Tag: Food For Growth

³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ³⁵ By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. ~ John 13:34-35

Yesterday, July 6^th, was Cristiano Ronaldo’s last World Cup game. He had led his national team, Portugal, to win three titles. Because of him, they were a household favorite for the World Cup and Euro Cup. He is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the greatest players to ever play the sport, but I watched, with tears in my eyes, as he went home with no World Cup win. Why? His age? Wasn’t his day? No. Sadly, every pass his teammates made to him was as if they’d rather lose the game than for him to score. Each and every pass was either way too far ahead or way too far behind. I watched them pass good balls to each other, but poor balls to Ronaldo. It was heartbreaking, and I did cry as that final whistle blew.

It reminded me a lot of the Church today. Today, we look at those of us who are succeeding. Who have either financial success, a large platform, or a spiritual gift that we want, and we tear them down. We go out of our way to make them the villain. We, here in the West, are our own worst enemy. We’d rather tear each other down and have the entire world hate the Church, than to build each other up and support one another. We build platforms on badmouthing people and ‘exposing’ people, when it just comes across as hatred and jealousy, not as exposing darkness to let in the Light.

Jesus warned the Pharisees:

²⁵ Knowing their thoughts, He said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.”

Matthew 12:25

We can’t have revival in the land until we unite as one body under Christ. One bride to Christ. One heir in Christ. We have to learn to love each other as Christ loved us. As He continues to love us. Paul encourages us that Christ is interceding for us in Romans 8:34. How often do we pray for our fellow Christians? Especially those in the spotlight that represent us to all who are watching and looking, instead of hoping and waiting for their downfall with excitement. We, just like the Portuguese National Football Team, cannot do anything great unless we come together as one.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Come Together As One.

⁹ Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. ¹⁰ Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread, ¹² and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” ~ Matthew 6:9-13

If you grew up in church, you grew up saying the LORD’s prayer. If you’ve been in church for even a few months, you know the LORD’s prayer by heart. The LORD’s prayer is one of the first scriptures we learn as Christians, but I feel like maybe we just say it without thinking about what the words actually mean. For instance, the part of the prayer ‘Your Kingdom Come…’ never really clicked in my head until randomly one night. We’re not just praying for God’s will to be done on earth or for earth to be like Heaven. We’re praying for power.

Jesus said:

²⁸ But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Matthew 12:28

Jesus compared the power of the Holy Spirit, specifically the power to cast out demons, to the sign that the kingdom of God has come upon the people. So, it’s not just ‘Your will be done,’ it’s ‘let your power fall on us and flow through us. It’s signs, wonders, healings, miracles, and yes, casting out demons. Things that people say were just for a time. Things that people say aren’t for us in the Church today. If that’s so, then the LORD’s prayer isn’t for us.

We can’t cherry-pick things that we like and then ignore the meaning of them. We can’t exclude things that we deem to be too hard or controversial. It’s either all or nothing. Therefore, when you pray, pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to fill you, just as Jesus taught His disciples to pray. Just as Paul told the Corinthian Church:

¹ Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. ² For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. ³ On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. ⁴ The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. ⁵ Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.

1 Corinthians 14:1-5

²⁰ For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.

1 Corinthians 4:20

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Pray For His Kingdom.

⁸ But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. ~ 1 Timothy 5:8

One of my favorite childhood cartoons was “Code Name: Kids Next Door.” Throughout the show, a group of kids who are a part of a greater operation battle adult tyranny. The villains were all teenagers or adults who tried to harm children in one way or another. The Boss who kept parents at longer hours so they couldn’t go home to their kids. The scary cat lady down the street, whose cats are vicious like her. The grandma who tries to make you eat gross food like liver, mystery meat, etc. The spanking vampire, who spanks all naughty Children who break the rules. But the scariest villain of all was Father. I never really thought much of it as a kid, just that he was scary, but the other day, while watching the movie, it made sense.

Father was the scariest villain, not because all dads in the show are evil; in fact, all the dads in the show are loving and caring for their children. I believe Father was the scariest villain because if your Own father is against you, you truly have no safe place. It’s one thing to be afraid of Strangers, it’s another thing to be afraid of your own father, or for him to be against you. See, the Boss had children, and even he was a good dad to them, but Father was another story.

As a kid, it doesn’t matter who’s against you. It only matters if your parents are for you. If you’re scared, it’s Dad you go to to protect you, to defend you, to keep you safe. If your Dad is against you, then you no longer have a safe place.

Fathers, you have an obligation to your children to be their safe place. A place they can go to when they’re scared, nervous, or unsure. So many people struggle with the love of God because of their relationship with their fathers. You are a representation of our relationship with God, so don’t take your role lightly.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be Their Safe Space.

