Tag: Spiritual

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Walk Like Joseph

33 Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. 35 And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36 That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.” ~ Genesis 41:32-36

Joseph was a prisoner, forgotten by the man he had interpreted the dream of for 2 years. Now, he was standing before Pharaoh, and he held all of the cards. He had nothing to lose. Imagine if Joseph told Pharaoh exactly what needed to be done. He very well could have kept that information to himself. A lot of people would have been like, “What’s in it for me?”

They would reason that, “Look, I’m a prisoner, and unless you free me, I’m not telling you anything, nor am I giving you any information. If you put me in charge, then I will help you. Then I will give you my good advice.” But not Joseph. Joseph explained to Pharaoh exactly what must be done, with no hesitation at all.

Impressed, Pharaoh took off his signet ring and put it on the finger of Joseph. In so doing, Pharaoh bestowed on Joseph the full power of Egypt. In one day, Joseph went from prisoner to second in command of all Egypt, the superpower of that day.

Joseph embodied honesty. He didn’t try to use his God-given gifts to his own advantage. He didn’t try to make himself great. He simply accepted the hand dealt to him and tried to live for God regardless of whether he was in the house or in the gutter. Why? Because he fully trusted in the LORD. He fully believed that the LORD had him no matter what the enemy tried to do to him. Joseph grew wherever he was planted, and the LORD was faithful to him.

Joseph went from prisoner, living in the jail, to second in command over all of Egypt, answering only to Pharaoh in just one conversation. He was faithful to God, so God was faithful to him. Even if the cupbearer forgot Joseph, the LORD God didn’t.

There might be people that you’ve helped, that you’ve been there for, that you’ve invested in, that have been elevated and have forgotten you, but don’t be discouraged, angry, or upset. The LORD God hasn’t forgotten you. He hasn’t abandoned you. If you remain faithful to Him, even when you have every right to be upset and bitter, the LORD will remain faithful to you, and he will elevate you because the LORD elevates the humble.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Walk Like Joseph.

Back to Encouragement?

Back to Daily Bread?

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Better Than

“Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” ~ Acts 3:6

Peter was very clear. He said that he did not have any silver nor did he have any gold, but he had something much better, the authority to heal him and make him able to walk. Why? The signet ring of power and authority was returned to man. But there are those who claim that we do not have authority. They deny that signs and wonders are for all believers as Jesus said they were, but they believe it was only for the Apostles.

There is no doubt in my mind that we Christians are living way below our potential. We have the authority, and we have the power, but we are living as if we do not, mainly because we are told that we do not.

The believers, not just the Apostles, but the believers like Philip the Evangelist were all walking in the power and working in miracles and performing signs and wonders all in the Name of Jesus.

After Peter and John healed the lame man, the rulers and elders, and scribes and all the family of the high priest called them in and questioned them, “… ‘By what power or by what name have you done this?’ (Acts 4:7b).” They realized that it was a great power that the disciples had performed that great miracle, but like today, they refused to believe or accept that it was by the power of Jesus’ name.

Dear LORD, please forgive me for every time I was ungrateful for what You have given me. Thank You for all of Your many blessings upon me. Thank You for loving me and keeping me. I pray LORD that You would open my eyes to all that You have for me. Please don’t allow me to make anything You have for me null and void. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Bombard

James 1:6-8 NIV

[6] But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. [7] That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. [8] Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

So, I have a 5 year old Siberian Husky. Anytime she hears me with food, she comes running and sits there staring at me as I eat, just waiting for me to share some of my food with her. I can tell her no a thousand times. I can refuse to give her any of my food and a thousand times, and she will still come back expecting food that one thousand and one time. It doesn’t matter how many times I say no, she will always come back expecting to receive something, even if it’s just a tiny taste. This is how we Christians should be. We should be like my dog.

Jesus told the Parable of the woman who beat the king down and refused to give him peace until she received her justice. He compared praying to this. We aren’t supposed to just say one prayer and expect God to immediately move. We are to bombard heaven with our prayers. We are to send up so many prayers that nothing could silence them.

