Tag: Food For Growth

¹ Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. ² A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. ³ He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. ⁵ When Jesus reached the spot, He looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” ⁶ So he came down at once and welcomed Him gladly. ⁷ All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” ⁸ But 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.” ⁹ Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For 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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¹⁹ We love because He first loved us. ~ 1 John 4:19^NIV

We often quote this verse that we love because Christ first loved us in regard to other people, but rarely do we hear it taught in regard to ourselves. Today’s youth are killing themselves at record numbers. Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States. Why? The lack of self-love.

We teach that we need to love others. We teach that we need to forgive others, but what about ourselves? If we are no longer our own because we were bought at a price, then wouldn’t we need to forgive and love ourselves? We teach humility in the Church, which is good, but I can’t think of a time I’ve heard a teaching on loving yourself and why it’s important.

When we love ourselves, we can forgive ourselves and, therefore, can move on. When we love ourselves, we stop constantly comparing ourselves to other people because we’re not envious but happy with what God has given us. When we love ourselves, we tend to love others more because the love of God is flowing through us.

Self-love isn’t prideful. It isn’t arrogant. Self-love is necessary to move forward in life and be used by God. We have to learn to love ourselves as Christ loves us so that we might see ourselves the way that He sees us, as His children. His beloved bride. His precious creation that He suffered and died for.

Dear LORD, please help me to love myself the way You love me. Help me to see myself the way You see me. Teach me to clean off the dirty mirror that distorts my reflection. Help me to forgive myself for the past mistakes I’ve made so that I can stop punishing myself. Teach me to properly love myself so that I might be able to be used by You in all that You have planned for my life. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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¹⁰ The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” ¹¹ He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. ¹² Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. ~ Matthew 13:10-12^NIV

Jesus left the world on the outside, but to His disciples, He explained everything. That’s kind of like a foreshadowing of how He is with us today. James said if we lack understanding, ask God, and He’ll give us wisdom.

Jesus dwells with us and in us. His Holy Spirit dwells with us and in us. Our understanding is limited, and our greatest wisdom can’t even match the foolishness of God; God knows this, so when He speaks to us in parables, He expects us, His disciples, to ask for and seek out understanding so that we might then share that understanding with others. We’re not to keep it to ourselves because we have now become the light of the world since Jesus lives through us.

Therefore, we’re to show the world the Light of Christ and teach the Church the deeper things Christ has revealed to us. We’re to be the hands and feet of Christ while on this earth. We’re His body. We’re His witnesses. We’re His disciples, and to us, has been given understanding and wisdom.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Spread Understanding.

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¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. ¹⁴ But John tried to deter Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” ¹⁵ Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. ¹⁶ As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him. ¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” ~ Matthew 3:13-17^NIV

Jesus was Holy and perfect. He knew no sin, yet He had to have John baptize Him. Why? When John had that same question, Jesus told him that he needed to baptize Him so that He could fulfill all things. See, even though Jesus was without sin, He came in human form. He could die (which He did), and His body could even rot (which David prophesied, praising God that He would never let that happen).

So, what was He fulfilling? When the Israelites left Egypt, them passing through the parted Red Sea represented or foreshadowed baptism. After that, Moses went to Mount Sinai and was in the presence of God for 40 days and 40 nights, not eating or drinking, and He received the Law.

Jesus was fulfilling the Law of ceremonial washing. Before they could enter the Tent of Meeting to present an offering on the altar, the priests had to ceremonial bathe (Exodus 30:17-21). This was a type of foreshadowing of Baptism, as there are others.

So, what happened when Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial washing through baptism? The heavens opened, and the Spirit of God descended on Him like a dove. After this, Jesus went into the desert and fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. After He fasted, before He could break bread and eat, Satan came to Him and tempted Him with the three root sins that he tempted Eve with. Lust of the Flesh, Lust of the Eyes, and Pride of Life. He told Jesus to prove Himself by turning stone into bread (Lust of the Eyes). He told Jesus to prove Himself by throwing Himself down off the mountain (Pride of Life). Then He told Jesus to worship him, and he’d give Him the kingdoms of the earth (Lust of the Flesh). These are the same root sins that tripped up Eve in the Garden of Eden. Jesus had to overcome the three root sins that Adam failed to protect his wife from. Why? Because Jesus is the Last Adam. The first Adam brought death; the Last Adam brought Life.