¹² Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. ~ Philippians 2:12-13

I heard a well-known preacher say that another preacher was a heretic. Why? Because the one preacher did not subscribe to the belief that we have absolutely nothing to do with our salvation. See, he didn’t believe that if God wanted you saved, you’d be saved. He believed that you had to choose God. That you had to make the decision to follow Him, while the other preacher believed that if God wanted you saved, you’d be saved and unable to resist His pull. So, what’s wrong with believing that? Isn’t salvation a gift from God so that no one can boast?

It absolutely is. The issue, though, is that believing God will save you if He wants to means that He doesn’t want to save everyone. This line of thinking doesn’t line up with the Word of God. See, Salvation was purchased entirely by Christ for us. There is nothing that we can do to save ourselves; that is why there is no boasting. This doesn’t mean that we don’t have to choose Him. We do. He tells us to seek Him while He can still be found. To come to Him and He will give you rest. These aren’t the words of a God that only wants to save some while creating others specifically to burn in Hell for all eternity.

No, Paul tells us, “How will they believe, unless they hear? And how will they hear unless someone tells them?” This is Paul’s call to evangelism. To the spreading of the Word of God to all the nations. If we have absolutely no choice but to give in to God’s call, there would be no need to evangelize. No need to preach. Why? Because they’d have the call of God that they wouldn’t be able to resist, and they’d automatically follow regardless.

God promised that He would pour His Spirit out on all flesh, not some flesh, but all flesh. Therefore, He gave every single soul on earth the opportunity to be saved. He called, tugged on the heart of each and every single soul. Then He gives the final nail in the coffin, “anyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” These aren’t the words of someone who doesn’t desire all flesh to be saved. No. These are the words of a loving Creator that desires none to perish, but all come to acceptance.

⁹ The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

Therefore, don’t just expect the LORD to change you without putting any work or effort into it. We are to work out our salvation with much fear and trembling. In other words, we are to humble ourselves before the Throne of Grace and crucify our flesh daily so that we might remain saved. So that we don’t lose this race set before us.

²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. ²⁵ Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. ²⁶ So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. ²⁷ But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Work Out Your Salvation.

Matthew 5:23-24

²³ So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Interesting how our brains tend to focus on the little things in life. The little things that people say or do to/for us. It’s those moments that tend to really stick with us. That shape is. Yes, big things impact us, a lot, but for some reason the little things really seem to stick with us even more.

I think maybe because it’s the regular, everyday little things that make us who we are. That shape our relationships. Define our personalities. It’s not the big extravagant things that happen every single day, but the little things that seems to be build up and make more of an impression in our minds and memories.

Jesus said something profound, if your brother has something against you leave your offering at the altar and go and make it right with him before you give your offering. An offering is something big. It’s something that cost you something. But that offense, could be a small thing. A little thing, that caused big damage to someone else.

Our day to day lives should be lived with just as much care as when we’re planning something extraordinary. Our regular day to day interactions with people, what we say, do, and how we treat each other, should be done with love. We should always walk in love because those little moments, usually turn out to be the big ones.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Pay Attention To The Little Things.

¹ Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. ³ Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. ~ Matthew 7:1-5

I recently saw a video that said:

“We don’t experience the same rain. Some have umbrellas, some have roofs, and some only have themselves. That’s why we should be kinder, slower to judge, and quicker to understand. You’ll never know how heavy someone’s rain is until you’ve stood where they are.”

Each one of our walks in this life is different. We have different obstacles, giants, valleys, and hills. Some of us have it easier, and some have it harder. This world isn’t fair. It throws everything it can at anyone it can. Some have other people that they can depend on, while others only have themselves. We don’t always know the walk someone has had before we judge them. Before we decide whether or not they are doing everything they can to keep going.

Often, the judgment call we make is much harsher than it would be if we were judging ourselves. We, as humanity, tend to judge others much harsher than we judge ourselves. Holding others to a higher standard than we hold ourselves. Why? Because it’s always easier to make a judgment call from the outside looking in. It’s easier to say what one should or shouldn’t do when it’s not you who has to do or not do it.

Therefore, God tells us to judge carefully. He warns us to first examine ourselves. He warns us that the same level of judgment we use to judge others will be the same level we will be judged with. Yes, as Christians, we are to judge right and wrong. We’re to call out sin. But we’re to do so in love. Jesus didn’t call out sin that the sinner was already aware of. When they came to Him and knelt at His feet, the sin was left there. No more talk of it. He didn’t turn anyone away from Him, regardless of how great the sin was. How can we do any less?

We need to be the salt of the earth, yes, but also the light of the world. Showing the love of Christ to others. Taking time out of our day to be a shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold, an encourager; to be Christ to the world in need. The rain around us will never be the same. Some will have it harder than others, but how we treat others in the rain can make all the difference. It can change a life.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Help Someone In The Rain.