Tag: Food For Growth

“‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said.’ Then the angel left her.” ~ Luke 1:38

Mary knew fully well what the consequences could and would be. She knew that it would not be an easy task to tell Joseph that she was six weeks pregnant but look, Joseph, “I’m still a virgin, it wasn’t me, it was the Holy Spirit!” She knew she could be stoned to death for adultery. She knew she would be an outcast at the very least. She knew that there would be finger-pointing and whispering behind her back. She knew it was a huge responsibility that could, in fact, cost her her life.

But she didn’t consider all the hardships or consequences. She focused on one thing: “I am the LORD’s servant…” and that is all that counts, no matter what the consequences. Come storm or calm, rain or sunshine, I am the LORD’s servant, and I will take my responsibility. God has called each one for a specific task, to travel a specific road, to complete a specific work. The question is: are we willing to count the cost and say, “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as You have said.”?

Heavenly Father, remember that we are but dust. Give us the strength and determination to do the job that You have called us to do. Help us to take our responsibility and to remember, “I am the LORD’s servant…” Nothing more or nothing less, we are Your servants, called to a specific task, and You will take care of us and see it through. Thank You, Father, in Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

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“Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees.” ~ Job 4:4

The saying, ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,’ has been around for a long time and has been the response of countless kids. But oh wait, words do hurt, and words do encourage. You may never know the joy or the encouragement your words can bring to someone’s life; someone who just needs to hear a kind word.

Proverbs 25:11 says, “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Look for someone you can encourage today, even if you think they are your encourager. And together, we can begin to make the world a brighter place. Remember, we are the light because Jesus shines through us.

Thank You, Father, for all the Barnabas’ out there. Help us to encourage each other, and look for opportunities to say and do nice things for someone else. No man is an island, and no woman stands alone, but You have created us as social creatures, living together, and strengthening each other. Now LORD, lay your hand of mercy on the downtrodden and lift up those that are beaten down, liberate the ones who are being unjustly oppressed.

I thank You in Jesus’ name, amen.

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¹²And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. ¹³Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace, you will escape any more than all the other Jews. ¹⁴For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

¹⁵Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, ¹⁶“Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” ~ Esther 4:12-16

Esther had to have been terrified to hear that the Jews would be destroyed, but even more so that Mordecai wanted her to go before the king without being called. I mean, Esther’s call was scary. She was basically playing with death. No matter which choice she chose, the outcome could have resulted in death, but she knew that if she brought it before God, that’s what would make the difference. If she had God on her side, how could she fail?

I learned three main things from reading these verses: 1st, no matter how high up you are in your field, no matter how important you are in your community, if you are a threat to the enemy, then you are at risk. 2nd, if you are called to do something, and you do not do it, God will rise up another because God’s overall will will be fulfilled. 3rd, there is power in fasting, no matter how short the fast is because there is strength in numbers. Esther called for every one of the Jews to fast alongside her. They didn’t fast 40 days, they didn’t fast 21 days, they only fasted 3 days, and that was enough.

I wonder how many more prayers would be answered if entire families came together in fasting and prayer for specific things, instead of one person fasting by themselves and keeping it to themselves. May we learn to fast as Esther and Mordecai did.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Fast Like Esther and Mordecai.

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“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint.” ~ Isaiah 40:31

When trouble comes, and problems arise, the hardest thing to do is to just sit still and wait. But if we rush off to do our own thing without first seeking God on the matter, then, in reality, we are taking God out of the equation, and we are now taking His place. Besides, by doing that, we normally make things worse.

Because whose wisdom can compare with the wisdom of God? And who can deliver like God can? Just take the time to earnestly seek Him and wait for Him. God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. It may not happen when you think it should, but it won’t happen a second too late, either.

Heavenly Father, help us to wait upon You for an answer. Help us not to run off to do our own thing. Guide our steps and our thoughts so that we may know Your good and perfect will. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” ~ Matthew 16:24

Wow! Some hard words that we automatically reject without even thinking about it. Why? Because we live in a time when it’s all about me -what’s in it for me. We compromise our beliefs, our faith, and our relationship all for entertainment. We’ve become lovers of self more than lovers of God. Maybe it’s time for us to turn the tv off and wean ourselves off of feeding our minds on the lives of movie stars and the rock stars and begin feeding on the Word of God.