This life is a spiritual war. We have an actual adversary working towards our destruction. We should never be passive in this life, and when we don’t hear from God, we should keep going. Imagine if Daniel stopped seeking God after one day or even after twenty days. Daniel would have never gotten his answer. He was like my doggie begging for some of the food that I’m eating, expecting to receive an answer. When we pray, we must pray expecting God to hear us and expecting God to answer us. Otherwise, why pray? We must pray with faith and then walk in action. Our actions should correlate with our prayers of faith. Otherwise, our spirit and our soul are not on the same page.

Therefore, bombard heaven expecting to receive exactly what we have asked for. Refusing to allow silence to keep us from continuing our prayers. We pray in faith, and we act as if we have received the answer.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Bombard.

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A Dangerous Disguise

2 Corinthians 11:14

[14] And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

When Paul describes Satan as someone who disguises himself into an angel of light, he doesn’t only mean literally. He isn’t just going around appearing to people as a literal angel of light. Sometimes, its just a quick, simple thought that is thrown into your mind as an innocent idea. Here’s what I mean. One of the ways I’ve started making money is by reselling. I buy storage units, and I resell the contents for a profit.

When I was cleaning out a storage unit the other week, I came across a well-known narcotic, oxycodone. It was a prescription bottle with a good little handful of pills left in it. As I read what the bottle, a thought entered my mind “I wonder how much these things go for?” Immediately, I was like, absolutely not. I audibly voiced “nope” from mouth and immediately opened the bottle and poured out the contents in to the trash bag filled with dirt, mouse droppings, and other disgusting contents I cleaned out of the unit.

The thought didn’t come maliciously. It didn’t come in an evil way. It came gently and softly in the form of “You know we got bills to pay.” It was a very evil thought posed and delivered very innocently. This is how Satan gets you.

He doesn’t come dressed up as evil incarnate. He comes dressed up as an innocent thought. A rational, innocent thought that is posed as being in your best interest. This is how Satan works and has always worked. He didn’t tell Eve to break God’s rule. He simply questioned what God actually said. This is the importance of being spiritually on guard.

Satan is a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. He isn’t a defeated foe. He isn’t a toothless lion. He is actively seeking a victim. He is actively seeking someone to devour. This is why we have to know the Word of God. So that when Satan comes along whispering in our ear, we can see the lies and the deception coming out of his mouth.

Dear LORD, please forgive me for every time I gave into the enemy’s lies and believed the deception. Thank you, LORD, for every time you have shown me the deceptions and given me an escape. Please help me to see past the deceit and the lies so that I can see the Truth. Give me a spirit of discernment as You fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I might overcome in the day of testing. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Our Spiritual Walk

Today’s church no longer sees the miracles of previous generations. Paul’s day saw blind eyes opened and the dead raised to life. Even previous generations of America have seen miracles, such as limbs growing back, the dead being raised, and the blind seeing. Why does it seem like our churches today no longer have the ability to see these things? What has changed? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the spiritual doors that have been opened in the modern-day churches in our societies today, in his message, Our Spiritual Walk.

Philippians 2:1-8
Genesis 5:24
Isaiah 45:19b (NLT)
Galatians 5:16
Galatians 5:17
Galatians 5:19-21
Galatians 5:22-23
Philippians 2:5
Matthew 20:16
Leviticus 19:1-2
1 Peter 1:16
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Hebrews 1:7
2 Corinthians 6:14-18
Romans 13:12

The Church Today

Our Spiritual Walk

1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Philippians 2:1-8

14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, 18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

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A Prayer Request

Romans 15:30-32 NIV,

[30] I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. [31] Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people there, [32] so that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed.

There’s one thing the Church continuously struggles with, prayer. There’s an entire underground church that doesn’t ask for financial help, food, clothing, or even Bibles. What does it ask for? Only prayer, yet rarely do we pray for them. Rarely do we even mention them.

