knowing and learning about Him and spending time with Him. Let your faith grow by growing your knowledge and understanding of Scripture.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Confidently Stand On The Word of God.

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Run To The Good Shepherd

Mary and Martha’s brother Lazarus had just died. They were currently in mourning when Jesus came four days late. Martha heard that Jesus was on His way and got up and ran to Him, but Mary remained in the house, mourning. After speaking with Jesus, Martha came back to the house for Mary and told her that Jesus was calling for her. It was only at that time that Mary got up and went to Jesus.

Sometimes grief distresses us to the point of blindness. It blinds us from seeing where our hope is because we begin to play the blame game. We blame God for our problems instead of trying to understand, instead of seeking comfort in the Comforter. We know that if we love God, He will work all things out for good. We have to put our faith and trust in Him. We have to walk according to faith and not according to sight.

When things go wrong, run to the only Way. When you’re in distress, run to the only Comforter. When you’re grieving, run to the only source of Joy. The LORD doesn’t always run to us; sometimes, we have to run to Him so that He can show us a new perspective. A new way of seeing our current circumstance.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Run To The Good Shepherd.

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Encourage Your Faith

²³By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’ ~ Isaiah 45:23

The foundation of Christianity is that Jesus wasn’t just a man from Galilee but that He is God. With each generation, the belief that Jesus was, is, and always will be God dwindles. Doubt seems to be sweeping across the world throughout the Church, the Body of Christ. Why? Maybe it’s because we no longer read our bibles. Maybe it’s because we no longer base our beliefs on the Bible but try to make the Bible fit our beliefs. But the Word of God is clear. We don’t just have any old person as our savior. We don’t have just any old person being our Rock and Deliverer. We have God Almighty being our Savior, Rock, Deliverer, and Friend. Jesus is God.

So that there would be no doubts in our minds, He wrote out His Word and preserved it throughout each generation so that we might know Him. So that we might know how to live and grow in righteousness. The LORD prophesies through Isaiah that every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall swear allegiance to Him, yet Paul in Philippians 2:9-11 that this will be to Jesus. This isn’t an error in Scripture; this is confirmation that Jesus Christ is God.

Don’t allow anyone to weaken your faith with verses taken out of context or bold statements. Search the Scriptures for yourself. Study them. Meditate on them, but most importantly, seek guidance from the Spirit of the LORD. Let Him guide you and not your own mind (or anyone else’s). Let the LORD be your Truth. Let Him lay your foundation of faith so that it may be strong and unshakable.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Encourage Your Faith.

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Stand Strong Against Rabshakeh

¹⁹And the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours? ²⁰Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me? ²¹Behold, you are trusting now in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. ²²But if you say to me, “We trust in the Lord our God,” is it not He whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, “You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem”? ²³Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them. ²⁴How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my master’s servants, when you trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? ²⁵Moreover, is it without the Lord that I have come up against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, “Go up against this land and destroy it.”’” ~ 2 Kings 18:19-25

Rabshakeh didn’t know the LORD. He wasn’t a follower of the LORD, yet he tried to intimidate Judah with what he had heard about them. King Hezekiah had removed all the high places and the altars, this was right in the eyes of the LORD, but Rabshakeh, who didn’t know the LORD, tried to use this as a way to intimidate Judah. See, Rabshakeh was hoping that Judah didn’t know the LORD. That Judah didn’t know their own Scriptures, so he threw a stone at the good things Hezekiah had done, hoping that he might be able to cast enough doubt in Judah so that Assyria might overtake them as they overtook all the other nations.

The enemy still uses this trick with us today. He still uses this trap. He’ll throw a stone at the good the Church has done and try to make it out to be something evil. Then he waits for those of us who don’t know the LORD nor His Word to slip in our faith. The moment that we slip in our faith, we give the enemy a foothold, and that’s all he needs to wreak havoc. From that one foothold of doubt, he’s able to convince us that evil is good and good is evil. Just look at the Church around us today. The enemy bluffed, but because we don’t know our God nor His Word, we can’t call his bluff. We can’t defend our faith with Scripture. This is the importance of the Helmet of Salvation. See, salvation isn’t just a repentance and acceptance one-time action. Salvation is an ongoing relationship with the LORD and His Word. It’s getting to know Him better and better through prayer, worship, and reading your Bible. So, that when your Rabshakeh comes up against you to cast a stone at all the good things you have done for the LORD, you can stand confident on His Word, who He is, and who you are in Him.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Stand Strong Against Rabshakeh.

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