Tag: Food For Growth

¹⁹ For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. ²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ²¹ I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. ~ Galatians 2:19-21

Paul is referring to the law that says, the soul that sinneth it shall die (Ezekiel 18:20). The law brought awareness to sin, and with awareness came death. But through Christ, we have all been made alive, not to live for our own selves, but to live for our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ. So, we crucify the flesh, which is a spiritual term and not a physical one. To be crucified with Christ means that we no longer live for our own selves, but we live to please Christ.

Why? Because it was Christ who loved us so much that He was willing to come to this old dusty earth to die a horrible, horrific death so that we might live in glory with Him. So, Paul is assuring us that we are not saved through close adherence to the law, but in obedience to Jesus’ commandments to “Love the LORD our God with all of our heart and all of our soul and with all our mind” (Matthew 22:37), and to “Love our neighbor as ourself” (Matthew 22:39).

Then, the Apostles and elders in Jerusalem laid down this law for us gentile believers. They said, ²⁸ For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: ²⁹ that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell” (Acts 15:28-29).

Paul said that he did not nullify the grace of God, but rather, he lived to please the LORD. And that is the message for today. Obey these commandments that have been given to us. Love the LORD. Love your neighbor. Don’t eat what is sacrificed to idols. Don’t eat blood. Don’t eat what is strangled. And keep away from sexual immorality. We are assured that if we keep away from these things, we do well.

Father, thank You for loving us. Thank You, LORD Jesus, for dying on the cross for us. I want my flesh to be crucified with Christ so that I can live to please the LORD Jesus. Help me as I strive to live for You, my God. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Back to Growth?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

¹⁵ And He said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. ¹⁶ Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 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.” ~ Mark 16:15-18

Notice that there are five signs that Jesus said will follow the believer. Now, the number five is the number of the Church. Meaning that these signs are for His Church. They are for us. Jesus said as much when He said, “And these signs will accompany those who believe.”

Who is that? The “… those who believe…” It is us, the Church. The Church of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Also, I want you to please notice that Jesus did not say, these signs will accompany you, or these signs will accompany my apostles, or my chosen ones, or any specific set of people. But rather, Jesus said these signs will accompany those who believe and use His Name.

Oh, wait, brother Kenny, Jesus did not say to use His Name. Okay, granted, but He sure inferred it or implied it when He said,

… those who believe: in my name, they will …

Meaning that, first, you have to be a believer. You can’t be a believer without believing. Christians were called believers before they were called Christians. Then He says, “In my name, they will …” Meaning that we must use His name to accomplish the things that we have been given authority over.

Now, that also means that these signs were not for a specific people for a specific time as those who have no power try to advocate. They claim that all those signs ceased to exist when the last apostle died. But the Scriptures does not say it was for a specific time nor was it only for the apostles, but for those who believe. Jesus was very specific with that. When we operate in the power of Jesus, then signs will follow.

In short, no power, no signs. Therefore, we must seek the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul said the Kingdom of God isn’t a matter of talk but power. Jesus said that walking in power is a sign that you follow Him. So, why would we not seek the power of God?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Seek Out His Power.

Back to Growth?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

¹⁵ And He said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. ¹⁶ Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 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.” ~ Mark 16:15-18

This portion of Scripture is known to Christians as “The Great Commission” commanded by Jesus Himself to His disciples, and basically to all believers, then and now, just before He was taken up into heaven.

I want to make it clear that this command was not just for Jesus’ disciples. This command is for every Christian, and not just His twelve Apostles, but every single Christian is to proclaim the Gospel.

In other words, we are to tell others of the Good News, what Jesus has done for us.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Spread The Good News.

Back to Growth?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

¹⁵ And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. ¹⁶ Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” ~ Mark 16:15-16

This is called The Great Commission. Jesus instructs the believers to go into all the world and proclaim or preach the Gospel. In other words, go, tell the Good News, and tell all people how much God has done for you. Then, He explains the difference between the believers and non-believers. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. Notice that He did not just leave it there with whoever believes. No, Jesus adds this little addendum, “…and is baptized…” they will be saved.