That’s why He had to ceremonially wash the flesh because it had to ceremonially die. Paul said that we are baptized into Christ’s death, which is why we will rise with Him on the last day. So, in order to have the Spirit of the LORD rest upon Him and He could fast and overcome the temptations where Adam failed, He had to symbolically and spiritually kill His flesh.

Dear LORD, please help me to fulfill all things You have for my life, just as You fulfilled all things Your Heavenly Father set for Your life. Help me to keep in step with the Spirit. Help me to follow the path You’ve marked for my life. Help me to pick up my cross and follow You with everything that is within me. I give You my all. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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¹ Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen.” ² He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh. ³ Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?” “Your servants are shepherds,” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.” ⁴ They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants’ flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.” ⁵ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, ⁶ and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock.” ~ Genesis 47:1-6^NIV

Joseph was in the land of Egypt, second in command only to Pharaoh when his brothers showed up. God had made a way for all of His people to be saved from the famine by turning the evil that Joseph’s brothers did to him into good for all people. Pharaoh saw who the real God was because of Joseph and all that God did through him, yet Pharaoh was still spiritually blind. When Joseph’s family came to the land of Egypt, he told them to tell Pharaoh they were shepherds so that Pharaoh might allow them to stay in the land of Goshen because shepherds were detestable to Egyptians. Now, I want you to think about this, shepherds were detestable to Egyptians, but Pharaoh still wanted any skilled shepherd to take care of his flocks. Isn’t that how the world is today?

The things of the Church are detestable and offensive to them, but when things go wrong, they ask for the prayers of the Church. This isn’t a characteristic that strictly affects the world; the Church today is inundated with this characteristic. We’re offended when we’re told that certain actions are sinful. We’re offended when we’re told that certain actions/illnesses are spiritual. But we want prayer. We want counseling, but we don’t want deliverance. We have become Pharaoh. We have become like the Egyptians; the shepherds have become detestable to us. Why? Because Jesus is the Good Shepherd. When we are offended by what Jesus has said, we are really being offended by the Good Shepherd Himself.

Dear LORD, please help me to not be offended by You. Help me to not be offended by Truth but to always seek it out. Break my heart for what breaks Your heart. Teach me Your ways and write Your laws on my heart that I might not sin against You. Help me to love You the way that You deserve. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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¹³ Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the Lord your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the Lord. ¹⁴ Return, O faithless children, declares the Lord; for I am your master… ~ Jeremiah 3:13-14a

If we acknowledge our own guilt and confess that we have rebelled against the LORD our God and that we have placed things above Him and not obeyed His word, and if we will only return to Him with a repentant heart, He will forgive us. Why?

He’s a good, good Father. If it could be said that God had a weakness, which He does not, but if He did, it would have to be His love and mercy for mankind.

God loves us so much that He is willing to:

• Forgive
• And forgive
• And forgive
• And then forgive again

But make no mistake, God is also a God of vengeance and a God of justice. He will not leave the guilty unpunished, nor will He let the lawbreaker go free. Please understand that we were all guilty; we were all transgressors of God’s law (Proverbs 11:21), but because of His great mercy, He has paid our debt Himself for us and has forgiven us by the shedding of His own blood.

Now, He expects us to turn from evil, even from the very appearance of evil, and turn to Him with a whole heart.

Dear LORD, please help me to remove all iniquity from within me. Help me to flee evil and all of the ways of the world. If my foot stumbles, catch me that I may not fall, but help me to my feet. Teach me Your ways. Strengthen my spirit man that my flesh may not control me. Help me to never think that I am perfect and, therefore, do not need to grow. Show me my flaws and help me to remove each and every one of them. Thank you for always forgiving me and being patient and kind towards me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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¹¹ But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³ I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, ¹⁴ to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ 1 Timothy 6:11-14

Paul wrote several letters, each unique and focusing on the struggles of the recipient. There was no one-size-fits-all. Each letter was personalized in order to build up and instruct the brother(s)/sister(s) on the receiving end. For instance, he instructs Timothy to “take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession.”

Paul understood that they only had one opportunity to get it right. One opportunity to build up treasure in heaven that lasts for all eternity. People work so hard here on earth, building up treasure and wealth that someone else will get instead of building up true wealth that lasts forever.

