Tag: Spiritual

Posted on

Drenched In Blood

it on all sides of the altar. 13 They brought him the burnt offering piece by piece, along with the head, and he burned them on the altar. 14 He washed the entrails and the legs and burned them with the burnt offering on the altar. ~ Leviticus 9:12-14CSB

When we think about forgiveness, oftentimes, we only think of the picture-perfect love of our Heavenly Father embracing us. Rarely do with think about the extremely painful price that had to be paid. There was never a time when forgiveness didn’t cost someone something. An innocent animal had to be slaughtered so Adam and Eve’s shame could be covered. Innocent animals had to be slaughtered in order to cover the sin of mankind after the flood. Innocent animals had to be slaughtered in order for Israel’s sin to be rolled over another year. Jesus, the innocent Lamb of God, had to be slaughtered on a tree in order to wash clean the souls of those who would accept forgiveness.

Forgiveness isn’t pretty. It isn’t sweet. It’s a cold and broken hallelujah. The moment we realize the true cost of our actions is when we begin to understand the price Jesus paid for us. The image of the altar of the Old Testament can be seen as a foreshadowing of the body of Christ. No longer does God come down on the Mercy Seat to meet us; He dwells in us. No longer do we sprinkle the blood of an innocent animal on the altar; God covers us in His perfect, blameless blood.

Love isn’t sweet and innocent. It’s painful and heartbreaking. Jesus had to take the sin of the entire world onto Himself and die in order to cancel the debt of sin. Then after He rose again, He had to cover us in His blood.

The cost of sin isn’t cheap. It’s the cost of a life. One day, we will all stand before the LORD, and on that day, He’s looking for His blood. Those who aren’t covered in His blood will have to pay their own debt. They’ll have to spend eternity in Hell away from the LORD. But to those who have been covered in the blood, they will dwell with Him forever and ever on the new earth that He will create for us and Himself.

Dear LORD, please help me not to be ungrateful for the price that You paid on the cross so that You could cancel my debt. Thank You that You gave Yourself for me so that I might escape my well-deserved fate. Thank You for Your love. Help me to realize the weight and severity of my own sin. Teach me to love You with all my heart, mind, and soul. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Back to Spiritual Slumber?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

Like and Share This:
Posted on

Be A Willing Vessel

20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. ~ Acts 11:20

Simon of Cyrene was forced by a Roman soldier to carry Jesus’ cross. Simon didn’t just go back to his everyday life after coming in contact with the Messiah. No. After this, his two sons became disciples of Christ. Men from the same city as him found Christ as well. So much so that when they came to Antioch, they preached Jesus to the Hellenists.

Today, the Church desires and attempts to keep their encounter with the Christ a secret in the name of tolerance, respect, and love, but this isn’t the purpose of the Church. We are to be the light of the world, for we are to tell and lead people to the Light, Jesus. We are to state the good news and all that He’s done for us. We are to be like Simon the Cyrene, who didn’t keep his encounter to himself but instead told all willing and allowed Christ to shine through him as a willing vessel.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be A Willing Vessel.

Back to Growth?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

Like and Share This:
Posted on

Who Or What Is Azazel?

Azazel has become a heavily debated and talked-about topic within the Church and the world. However, Azazel is mentioned in the Bible only four times, all during the instructions of one of the holiest of feasts, The Day of Atonement. The majority of people believe that Azazel is a fallen angel from Genesis 6 that corrupted humanity and created the Nephilim, now cursed to be a goat-demon. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the mystery behind this ambiguous figure in his video, Who Or What Is Azazel?

Leviticus 16:7-10
Leviticus 16:26
Exodus 34:14-17
Exodus 23:13
Hosea 2:17
Revelation 12:9-10
Hebrews 10:1
Isaiah 43:10-11
Hosea 13:4
Leviticus 16:20-22
Genesis 4:10-16
Psalms 5:4

Who Or What Is Azazel?

