Category: Kingdom Life

Writings to build up the Church, promoting Christian living and service, and helping with the challenges this will bring.

Posted on in Kingdom Life

Wonder Bread

Finding It

Before crossing into the promised land, Moses would tell the children of Israel to “remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord” (Deut. 8:2-3).

Now the Israelites called this bread from heaven ‘Manna’ which literally means, ‘What is it?’ (Ex. 16:15, 31). It was unknown, unfamiliar and unusual, yet they had to learn to live on it. In the same way, countless believers today are wandering through life trying to figure out, ‘What is it?’ saying, “God, what is your will for my life?” We are perpetually searching for relevance, longing to hit the mark we were intended to hit, yet we never seem to fully find it. As distractions and fears surround us, it will become harder and harder to discern His voice. Now is the time to follow Him to the wilderness, to fast, pray and learn to live on His wonder bread.

Though this world’s fingerprints are all over us, it is the Lord’s mission to mold us into the people He created us to be from the beginning, even if it means leading us through the inconvenience of a wilderness. He created us to trust, obey and follow His leadership with hearts full of love; therefore, He allows us to hunger. He will never force you, but He will starve you out of your comfortable, self-dependent shell until you finally choose to let go of your pride. Jesus came on the scene teaching that He Himself was the Bread from heaven, the Bread of life (Jn. 6:28-40). This offended many and several of His disciples left and walked with Him no more (Jn. 6:66) because they weren’t willing to receive His words as spirit and life. Just as those who complained and died in the wilderness, they wanted to follow God on their terms. Even today, we prop ourselves up with college degrees, personal accomplishments, large savings accounts, and honor before man, while genuine faith in Christ becomes a last resort (not that these are wrong in and of themselves).  God’s will is found in the place of dependence, where we have nothing left to fall back on except His saving grace, wisdom and provision, counting all else as dung (Phil. 3). When your relationship with Jesus becomes more valuable than oxygen if you were a thousand miles under water, you will discover His will.

Jesus entered the wilderness full of the Spirit, but He came out of it in the power of the Spirit (Luke 4:1, 14). The Holy Spirit leads us through the wilderness, so we can find this wonder bread and learn the will of our Father.  This is not only about seeing the bigger picture of His will because there is still so much that is outside of our capacity to comprehend, but it involves asking our Father for daily bread and receiving our marching orders for that day. God commanded the children of Israel to only gather enough manna for that day, no more and no less (Ex. 16:19). Don’t be so anxious about tomorrow’s bread nor try and live on yesterday’s spoiled manna, but continually seek after fresh bread while it is still today. Feast on the revelation of Jesus and be filled with the knowledge of His will by way of persistent prayer and hunger for His Word. Ask the Lord what is on His heart for that day. Follow the daily bread crumbs to your destiny with God. Ask yourself how your simple day to day decisions can be about your Father’s business?

Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Eph. 5:17)

Eating It

“In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, ‘Rabbi, eat.’ But He said to them, ‘I have food to eat of which you do not know.’ Therefore the disciples said to one another, ‘Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?’ Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work (Jn. 4:31-34).'”

I can imagine the perplexed look on the disciples’ faces when Jesus had said this, knowing how weary and hungry He must have been from their journey. Similarly, after Jesus had been fasting forty days and nights, the Gospel of Matthew says “afterward He was hungry” (Matt. 4:3). He then resists Satan’s temptation while declaring, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matt. 4:4).'”

The chief goal of Satan’s temptation was not to merely break His fast, but it was to keep Him from breaking through into His intended purpose. He wanted Jesus to choose momentary satisfaction at the expense of detouring from the will of His Father, but Jesus understood where true and lasting satisfaction comes from. It is not enough for us to just resist or avoid sin; we must actively fill our souls with the food of DOING His will.