We have national burger day. Ice cream day. Water day. We have so many different random unofficial holidays in the US, but we don’t have a day we come together as a Church, and pray for the underground Church. Those being persecuted simply for believing in Christ and refusing to deny Him. They’re beaten. Tortured. Land and homes taken away. They’re taken to concentration camps. Why? For their belief Christ. For refusing to deny Him. For refusing to stop speaking about Him.

We are the most financially steady Church in generations, but we are the most lukewarm. We are financially rich, but spiritually poor. We don’t have the spiritual growth it takes to get on our knees and pray for one hour a day, but we can binge a show for 8 to 10 hours straight. When the Church didn’t pray, James was beheaded. When the Church prayed, Peter was saved and delivered from prison by an angel. There are countless Christians suffering right now. Their only request is prayer. How will you answer? 

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The Power To Hurt

38 You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.  43 You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. ~ Matthew 5:38-48NIV

The quote

“There’s no such thing as safe love. Real love means giving someone the power to hurt you.”

has been living rent free in my head for a few weeks now. It’s been just replaying through my head over and over and over again. Such a difficult concept to grasp. Such a difficult pill to swallow. True love is giving someone the power to hurt you. That’s not an easy standard to live by.

This isn’t just a good sounding quote either, Christ confirms this belief. Paul told us:

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; 7 rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Philippians 2:5-8NIV

Let that sink. Christ gave up His Godly form, set it aside and took on the form of man. Then, died for the sins of the whole world, knowing fully well that the majority of humanity would refuse to believe. He loved even though He knew that He would be hated. His love was, is, and always will be unconditional. This is the kind of love we are to walk in.

The kind of love that allows others to hurt us. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we should get involved or remain in abusive relationships. What I’m saying is when we love, we shouldn’t love with the expectancy of that love being returned or reciprocated. We should love, even when someone hurts us. We should love, even when we are the victim. We should love, even when they are deemed undeserving.

If your enemy is hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink. If they are naked, clothe them. Our actions should never be to return hate with hate. It should always be to return hate with love. It should always be turn the other cheek.

Dear LORD, thank You for loving me, even when I was a sinner. Thank You for never taking away the opportunity to love You. Please forgive me for all of the times I have not loved others as You have loved me. Please uproot any root of bitterness that has been planted and is growing inside of me. Create in me a new heart and renew a right spirit within me. Help me to be Christ to others and share Your Light with all I come across. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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A Yoke Of Slavery

13 Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ ~ Numbers 11:13NIV

Moses had just delivered the people out of Egypt. They had been slaves for 400 years. When the burden of slavery became too hard for them, they cried out to the LORD, and the LORD answered them. He sent a deliverer and delivered them.

Now, they are free. No longer enslaved. No longer with a heavy burden that weighs them down. They thankful hearts didn’t last long. They soon began to grumble and complain. First it was hunger. Then it was that they were tired of the food they were given to eat and wanted meat. They commissioned and complained to the point where Moses had had enough, and could no longer take it.

Imagine being enslaved to the point where your baby boys are murdered in front of you. You and your family are worked tirelessly. Beaten and whipped. So you pray for intervention and when God intervenes, you’re only thankful for a short while because you don’t have the same foods as you did in slavery.

So many times God intervenes on our behalf, and we are thankful in the moment but we forget too quickly. We willingly return to slavery in order to have a snack. We trade freedom from our stomachs. Let that sink in. We trade our freedom to return to slavery.

1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1NIV

19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”

2 Peter 2:19 NIV

Sometimes, we trade freedom for tradition and legalism. We trade God’s freedom for manmade doctrines. Other times we trade freedom for desires. The Israelites of Moses’ day knowingly said they would rather be slaves in Egypt than follow God in the wilderness, today we do the same. We say we would rather be bound by tradition, legalism, and manmade doctrine than to be free in Christ Jesus.

