Tag: Food For Growth

² Joyful are those who obey His laws and search for Him with all their hearts. ~ Psalms 119:2^NLT

Freedom starts with calling on the Name of Jesus, but it doesn’t stop there. Now, the real work for us begins. We have to now fight our flesh. How do we do that? We start with our mind. There is no sin that we commit that we have never thought about beforehand. We have to entertain sin in order to give into it.

Just changing our thoughts sounds easy enough, but that’s not the case. See, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Imagine you’re extremely overweight and out-of-shape, but you now have to start training to complete an Ironman. That’s essentially what happens when we get saved. Sure, some of us start out more out of shape than others, but we’re all working towards that one goal, completing the Ironman.

So, now instead of sleeping in, we have to get up early to pray. Instead of binging another episode, we have to turn off the TV and read our Bible. And instead of spending another 3 hours listening to secular music, we have to worship. It goes against our very nature and will be extremely difficult, but don’t be discouraged; God is working on you from the inside out. You’re not changing yourself; He’s changing you.

When we set our desires on God, and we start fighting to have a true relationship with Him, the weight will begin to fall off. Our minds will begin to be transformed. Our heart will begin to melt from its state of stone. So, don’t give up or lose hope. Strongholds are broken, and the weight of sin will melt off; you just have to fight for it.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Work Off The Fat.

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⁶ Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. ~ 2 Corinthians 9:6^NLT

The culture has vastly shifted over the decades. The 2000s brought a new outlook on life, specifically, the idea that everyone’s a winner and everyone gets an equal prize because we don’t want to hurt our children’s feelings. When we first look at this, it really doesn’t sound so bad, but what have been the effects? Entitlement. Microwave TV Dinner Syndrome.

When we remove the necessity of competition and hard work, we lower ambition and determination. We no longer have to fight for what we want; it’s handed to us. So, what happens? Entitled children become entitled adults, and nothing changes.

We can’t function, grow, learn, or contribute to anything with an entitlement mentality and/or microwave mentality. Nothing in life is free. You have to work for everything. I’d imagine a lot of us are agreeing right about now, but a lot of us don’t realize we’ve become Entitled Christians. We’ve been given salvation so freely that we forget that that’s just the beginning. Once we are saved, we have to work. We have to run the race set before us. We have to fight the good fight.

We can’t just say a simple prayer and then move on, expecting God to just do everything. What good are your prayers without any action? How many of us can say that we push deeper into praying and seeking God when we don’t get an answer the first time or even 5^th time. Elijah had to pray seven times for the rain to come, Jacob had to wrestle with God all night to be blessed, Daniel had to pray 21 days straight in order to get an answer from God.

Sometimes you have to dig deeper. Sometimes you have to wrestle with God, men, and the spirit realm all around us. We can’t afford to be entitled, lest we miss out on a large harvest because we only planted one seed.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Plant Generously.

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¹ On that night the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. ² And it was found written how Mordecai had told about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. ³ And the king said, “What honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” The king’s young men who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” ~ Esther 6:1-3

Sometimes restlessness comes upon us out of nowhere. In those moments, it’s easy for God to seem far off and distant. It’s easy for our minds to be deceived during this time. When Eve was tempted by the Serpent, he didn’t call her away from the other side of the garden; she was right next to the Forbidden Tree, possibly eyeing it. When David was tempted by Bathsheba bathing in her tub, he wasn’t at war with his army; he was walking on the top of his roof.

When we find restlessness overcoming us, we have to combat it with the Truth of who our God is. We have to remind ourselves that our God is the God of Peace. We do this by bringing to remembrance His promises over our lives so that we might not be distracted by the things of this world.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Bring The LORD To Your Memory.

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¹ Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children. ² Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. ~ Ephesians 5:1-2^NLT 

Notice how Paul doesn’t say to imitate God in some things, or even in most things, but instead, he says to imitate God in everything?

I remember being in school (I went to a Christian school), and one of my teachers (he was also principal of the middle school) was basically saying that you can’t Christian organizations outside of things like churches and non-profits. I, being the opinionated child I was, protested and asked why not? He then proceeded to say, ‘so we should have Christian plumbers?’ I said, ‘Yes, why not?’ He then proceeded to mock me and laugh, saying, ‘What are they gonna do pray over the toilets?’ I didn’t back and said, ‘Sure. Why not?’ He just laughed and mocked a little more, then went back to his original statement and continued with his lesson. I say all of this because with the world we’re living in today, with the beginning of the persecution of the Church really starting to become prevalent, I wonder if he’s changed his mind.