It is interesting that Jesus tells His disciples about this ‘wonder bread’ at the place of Jacob’s well, Jacob being the one who tricked his brother Esau out of his birthright for some bread and soup (Gen. 25). It is our birthright (privilege) as born again Christians to do the will of our Father, and Satan will do anything to take that away from us. There is no one more bitter or depressed than a stagnate Christian living outside of their purpose because they continually sell their birthright for momentary satisfaction. The more we are caught up in fading pleasures, comforts and pursuits rather than being about our Father’s business, the less we experience the reward of walking in His perfect will and the joy of being fully alive in Christ. Eating His wonder bread sustains us.

Multiplying It

“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Children, have you any food?’ They answered Him, ‘No.’ (Jn. 21:5)

Jesus said to them, ‘Come and eat breakfast.’ (Jn. 21:12)

Even after Jesus had shown Himself to His disciples, they still wavered between knowing His will and walking in His will. They quickly returned to what they knew; fishing (Jn. 21:3). Although they surely remembered the excitement they felt when their Messiah had hand-picked them, saying, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19), they allowed the fear of failure to govern their ability to follow God and do His work.  So there they were, after a long night of catching nothing, and Jesus recruits them yet again saying, “Feed My sheep” (Jn. 21:15-17). He said this three times, reinstating Peter who had denied Him three times.

Many of you are in a long night season, unfulfilled, and searching for purpose, yet you are catching nothing. Hear the the Lord’s invitation: Feed My sheep, multiply the bread I give you and keep following me. Don’t over complicate this thing. When we detour from our purpose, we are starving our souls from true fulfillment. Jesus’ command for Peter to feed His sheep was an invitation to follow Him to his own cross. By his obedience, he would feed the Lord’s sheep with faith and courage for generations to come. People will feed off your testimony, so don’t allow the leaven of the culture to contaminate it.

Jesus didn’t pay that gruesome price to make our lives easier, but to show us the simple way to true life. Keep in mind that God’s will always leads us through the cross. “Yet not my will, but Yours be done” was the heart cry of Jesus throughout His entire earthly ministry, so why not make it yours?

RECAP:

Wonder Bread = The Word and the Will of God

We must find it, eat of it and multiply it.

PRAYER SCRIPTURE:

“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God…”(Col. 1:9-10)

Posted on in Kingdom Life

Death Has Lost Its Sting

Did you know that there are several species of harmless flies that actually look like bees? There are even honey bees that don’t have stingers at all! Our society has done such an excellent job branding the “bee” that every time we see something that looks remotely close to one, we flee in utter terror. I have noticed that Christians react the same way toward sin and death. The Devil has done such a good job branding our minds with lies we hide and cower at these “bees without stingers.” Remember this: Christ will redeem our soul, but we have to renew our mind.

For those who are in Christ, sin thus has no more power over you. It is like a bee without its stinger, though it may appear intimidating, it cannot harm you. God has given you power to overcome! Paul exhorts us to “reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God” (Romans 6:11) because if we don’t see ourselves as such, we will continue to live as if sin had dominion over us. If we don’t see that death has truly lost its sting, then we will continue to live as fearful slaves not faithful servants. 

Before you walk victoriously over your dark habits, emotions and lifestyle, you must first understand that you are already victorious the moment you said yes to Christ. The fight has been fixed. You win because He already won. You just have to keep fighting the good fight of faith and NEVER QUIT. Almost every war has had a turning point, a decisive battle that determined the outcome of the war, yet more battles were fought and the fighting continued until the opponents fully surrendered. The war for your soul has been going on since Satan was kicked out of heaven, but at just the right time, Christ came and turned the tides of the war forever, saying, “It is finished.” As Jesus breathed His last breath, hell rejoiced and heaven wept. The enemy thought he’d won, then Jesus broke through the back door of hell, took the keys of death, and rose again. By doing this, He crushed the serpents head and disarmed the feared killer bee of sin for good. The cross changed everything.

To the worried believer struggling with the fear of death, know that you have a living hope, the hope of glory: Christ in you. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead now lives in you, thus you will rise too. No power in hell can keep you in the grave. Death will never hurt you.