Azazel In The Bible

6 Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering for himself and shall make atonement for himself and for his house. 7 Then he shall take the two goats and set them before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 8 And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel. 9 And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the Lord and use it as a sin offering, 10 but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.
11 Aaron shall present the bull as a sin offering for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house. He shall kill the bull as a sin offering for himself. 12 And he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the Lord, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and he shall bring it inside the veil 13 and put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is over the testimony, so that he does not die. 14 And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.
15 Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. 16 Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses. 17 No one may be in the tent of meeting from the time he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place until he comes out and has made atonement for himself and for his house and for all the assembly of Israel. 18 Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the Lord and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around. 19 And he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it and consecrate it from the uncleannesses of the people of Israel.
20 And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. 21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. 22 The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness.

Leviticus 16:6-22

Back to Too Deep?

Back to Theology?

Similar Content

Like and Share This:
Posted on

Blessed To Sleep

4 When the Lord your God drives them out before you, do not say to yourself, ‘The Lord brought me in to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.’ Instead, the Lord will drive out these nations before you because of their wickedness. 5 You are not going to take possession of their land because of your righteousness or your integrity. Instead, the Lord your God will drive out these nations before you because of their wickedness, in order to fulfill the promise he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 6 Understand that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people. ~ Deuteronomy 9:4-6CSB

It’s very easy to justify sin when you’re seeing a harvest of plenty. Everything you do seems to be profitable. You have no lack, nor do you have fear. So, when you’re corrected, you justify your actions by the way you’ve been blessed. Blessings from God don’t always mean you have His favor and support for your life choices and decisions. How is that possible?

Jesus said that the Father pours out rain and sends the sun to shine on both the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45). Blessings from God don’t always reflect our standing with Him, but sometimes they are the fulfillment of prayers, promises, and gifts from the generations before us. Sometimes the LORD blesses us and elevates us, not because of us, but because of the prayers and faithfulness of our ancestors and the promises the LORD gave to them. And if we’re not careful, these generational blessings will lull us into a spiritual slumber because of the false safety they fill our hearts with. It lies to us, having us believe the darkness in us is actually light. If the light in you is actually darkness, how great is that darkness?

Even though we receive blessings from the LORD, we can still be outside of His covering blood. We can still be outside of His love and on our way to an eternity without Him. This is the importance of continually asking the LORD to search you. To bring anything that is unclean to the forefront that you might remove it from you and from your life all together. We will never reach perfection on this earth, but we never stop seeking it because if we aim for perfection but miss it, we will land among excellence.

Dear LORD, thank You for all the times You blessed me, and I didn’t deserve it. Thank You that no matter what I do, You always want me to come home to You. There’s never a time You abandon me or discard me as unimportant or undesirable. Please search me, and show me anything within me that must go. Please remove from me anything that isn’t of You. Please give me a Spirit of Discernment that I might rightly discern good and evil. That I might have a heart for the things of God and not the things of the world. Please awaken my spirit man within me that I might overcome the flesh. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Back to Spiritual Slumber?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

Like and Share This:
Posted on

The Value Of A Kind Word

11 A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. ~ Proverbs 25:11

I’m sure if you’ve been around church for any amount of time, especially those of the Pentecostal or Charismatic movement, you’ve heard the phrase, a now word. It simply means either a prophecy about a specific thing or words related to what’s happening in a specific person’s life or a certain situation. Well, this is what Solomon pictured when he wrote this Proverb. He was encouraging the encourager to continue to encourage his or her fellow person, friend, or family member. It is important to encourage the brethren when you see them troubled or discouraged. To speak a word that is relevant to that person in that situation can almost be priceless.

I know that there are times when I feel like I’ve been pouring myself out, and now I’m feeling drained and maybe a little discouraged. Then, someone will send me a text, say something to me, or even leave a nice comment on one of our posts, and it means the world to us. That word that is aptly spoken is so fitting to the situation that it immediately brightens the day and serves as the fuel to continue to try even harder.

That is not just the encourager speaking, but the Holy Spirit speaking through the encourager. Because God knows the heart and soul of every man and woman, boy and girl, and He is concern about each and every one of us, and if we need encouraging, He will send it. So, don’t hold back a compliment or a word of encouragement from those you are in contact with.

I know that there were times when I saw someone wearing a really nice outfit or looking extra nice, and I paid that person a compliment, and it changed their whole attitude and their whole outlook on life that day. Now, this is not to say that you ought to be insincere; we must always be sincere when we give a compliment, or it will make matters worse, not better. Flattery, for flattery’s sake, is not good. It causes more harm than good. Just be sincere and say something nice to someone today. Just like apples of gold in settings of silver are very aesthetically pleasing to the eye, so are encouraging words aptly spoken extremely pleasing to the soul, and brings hope to the heart. So, then, let us make a special effort to encourage each other whenever we get the opportunity.

