Tag: Food For Growth

¹² So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.  ~ Matthew 7:12^NIV

We’re taught the Golden Rule from an early age. It’s even taught outside the Church by non-believers. It’s a cliché that is often overused yet is rarely put into practice. It’s very easy to see how people treat us, but it’s often difficult to see how we treat people.

Solomon tells us to cast our bread upon the waters so that in many days it will return to us (Ecclesiastes 11:1). Paul put it this way: what we sow, that we shall also reap (Galatians 6:7). In other words, what you are lacking from other people, do that to them. If you feel that you’re lacking love from your spouse, give them more love. If you feel you’re lacking respect from someone, give them more respect. Do to them exactly what you want them to do to you. And as you do that, place their name before God with your request. Ask God to move in their life and use what you’re doing as a light for them.

It may not change them overnight, but through faith, prayer, and perseverance by the grace of God, they will change. So, stay encouraged and remain diligent. The old saying is true: change always starts with you.

Dear LORD, please help me to be the change I want to see in this world. Help me to treat others how I would like them to treat me. Help me to turn the other cheek and not hold their shortcomings against them as I pray they don’t hold my shortcomings against me. Teach me to be the light in this dark world and strengthen me for the path You have set before me. Please fill me with Your love, mercy, and grace. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Back to Growth?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

²⁹ Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. ³⁰ He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the Levites—all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord. ³¹ The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep His commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book. ³² Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledge themselves to it; the people of Jerusalem did this in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors. ³³ Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the Lord their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the Lord, the God of their ancestors. ~ 2 Chronicles 34:29-33

The people of Israel weren’t living according to the Law of the LORD their God. In fact, they had fallen so far away from God that King Josiah had to renew the covenant with the LORD that his fathers had broken. King Josiah didn’t stop there. He didn’t just correct himself. He didn’t cleanse himself. No. King Josiah brought all of his people and had them renew the covenant with the LORD as well.

It wasn’t enough for King Josiah to be following God. It wasn’t enough for even just the Levites and priests to be renewed and restored to the covenant of the LORD. King Josiah understood that all of the land was under him, from the greatest to the least. All the people were under him, and if they were under him, their blood would be required at his hand. So, often, we’re put in a place of leadership that we take for granted. It doesn’t have to be over many people. It doesn’t even have to look like a place of leadership. It simply means that there are people who look to you to guide them in their lives. It could be as large as a body of souls that come to hear you preach and teach every Sunday. And it could be as small as one single soul looking up to you.

Each of us has at least one person looking to us for help, guidance, and advice. What we do to help that one or many will affect our eternity. Just as God warned Ezekiel that remaining silent when he saw someone in sin would place their blood on his head, so is it for us. We each have a purpose—a universal purpose to win souls. That’s not just the preacher’s job; that’s each and every Christian’s job. We’re to spread God’s Word. We’re to be the light in the darkness. Christ is to live through each of us.

Dear LORD, please forgive me for any time that I’ve fallen down on shepherding the people you have given to me. Please help me to stand firmly and confidently as King Josiah did. Help me not to overlook even the smallest influence I might have in someone’s life. Please help me to always be a light pointing others back to You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Back to Growth?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

¹ I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ~ Romans 12:1

A common prayer in the Church is, “Use me, LORD,” but I don’t think we fully understand what this prayer means. See, God is willing to use anyone who is willing to be used. And often, we’ll be very quick to raise our hand and scream yes, I’m willing to be used. Then, we go back to our everyday lives. This isn’t what God wants. God wants a willing heart. What does that mean? King David wasn’t a perfect man by any means of the word, but he had a heart for God.

Yes, King David made many mistakes, but he always gave God His all. Not just coming to church on Sunday and maybe even raising a hand during worship. No. David gave his all, and when he was shamed by his wife, he said he would become even more undignified than that. When God dwelt in a tent, and he dwelt in a palace, he sought out a place for God’s house. He wanted desperately to build God a dwelling place, but he couldn’t. Did that stop David from giving something to God, though? No. David went and bought the ground that the future Temple would be built on. Not only did he buy it, he bought it at full price even when the owner told him he’d give it to him for free. Why didn’t David just take the land for free? Because he refused to give God an offering that cost him nothing.

Today, the Church can’t even give God more than 5 minutes before they fall asleep for the night. We can’t even make it all the way through His Word one time. We know about celebrities, cars, motorcycles, movies, video games, athletes, businessmen, etc., but we don’t know the first thing about God. Yet we pray, “Use me, LORD. Use me.” How can we pray a prayer like that and act as if we don’t even care about God? I can only imagine that’s like sending your father a letter to call you but keeping your phone off the hook so that the call can’t go through. It must feel devastating to God knowing that you gave mankind everything. You didn’t hold anything back, not even yourself, and mankind can’t even give you an hour of their day.

Dear LORD, help me to not pray empty words that sound good, but to always pray what my heart will back up. I don’t want to live my life as if You don’t matter. Please, Jesus, be the center of my life. Be the foundation on which I build my life. Help me not to be distracted by the things of this world; instead, help me to be focused on You and You alone. Please, God, don’t give up on me, though You have every right to. Please forgive me for treating You with no reverence or regard. And please help me to never do it again. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Back to Growth?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

¹⁵ When 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.” ¹⁶ He 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.” ¹⁷ He 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.

Back to Growth?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ¹⁸ All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹ that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For 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.

Back to Growth?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

²¹ For 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.

Back to Growth?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

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.

Back to Growth?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

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.

Back to Growth?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

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.

Back to Growth?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

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.

Back to Growth?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content