We’re not meant to somehow stop doing things as Christians or for God just because the world tells us Christ has no place in our society and everyday lives. How can we truly call ourselves Christians if we can take off our Christ-like image whenever we want to fit into the world a little better? No matter what we do in life, it should be to the glory of God. It should be with a Christ-like attitude and a Christ-like behavior. We should try to look like the world or imitate the world, nor should we ever be ashamed to be a Christian.

I love the saying,

I want to be so full of Christ, that when a mosquito bites me, he flies away singing “There Is Power In The Blood”!

This is the sentiment each Christian should have. No matter the context, no matter the job, our relationship with Christ should be the center, and all who come in contact with us or our business, including its staff, should see the difference between us and the world because we are no longer of the world. We are now the body of Christ, children of God Most High. Peace. Love. Go Forth and Live As His Dear Children.

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³⁵ And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. ~ Luke 1:35-38

Notice how God needed Mary’s consent? God didn’t force Mary into being the mother of Jesus. And if Mary had said no, God would have found another. Why? Because God doesn’t force any of us to follow Him, nor does He force any of us to fulfill our purpose. God gave us free will from the Garden of Eden, and He has never taken it away from us.

Don’t get caught up in the rush of this time of year. Listen to the subtle call of God. What is God calling you to do this Christmas? What is He leading you to fulfill this Christmas? No one is without purpose or calling. All are called, but only few choose to follow.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be One of the Few.

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¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. ~ Luke 2:12

Go on to Bethlehem and see so that you can have a personal experience with the Savior, and after you have that personal experience, you will know what to do. That’s what the angel was telling the Shepherds. Don’t just take my word for it; go see the Messiah. Go experience the Christ child, for He has come.

And when you come to Christ, you don’t have to be told what to do next. When you have the Christmas experience, God opens your eyes and shows you what to do next. The angel didn’t tell them that they had to tell others; when they got there, and they were in the presence of God, they knew what to do. When you know your Savior, He opens your eyes to the call He has on your life, for He is Christ the LORD.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Know Your Savior.

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¹⁴ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? ¹⁵ And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” ~  Romans 10:14–15

That is why our Christmas Mandate is so important. Without it, many would perish, but because of the Christmas Mandate, they are now serving God. It is like the domino effect. One event causes another, and then another until it’s all accomplished.

What I mean is: First you must Come and See, so that you can have a personal experience. Then you must Go and Tell so that someone else can have a personal experience, then they do the same, and on and on it goes, in this beautiful circle, and it’s all for the glory of God.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Tell Someone of the Good News.

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³⁸ Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to Him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” ³⁹ He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they came and saw where He was staying, and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. ⁴⁰ One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. ⁴¹ He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). ~ John 1:38-41

If someone just tells you about an event or an experience, it’s not your experience; it’s theirs. But when you come and see, that experience is yours. No one can deceive you. No one can place doubts in your mind. No one can con you. It’s your experience, and therefore, it is personal to you. We must make the Gospel personal.

That doesn’t mean that we come and see and then keep all of the information to ourselves so that no one else can experience what we have experienced.

But rather, we now Go and Tell. We share the Good News of Christmas with others. We become the light in the darkness. We share the great news of Christmas; Christ the LORD has come.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Share His Experience.

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¹⁷ And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. ~ Luke 2:17–18

As soon as the shepherds had gone to Bethlehem and had seen and confirmed everything that the angel had told them, Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus lying in a manger, they made known the saying. In other words, they went and told.

They did not keep it to themselves; they shared the Good News of the Savior’s birth. It’s the Good News of Christmas. They felt they had no other choice but to share this exceedingly good news.

They were not asked to take the angel’s word for it. They were encouraged to go and see for themselves. Go and experience Jesus for themselves. Now that you’ve seen and experienced, go and tell what you have seen and what you have experienced.

It’s the Christmas Mandate. Go See; now Go Tell. Experience Christ for yourself. Don’t take your parent’s, your friend’s, your pastor’s, or anyone else’s word for it. Experience Christ for yourself this Christmas. No one can stand for you before Him on Judgment Day. If you have experienced Christ, share Him. Don’t keep Him to yourself. Share the good news. Go and tell of all He’s done for you. Fulfill your Christmas Mandate. Live your Christmas Mandate all year long.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Share All You’ve Seen and Heard.

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