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending that someone who encouraged me in the past. Thank You for using me to encourage others. May we always look for opportunities to say something nice to someone else that will brighten their day and let them know that Jesus loves them, for it is in Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Back to Growth?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

Like and Share This:
Posted on

God Planned It For Good

20 You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result — the survival of many people. ~ Genesis 50:20CSB

Joseph’s brothers had sold him into slavery and then deceived his father and their father into believing that he was torn to bits and killed by some wild animal. They had no pity on him, even though he begged and pleaded with them for his life.

Can you imagine a more horrendous situation to be in? Not only did the ones who are supposed to love you and protect you betray you, but they sold you into slavery. That’s like, in our day, to sell your sister into the sex trade industry. The words that she would feel are indescribable. A wrong that is hard to make right. A sin that is hard to forgive. Yet Joseph said, you did it with evil intents, but God did it for God.

Imagine being that close to God that you can see the good in everything that happens, no matter how awful it really is. Even if it is the worst thing that could happen to you, understand that God never meant it for evil but for good for the majority. And then, depending on your reaction to the situation, will determine which seeds you will sow, whether good seed or bad seed, because the fruit depends on the seed. Bad seed, bad fruit. Good seed, good fruit.

The key is to determine beforehand how you will react to the situation that you are thrown into. Always know that it is never God’s intention to harm you or to make you suffer loss. We live in a broken world filled with evil men and women who have no regard for life or for the things of God, but know this: God is always looking out for your good.

Father, help me to look for the good in every situation. Help me to not hold wrongs against those who have done me wrong. Help me to sow good seed that I might reap good fruit. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Back to Strongholds?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

Like and Share This:
Posted on

A Prayer

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. ~ Psalms 119:105

What the Psalmist is saying is that God’s word is like a flashlight that is used in the darkest of nights to shine on an obscure path that is shrouded in shadows and gloom and is hard to see. But the light from the flashlight shines on the path and illuminates the way for his feet to safely tread on the way that he is traveling.

Have you ever had days that seem darkened by trouble or the past? Is your mind crowded with things that steal your peace? Maybe it is a project at work that you are responsible for, and it is not working out the way you need it to. The deadline is quickly approaching, and the boss is breathing down your neck for results. The pressure is on, and the time is short; your path looks dark. Maybe it is a monetary problem. Your bills are stacking up, and the bill collector is calling, and you got passed over for the promotion at work. The path looks dark ahead.

Or maybe there is a conflict at work or in your family. Words are said, accusations have flown, making things seem more difficult and more concealed than they really are. Remember that God’s Word is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path. Pick up His word and have a read. Read an encouraging devotional that will remind you of the Power and the grace of Almighty God. Nothing flusters Him. Nothing fazes Him. He is as consistent as His Word that will light up your path. So, do as the song writer said and have a little talk with Jesus and tell Him all about your troubles. He will hear your faintest cry, and He will answer by and by because you mean that much to Him. He loves you and cares about you. He died for you and took the chastisement that brought you peace. So, go to Him; He is waiting.

Father, Your promises give me hope in times of trouble, and your faithfulness keeps me when I’m weak. Who, then, is like You, oh LORD my God? Strong in battle and faithful in love. There is none that I can compare You to, none that is Your equal. Be with me and my family today; guide and lead us, I pray. Be with all those who read this prayer today, and harken unto their needs. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Back to Spiritual Warfare?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

Like and Share This:
Posted on

Devout

21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. ~ Matthew 7:21CSB

Whenever you hear a celebrity is a “devout Christian” they use examples of going to church every Sunday, praying before each meal and before bed as reasons why they are so devout. Whenever I would hear this in the past, I felt annoyed. These aren’t even the minimum requirements of God, yet somehow the have the audacity to call themselves devout. Then it hit me, I’m no better than them.

When Christ asked Peter, James, and John to pray with Him and they all feel asleep, Jesus asked “could you not watch with me one hour?” Jesus did this twice. The third time, He left them sleeping. What a terrifying thought. The bare minimum Jesus asks for is one hour watching with Him, when the average Christian, including myself, struggles to pray for 10 minutes straight without your mind wandering off or getting distracted. What a sad state of the Church.