Jesus warns us not to work for wealth that fades but to build true wealth so that we will have a good eternity (Matthew 6:19-21). In other words, don’t waste your time working for fool’s gold. The only thing you will have in eternity is what you send on ahead. If you send nothing on ahead of you, you will have nothing.

Well, I’m sure you will have something, but nothing compared to what God has in store for you. We need to work now to build up our treasure. Don’t miss out on the best and most profitable investment ever, YOUR ETERNITY!

Paul understood the gravity of the situation when he told the Corinthian church that he worked harder, was imprisoned more, and had more hardships than the other apostles. Paul was sure of what he had done. He did not waste his time with useless things. He did not get distracted by temporal wealth and position. He was hyper-focused on the eternal.

We only have this one life to do God’s will and impact the world. We can’t waste our time working to gain the world. The harvest is ready, but the laborers are few. These temporal things won’t last forever. We can’t take that into eternity, but what we can take into eternity is what we do for the LORD. Each soul we impact for the better, each life we change, each soul we harvest, each seed we plant, and each trial we make it through is building up eternal treasure. Don’t be distracted by the things of the world. Instead, focus on the things of God and His Kingdom.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Seek the Eternal.

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¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. ¹⁵ For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, ¹⁶ to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life… ~ 2 Corinthians 2:14-16a

Not everyone is going to accept our message of life. Not everyone is going to accept or tolerate the pain of being cut in their souls when the spotlight of Jesus Christ shines its piercing light into the never before seen crevasses where the darkness hides.

But nonetheless, we are to let our light shine so that we can do as Jude instructed and snatch others out of the fire (Jude 23). But in today’s society, it’s backward. It’s hateful to want to share the Gospel with others. Why? Because the enemy knows that if we will remain quiet and not teach the Gospel, he will retain the power over more souls.

We’re called to evangelize the nations. We’re called to go throughout the entire world and share the Gospel of Jesus with as many people as possible. We’re called to plant seeds and water them. We are never called to be silent about our faith.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Share The Gospel.

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¹⁸ And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to Himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:18 ^NLT

Paul wrote this letter to the Corinthian Church explaining that we aren’t to just abandon the world after we’ve been reconciled to God. Jesus told Peter after he fell and got back up to go help his brother. King Solomon tells us that iron sharpens iron. There is never a time when God wants us to leave people where we found them. There is never a time when God wants us to not share His Word with others.

We are His hands and feet on this earth. Whether or not people hear about the Gospel of Christ is up to us. God did His part. He came down to earth and paid the price for our salvation. It’s now on us to share the Gospel. It’s on us to witness to the nations, regardless of whether it makes us uncomfortable, puts our job in jeopardy, causes us to lose friends, etc. Imagine if every day we each set out to share the Gospel with just one person and actively prayed for the person we were witnessing to.

The early Church turned the world upside down with evangelism, prayer, and supplication. They fasted, taught the Gospel, sought the face of God, and willingly took beatings and oppression for the sake of the Gospel. They faced so many obstacles, yet the Word of God flourished wherever they went. Why? Because they understood that they were the body of Christ. They were the light of the world to the nations. To live is Christ, and die is gain.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Evangelize The Nations.

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

Paul wasn’t just telling Timothy to judge others by these standards, but himself. This is not speaking just about others, but to one’s own self as well.

First, he says all Scripture is breathed out by God. Meaning Scripture is beyond dispute. It is without error, and it is 100% trustworthy because it is God-breathed. So, we are not indecisive about using Scripture. Neither are we unsure as to its accuracy.

Therefore, we are confident in using it to teach, reproof, correct, and train in righteousness. Now watch this; Paul tells us why. He says that we have Scripture so that the man of God may be complete and equipped for every good work.

It is the Scripture that we use to do all of this, not some other wannabe Scripture, but Scripture and Scripture alone. Everything we do, every offering we make, must be seasoned with salt. It must be influenced and founded on Scripture.

Too often, we get caught up in our own beliefs and opinions, and in doing so, we overlook the Word of God and twist Scripture to match what we want it to. This isn’t God’s desire for our lives. This isn’t how God intended us to use Scripture. It’s not to be twisted and taken out of context. It’s not to be changed and misquoted. Scripture is the Word of God that is a firm foundation for our lives.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Stand Confidently On Scripture.

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