Heavenly Father, You said if Your people who are called by Your name will humble themselves and pray and seek Your face and turn from their wicked ways, then You will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. We need You to hear O God, for our land needs healing, Your people need healing, Your Church needs healing. Come to our rescue and deliver Your people O God.

For I ask it in the name of Jesus, amen.

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“¹³ And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. ¹⁴ Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.” ~ 1 Samuel 3:13-14

We have gotten to the state in our society where parents no longer correct their children. We make excuses for our children saying that they were born this way, or they’re just going through a phase they’ll grow out of it, or boys will be boys, or they’re just kids testing the limits.

We make excuses for our children not realizing that one day that kid who’s just being a kid is going to grow up to be an adult just being an adult. We no longer discipline our children because it’s now child abuse to spank your child, or to simply tell your child that they are in fact, a girl even if they feel like a boy. We no longer are parents, but instead, we are letting our children parent themselves. We let our children choose their gender from young ages like 3 years old, we give them counseling and hormone therapy just because they feel that they are the opposite gender.

We do this not taking into account that they are 3. They don’t know what they are. At 3 years old they still believe in Santa, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny. At 3 years old they wanna put their hands on the hot stove not realizing that it’ll burn them. They wanna play with the outlets. They want to be princesses and pirates and helicopters at that age. How can we allow our children to dictate their own life with zero guidance?

We constantly say that the human mind is not fully developed until around 25 years old, so why can a small child know that they are not the gender that they are. We’ve stopped parenting because we believe our children know what’s best for them. A child may see a pretty snake and want to play with it, but as a parent, you should tell them, “no, honey, that’s a coral snake, very dangerous.” We need to correct our children when they are wrong. We need to be parents again, guiding them instead of letting them blindly run through the dark.

Eli never corrected his boys, and they grew up to be men who did not know the LORD. Eli didn’t teach his sons how to respect the LORD, so they didn’t. Eli didn’t teach his sons how to love the LORD, so they didn’t. Eli wanted to be his sons’ friend instead of their father. Eli failed as a parent, which lead to his entire household was punished. Both of his sons were killed on the same day, and Eli was to die and have no heirs. His family lost everything all because he refused to be a father. What is your family losing?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Parent.

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“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” ~ Acts 2:1-4

On the day of Pentecost, the disciples went into the Upper Room together. They were in one accord. They were waiting patiently. They could feel something happening in their atmosphere. And at the perfect time, The Father sent down the Holy Spirit, and He filled them. Things changed for each of them after that day. Death was no longer a fear for them. People were healed just by their shadows. Great things happened.

In our day and age, we don’t see that same greatness very much. The Holy Spirit didn’t change. Jesus’ promises didn’t fail. The Father didn’t suddenly change the rules. So what changed? The Church. We did.

We changed because we no longer wait upon the LORD, we no longer gather together, we no longer seek, we no longer follow Christ’s words, we have turned towards the world and allowed them to dictate to us what is important and what is right. On the Pentecost Sunday, I implore you to seek the LORD, to wait for an answer, and to follow His word. Don’t look to the right or to the left, look to the LORD for He is good and His plan is perfect. His ways are just. Don’t be distracted by church tradition, but let us come as one body because when we are united, there is nothing we cannot do.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Wait.

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²¹ Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.” ²² So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast. ²³ But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her. ²⁴ (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) ²⁵ And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” ²⁶ Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. ~ Genesis 29:21-26

When Laban heard Jacob’s story, he said “surely you are flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone”, could that be a family curse? Rebecca convinced Jacob to pose as Esau to receive Esau’s blessing. Laban tricked Jacob into serving 14 years for his daughter Rachel.

Was that a family trait? To be cheating and conniving? Do we have family traits that cause us to be held back in life? Laban cheated Jacob more than once, and was held back in blessings because of it. Do we have family traits that hold us back? Imagine how much blessings Laban could have received if he wasn’t always trying to cheat to get ahead. Imagine the blessing if we didn’t continue in our old ways because it’s how our family works or how our family thinks. What if we changed our mindset and broke the yokes of our past.

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