To the weary believer who feels stuck in the same cycle of sin, know that your old man was crucified with Him, that we should no longer be slaves of sin (Rom. 6:6-7). Quit trying to wear chains that He already broke. Shake them off. Push delete. Put yourself in healthy and holy environments. Fill your mind with the truth of how God sees you now (Rom. 8, 12:2). There is power in His name! Step into the reign of grace today, for you are “more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Rom. 8:37)

…so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom. 5:21)

Therefore do not LET sin reign in your mortal body… (Rom. 6:12, emphasis added)

The reign of sin: We were under condemnation before God, powerless before sin and satanic attacks, and were in darkness, without the ability to understand God and His Word, etc.

The reign of grace: We received a new position, power, nature, insights, and destiny. We are now enjoyed, indwelt, empowered, and commissioned by God, with a relevant purpose.

“O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”  The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:55-57)

Study Chapters: Romans 6 & 1 Corinthians 15

*Please don’t misunderstand, I do not promote or advise that you play with real bees. Thank you for reading.

Posted on in Kingdom Life

Come Inside

When reading Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15, I don’t know who to feel worse for: the younger son who wasted his inheritance or the older son who never even recognized his inheritance.

It pains me to see so many believers who have grown up in the faith live as spiritual orphans and beggars because they never step into the fullness of their relationship with God. They relate to Him (if they even relate to Him at all) as a casual outsider rather than a royal son or daughter, and most of the time they are bored, bitter and frustrated with where they are in life. It’s like being given a billion dollar check that we never cash because we don’t know that we actually have it. Tragic, I know.

Although this story has been called the “The Parable of the Prodigal Son,” I believe it is really about a father who had lost his “two” sons. Jesus painted a picture of a coldhearted sinner who comes to repentance when he realizes what he forfeited when he left his father’s house (Lk. 15:17), and a lukewarm believer who is so wrapped up in dead religion that he doesn’t even see what has already been given to him. Many of us miss the fact that the father not only responded to son who ran away and returned, but also the son who was always there but never came inside.

Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. (Lk. 15:28)

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. (Rev. 3:20)

The older son would say, “Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat that I might make merry with my friends” (Lk. 15:29).

In essence he was saying to his father, “I’ve been a good church kid all my life, but still you never gave me what I wanted!” His service to his father was motivated only by obligation and outward recognition. Oh how wretched we are to ignore so great a gift like God’s grace, being blinded by our pride and selfishness! Like much of the religious crowd in that day, this older son was so concerned with the wrong things that he lost sight of right things.

Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. (Lk. 15:31)

Our Father has made these things freely available to all who will come to Him:

The Best Robe (v. 22):

He has provided us with a righteousness that can never be improved upon. He offers the best robe to all who are willing to take off (repent) their own righteousness which is as filthy rags and put on His. We now stand before Him justified (“just-as-if-we’ve-never-sinned”).

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (2 Cor. 5:17).

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2. Cor. 5:21).

The Ring (v. 22):

He gives us His own signet ring which represents our authority and adoption as royal heirs of His kingdom. As ambassadors, we have authority to use His name, to heal the sick, cast out demons, and walk in victory over sin. We now have legal access to step behind the veil and into His presence.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children then heirs (Rom. 8:14-17)

The Sandals (v. 22):

He gives us new destiny and purpose in Him. While we used to be His enemies rightfully on our way to hell, we are now given hope for an eternal future with Him. He wants to wash our feet (which can also represent our past) and invite us to partner with Him to bring this good news to all who will hear it!

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation…(Isa. 52:7; Rom 10:15)

Having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace…(Eph. 6:15)

The Fatted Calf (v. 23):

He invites all who are willing to the great wedding supper of the Lamb to celebrate His victory on the cross and our new life with Him, providing us with lasting satisfaction and joy that doesn’t fade away.

Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready….Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb! (Rev. 19:7,9)

In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Ps. 16:11)

They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. (Ps. 36:8)

We were once dead, and now alive again. We were once lost, but now we are found (Lk. 15:32).

Christ’s incarnation into humanity, life on the earth, death on the cross, resurrection from the grave and ascension up to heaven provided us so much more than just a way OUT of hell, but a way INTO an eternally rich and satisfying relationship with God (Jn. 17:3; Heb. 10:19-23).

Hear Him pleading with you today, “Come Inside!”