Therefore, it is safe to assume that it is not just a belief in who Jesus is but a belief coupled with action. Once you come to the realization of who Jesus is, then you must act. You must be baptized, which means you must not only be submerged in water, but you must actively live the life of a Christian and obey the commandments of Jesus, which includes witnessing or preaching the Good News.

Please understand that I am not advocating that unless you are baptized with water, you are not saved. I don’t believe that to be Biblical. If you do have the opportunity, you must, by all means, be baptized, but if there is no opportunity to be baptized after conversion and the person passes away, I believe that person has died in Christ and will be raised again at the last trump.

So, I challenge all armchair Christians who believe that their belief in a man named Jesus is enough; I challenge you to get up, shake the dust off, and begin to witness for Him. Share the Good News. Tell somebody about Jesus, for he who saves souls is wise, is what the proverb of Solomon says.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving Your Son as a sacrifice for whomsoever will. I accept that free gift. Now, give me the boldness to witness, confidence to speak, and wisdom to share. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Back to Growth?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

⁹ And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. ¹⁰ Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” ¹¹ So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” ¹² And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them ~ Nehemiah 8:9-12

The Jews had only just begun to return to their homeland from the Babylonian captivity. Yes, the temple was finished and dedicated, and the wall was also finished but had not yet been dedicated. The people gathered, and Ezra, the priest, read from the Book of the Law of Moses. While Ezra read from the Book of the Law, the Levites explained the meaning to the people. When the people heard and understood the words that were being read, they began to mourn and weep. So, Nehemiah, Ezra, and the Levites who were teaching the people began to tell them, “Do not mourn or weep, for this day is holy to the LORD your God. It was the first day of the seventh month. In other words, it was the Feast of Trumpets. It was a day of celebration with joy.

After that, Nehemiah sent the people home and told them to go, eat, drink, celebrate, and share with others who do not have. Then, he instructed the people not to grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength. So, here is the thing. When you get stressed out from either grieving, mourning, or anxiousness, it drains your physical strength. If you get really stressed out, you become anxious, and some people will even become depressed. It affects your immune system and your sleep, it will give you headaches, and it can even make you sick. It can cause high blood pressure, heart disease, and even stroke. This takes a toll on your body. It will physically weaken you.

Joy, on the other hand, boosts your immune system, supports longevity, and promotes an overall healthier body, soul, and mind. Therefore, the joy of the LORD is our strength. Joy is much different than happiness. In short, happiness depends on circumstances, while joy depends on the LORD. We don’t need anything else to make us joyful, except to know Him and know that He loves us and cares for us and that He is coming back to get us one day, and there we will be with Him forever and ever. Therefore, we don’t let stress take over our lives; we hand it over to Jesus. As that old hymn says, “What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.” He told us in His Word to cast all of our cares and anxieties on Him because He cares for us.

So, the next time you feel that age old enemy bringing stress on you, do not bend your back and submit to its load, but get on your knees and carry your burden to Jesus. Begin to worship, being to praise, sing songs of worship, and recite encouraging Psalms, like Psalms 23 and others. Heavenly Father, please help me not to submit to stress, anxiety, or depression. But rather, when I feel it coming on, help me to fight on my knees, give me the strength to seek Your joy, that I might be strengthened. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Back to Growth?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

¹⁰ You have devised shame for your house by cutting off many peoples; you have forfeited your life. ~ Habakkuk 2:10

This word cutting off is the Hebrew word (qā·ṣā(h)). It means to scrape, i.e., destroy an object, as a figurative extension of scraping an object. The word is used in Leviticus to scrape the plaster off so as to remove mold or mildew. In other words, it’s not removing the whole thing, only the part that is infected. In other words, removing or destroying the offending part of something.

Our Scripture said, “You have devised shame for your house by cutting off many peoples.”

Please notice that it did not say by killing or murdering, but by scraping many people. Could this be applied to free speech? Free speech is being targeted. All speech is not censored; only the offending part is scraped off and destroyed. And it’s not only here in America but all around the world, including Europe.