We can’t spend 10 minutes in prayer but wonder why God isn’t moving in our lives. We can’t spend 10 minutes reading our Bible but wonder why God isn’t showing us His glory. We’ve become a selfish Church. We want God to give us rewards for the least amount of effort.

Abraham stayed up all night protecting his sacrifice. Jacob wrestled with God all night. Daniel fasted for 21 days. Moses communed with God for 40 days. All of these men who received great blessings and were used greatly by God sacrificed their time for a chance to see the glory, blessings, and fulfilled promises of God.

Time is speeding up right before our eyes. There aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. So what are we to do? Prioritize the Kingdom and the rest so fall in place. We put our relationship with God above all else. We take a step closer to God every day. We strive to build the Temple of God, our spirit man, in order to give God more than the scraps off the table. We’ll never be able to give God all that He deserves,  but it’s time we stop giving Him offerings that cost us absolutely nothing.

God already died for us and gave us everything we need for salvation, it’s now up to us to draw near to Him. He opened the door and split the curtain; now it’s time for us to run to Him.

Dear LORD, I’m sorry for all the times I put the things of this world above You. I’m sorry for not making You my main priority in life and not making You the center of my life. Kindle the flame in me that I might never take You for granted or offer You a worthless offering. Soften my heart and renew a right spirit in me, that my soul might pant for You as the deer pants for the water. Help me to crucify my flesh and build up my spirit man within me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Back to Spiritual Slumber?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

Like and Share This:
Posted on

Cleanse Before Partaking

20 But the one who eats meat from the Lord’s fellowship sacrifice while he is unclean, that person must be cut off from his people. 21 If someone touches anything unclean, whether human uncleanness, an unclean animal, or any unclean, abhorrent creature, and eats meat from the Lord’s fellowship sacrifice, that person is to be cut off from his people. ~ Leviticus 7:20-21CSB

Both the author of the book of Hebrews and Paul explained that the Law was a shadow of good things to come. No longer do we give the LORD physical burnt offerings but spiritual burnt offerings. Paul warned that if we take Communion while we are dwelling in sin, then we are opening ourselves up for spiritual attack from the enemy and even could allow the Spirit of Death to take our soul before our time.

We take for granted having the privilege of entering the presence of the LORD, so we remain in our sin. We continue doing whatever we want, refusing to fully submit to the LORD because we don’t think God will punish us for our sin. We think the love of God will overlook sin, but from the very beginning sin cut us off from God. It separated us.

Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden of Eden. Cain and his wife had to leave the presence of the LORD. Those who sinned under the Law were cut off from the entire congregation of Israel. Today is no different. If we would just bow our knees before the LORD, we could see that, yes, Jesus loves us, but He won’t overlook our sin. Think of the price He paid for our sin. Why would He do that if our actions mean absolutely nothing and His love alone can save our soul?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Cleanse Before Partaking.

Back to Cleansing?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

Like and Share This:
Posted on

The World Deceiver

14 And no wonder! For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. ~ 2 Corinthians 11:14CSB

I’ve heard many say that the enemy’s greatest weapon is convincing people he doesn’t exist, but I have to disagree. I believe Satan’s biggest weapon is convincing people he isn’t evil but is good. In the Garden of Eden, Satan deceived Eve into thinking he was trying to help liberate her from the constraints around her mind that God had set. Today is no different.

Satan convinces people that what he did in the Garden was an act of love. That he tried to give knowledge to humanity instead of keeping them in the dark like God. People who don’t even believe he’s a real person follow his example and name their religions after him. Some even believe he and God are one.

The enemy doesn’t care if we believe he exists or not; he cares whether we believe his lies or not. This is why he is the Deceiver of The Whole World. He isn’t an angel of any kind. He’s a betrayer of mankind and an accuser of the Church. He isn’t for us but always against us.

Dear LORD, please help me to see the difference between good and evil. Help me to discern right from wrong. Fill me with the Spirit of Discernment that I might be able to see through the deception and lies of the enemy. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Back to Spiritual Slumber?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

Like and Share This:
Proudly powered by WordPress