Dear LORD, thank You for saving my soul. Thank You for redeeming me from my sins and giving me freedom in You. Please forgive me for each and every time I chose slavery over freedom. Please forgive each and every time I have fallen back into sin and given into my fleshly desires instead of remaining in Your perfect and holy will. I ask that You would please strengthen me and teach me. That You would uphold me when I fall, so that I might not remain down, but that I might get up and keep going. Please guide me and lead me in the path You have for my life. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Live In Abundance

10 A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance. ~ John 10:10CSB

I can honestly say, I’m not really sure what to say. The last couple days I’ve felt extremely defeated, discouraged, and alone, but this morning I woke up and all of the burdens were just gone. The craziest part is, as I was embracing this pure joy and peace of mind, I could feel something tugging at me wanting me to pick the burden back up and carry it longer because after all, the feelings were justified.

It’s crazy how the flesh and the enemy work together in order to defeat you. Satan doesn’t want you free and neither does your flesh. Your flesh has been corrupted. It’s filled with wickedness, bitterness, lust, anger, unforgiveness, etc. This is the importance of crucifying the flesh daily. We must put our flesh in check, or we’ll be defeated inside and out.

The enemy’s desire is for our destruction, whether spiritually or physically, he desires to destroy us. So, when we come to Christ and He picks up our burdens and takes them from us, the enemy tries to lie to us and use our flesh to tell us we need to carry those burdens. That we need to be broken and hurt, angry and bitter, because of what has been done. Christ says, give that to me and I’ll carry it for you. Give it to me and I’ll give you love, joy, and peace. I’ll give you everlasting life.

The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Christ comes to bring life and life more abundantly.

Did I do everything right? Absolutely not. I never do. Nor does any other human. Did I pass the test? I believe this love, joy, and peace I feel right now is proof that I did. You don’t have to get every single thing right. That’s impossible. You do, however, have to pass the test. You have to not give the Devil room to accuse and destroy. You have to learn to kneel down at the feet of Jesus and allow Him to take your burdens from you. Give them to Him, and He will give you peace.

LORD, I’m sorry for all of the times I refused to come to You and lay my burdens down at Your feet. Thank You for never giving up on me. For never leaving me. For never forsaking me. Thank You for loving me. For giving me peace. For giving me hope and a future. Search me, oh LORD, and show me the unforgiveness in my heart. Help me to let it go, LORD. Here is my hurt, shame, and pain. I lay it at Your feet. Help me to lay it at Your feet and to never pick it up again. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Call To Lean

8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NIV

Have you ever felt just emotionally, physically, and spiritually exhausted? Like, no matter what you say or do, it’s never good enough? Like no matter how many times you get up, someone or something pushes you right back to the floor? That’s where I’m at…

Recently I’ve just been struggling to do basic everyday things. My drive has been drained and my body is just screaming we can’t go any longer. One minute I’m starving, the next I’ve completely lost my appetite. The more I analyze what goes before these feelings, the more I realize it’s the words and actions of others around me that are draining me. Yepp, I’m right back to where I began again.

It’s the little things that really get me. Someone says or does something that causes you discouragement and then instead of trying to encourage you and help you, they tell you not to listen to the voices in your head as if you made the whole thing up. As if you’re crazy. Or if you say something someone doesn’t like, they just begin to lecture you, and it becomes a daily occurrence. When they point out they didn’t do it the previous day or two, it’s because you had stopped talking, so there was nothing to lecture on.

When the Devil wants to go in for the kill, he uses those around you. Those you trust. Those he knows can crush you the most. When Jesus was arrested, who was it because of? One of His own close friends, Judas. When He was being mocked and slapped before the High Priest, and they were spitting on Him laughing in His face, who was it that denied Him in those moments? His best friend, Peter.

The Devil will use those closest to you, to try to destroy you. To try to finish you. But each day you have to get back up again. You have to keep going forward. You have to overcome. It isn’t easy. It’s quite exhausting. It isn’t a quick walk around the park. It’s quite discouraging. But that’s when you lean on the LORD. That’s when you fall at His feet and call out His name, for when we humble ourselves before Him and seek Him with all of our heart. He hears us. We find Him. And He picks us up.

Even when the whole world feels like it’s against, the LORD God is for you. Even when it feels like you don’t even have a friend to call on for help, Jesus is that friend. He will never leave you, nor forsake you, but it’s on you to call His name.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Call To Lean.

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