Our freedoms (freedom of speech, religion, etc.) are being cut off. They’re being scraped away. They are being targeted. Once we have no more freedom, what will be left of us? Fight for your freedoms. Don’t just give them up blindly. Stand up for your rights because when they are gone, then it will be almost impossible to get them back.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Pay Attention.

Back to Growth?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

⁸ Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you, for the blood of man and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell in them. ~ Habakkuk 2:8

Why were they plundered? For The Blood Of Man. In other words, they have shed innocent blood. This word man is the Hebrew word, ʾā·ḏām, meaning human, male or female regardless of age. It is simply referring to the whole human race.

Habakkuk said that the thieves who plundered many nations will also be plundered because of all of the bloodshed and violence that they have caused upon the earth and in the cities and to all who dwell in them.

In other words, what they sowed, that shall they reap. The wicked may seem to be thriving right now. They may seem to be winning in life, but spiritually, they are dying of starvation. Spiritually, they are poor without hope.

Oftentimes, we look at the world through our temporary lenses. We see them as only what they physically have and not what they spiritually lack. They may have much on this earth, but in eternity, they won’t even have a drop of water to quench their thirst. How devastating of an eternity they will face, all because they thought they were too big to reap the evil they have sowed.

It’s very easy to say they’ll one day get their just rewards, but that’s not the desire of God. God’s desire is that all come to repentance in Christ Jesus. He doesn’t take pleasure in punishing the wicked, so why should we feel pleasure or comfort in their punishment? The only difference between us and the wicked is that we’ve accepted Christ. That’s the only difference. Otherwise, we’d be right next to them in Hell, away from God for all eternity. Without Christ, we’d reap exactly what we’ve sowed, which is evil. All have fallen astray, and not one of us is good.

Therefore, don’t rejoice in their downfall, nor take pleasure or comfort in their punishment. Instead, pray for their souls that they might repent and escape the punishment that is to come. Pray that their hearts might be softened and they turn from their evil ways. Not only would their souls be saved, but if the wicked who plunder the nations are saved, then there would be no one left plundering the nations, and our world would be a better place.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Pray For The Plunderers.

Back to Growth?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

¹ The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: ² To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, ³ to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; ⁴ to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth— ~ Proverbs 1:1-4

Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, began his proverbs with these verses. He starts by saying doing what is right, just, and fair. The Scriptures say that a three-strand cord is not easily broken, and this three-strand cord should stand the test of time if we live our lives by it. Have you ever had to deal with a Christian at work that you just couldn’t trust? I know it’s an oxymoron to say something like that, but sometimes it is true.

Years ago, my wife had to deal with a certain man who professed to be a Christian, and he was high up in his church. The problem, however, was she could not trust his word. He would say one thing in the meetings and say something totally and completely opposite when he left. It was so bad that she began to get everything and every request from him in writing. That is terrible.

King Solomon said to do what is right. Speaking truth is always the right thing to do. People should always be able to depend on and trust your word. If you lose your good name, what do you have left?

Solomon also said to do what is just. Again, that means doing things correctly. We don’t take questionable shortcuts. We don’t do things on the sly. We act correctly and always seek perfection. We do things the correct and right way, not trying to get over on people. That is not the Christian way.

And finally, Solomon said to do what is fair. Not only fair for you but what is fair for both parties. People you interact with or do business with should always feel comfortable that you are not just looking out for your own self, and so they must scrutinize everything you say and do. There was a time when men were gentlemen. And you could conduct business with their word and a handshake. But these days, it seems like everyone is trying to get ahead at the expense of everyone else, and it does not matter who gets hurt or who loses.

Solomon indicated that if we followed these three things, we would gain understanding and insight because these are words of wisdom.
So, today, let us Christians seek to do what is right, no matter what, and do what is just, no matter what, and do what is fair, no matter what.

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You that You always do what is Right, Just, and Fair, no matter what. You are holy, loving, and kind. Help me to endeavor to be like You in Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Back to Growth?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content