Bread of Life, JIL

” The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength, he guides me along the right paths, bringing honor to his name.” Psalm 23:1-3

He is the reason we can get out of bed each morning.

He is the reason that we take our first breath each day.

He is the reason we have eyes to see and a tongue to help us speak.

He is the reason our legs have strength to carry us through the day.

He is the reason that we have a choice between eternal life in heaven or eternal damnation in hell.

Jesus is the reason. He is the only reason you and I are able to put food on our tables, cars in our driveways and clothes on our backs. Jesus is the reason. Our focus each morning should be on Him and no other. We should give constant praise to Him who loves us enough that He sacrificed everything so that we could live. Jesus in the reason! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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“The rich and the poor have a common bond. The Lord is the maker of them all.” Proverbs 22:2

PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:44

Who was the one who took the first steps in your salvation? You may have confessed that Jesus is your Lord and Savior; however, to take that act was not initially your idea. The Lord created within you a desire for His love and His presence. He allowed for difficult times to enter into your life so that you would be open to Him. You may have fallen so far that there was nothing else to do but to listen to Him. God took the initiative, and you chose to cooperate with Him, which is the very definition of a Christian life.

PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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“Do not work for food which perishes, but for food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.” John 6:27

“Jesus answered and said to them, ‘ This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.’ ” John 6:29

Doing the work that our God wants us to do is simple but not easy. We are to believe, with all of our heart that he is real and that he is the truth. It is not easy because we must believe while we are living in a world of conflict, doubt, worry, fear and hopelessness. We see all of the negative things going on around us and are constantly attacked by the fears of the world. However, we are charged with believing the unseen, believing in the fruits of the Spirit and to do so with no doubts. This again, is not easy. It takes much study of His word and much meditation in his words and thoughts. It takes constant prayer and the constant building of our faith. Each day we are to be willing to put another brick upon our wall of faith to make it stronger and stronger. What we do for the Lord our God is fulltime employment. There is no time off, no vacation time or no time off for sickness. It takes 24/7 work time and nothing less. The devil never rests, and we must not rest either.

PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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“ The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the innermost parts of the being.” Proverbs 20:27

Walking around in the darkness is not easy. We stumble and kick things that are in our way. We grumble and make noises that others are not to hear. However, if we just turn on the light, we are able to see where we are going and we get to our destination much quicker. It is the same when we are walking in this world. There are many times when we are walking in the dark, but all we have to do is reach out and turn on the lamp of God. Proverbs explains to us that our spirit is the lamp of the Lord. He is able to search every inch of our being and helps to guide us through good and bad times. He knows our every thought and our every intention. However, he does not impose himself upon us. He waits for us to ask and to want his help. Why do we always want to take the ways of darkness when there is a light ready to shine upon us? Let us renew our spirits and allow our God on high to direct us and get us home safely.

PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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“True worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth.” John 4:23

God is a Spirit. His divine nature is pure and holy. He is absolutely worthy of our worship. However, we should never worship Him in the way the world gives its rewards. We should never try to earn his favor with sacrifices that he has not asked for. The Lord actively seeks out men and women who will eagerly worship Him according to the truth of the scripture and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Each step we take should be with the focus of Jesus in our sights. It His life that our lives have been given a second chance. It is because of the true and holy word of God that our lives are created for another chance at eternal life. We are spirits just as God is. We are spirits living in a world of unrighteousness and sin. We are spirit beings that are living in a world that is truly foreign to us, and we must not allow its ways to overcome us. We must learn and live the ways God intended. Our focus is to be on Jesus and no other!

PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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“Do not be amazed that I said to you, you must be born again.” John 3:7

What did Jesus mean when he said, “You must be born again.” The new birth is an instantaneous spiritual experience which occurs when the Holy Spirit leads a person to understand that Jesus died and was raised again to provide forgiveness of our sins. The moment we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and look directly to him for salvation, is the moment we are born again. In the beginning we are born into sin. But when we accept Jesus, we are born into the loving arms of our Lord God. Our thoughts, actions and words begin to change, and we begin to follow goodness rather than the evil of the world. Without being born again we only exist upon this earth. There is no good ending, there is no future. But when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we go from just existing on this earth to living our lives for a purpose. Our purpose is to spread his Holy Word so that all can come to Him and live a life everlasting.

PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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“May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money.” Acts 8:20

Although this Simon believed in Jesus for his salvation, his heart was still set on the things of this world, such as money and power. Peter stood and rebuked Simon sharply, not condemning him, but to rescue him. As believers, we must always be concerned of what we set our hearts upon. Matthew 6:24 tells us “You cannot serve God and wealth.” If you have received Christ Jesus and you continue to approach situations with worldly goals and ambitions, there is something terribly wrong. It is time to reevaluate your priorities. We cannot buy our way into heaven. We cannot get to heaven by belonging to a particular denomination. There is only one way and that is true acceptance of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Time is getting shorter for each of us, but for as long as God gives us our next breath, there is still time. Always strive to be obedient to God in heaven. JESUS IS LORD!

PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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“Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘ Lord, do not hold this against them.’ Having said this, he fell asleep.” Acts 7:60

Just as Jesus asked His Father to forgive those who crucified Him (Luke 23:34), so Stephen asked God to give his murderers a chance to repent. It is God’s grace that enables us to do what we could never do on our own. Stephen was able to forgive those who stoned him and ask for God’s mercy to be upon them, because of the example of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is through His example that we are to live our lives, teach our children and speak words of forgiveness. Without Jesus we would not be able to do any of that. It is by His mighty mercy and grace, of which he has applied to our lives, that we are able to spread that mercy and grace to others. JESUS IS LORD!

PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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“He opened their minds to understand the scriptures.”  Luke 24:25

The things that happen in our lives are many times misunderstood.  The things of the Spirit of God are foolishness to those of this world. The truths of Jesus cannot be and are not accepted by the world. In every situation it takes the Lord’s wisdom and influence to help us understand and accept the truths of His Word! Stay in His Word with prayer and much meditation. JESUS IS LORD!

PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

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“Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:13

Even those who maintain a close, intimate relationship with the Lord are not immune to disappointments, obstacles, challenges, struggles, and feelings of hopelessness. In fact, at times, God allows us to face impossible circumstances in order to try our faith. It is in these times of adversity that motivates us to seek Him, and when we do, He faithfully strengthens us.

God knows every emotion, need, and desire we have. He cares when we face difficult times and grow weary. He hears our cries and understands our needs. He knows exactly what it will take to bring us into a more intimate relationship with Him. There is nothing that is hidden from our Lord. It is up to us to take our cares and thoughts to Him in prayer. We are to ask, receive and then believe that he answers. Sometimes we by-pass the “believe” part. We are to be strong and believe that we receive. Our lives are to reflect His values and His ways as our faith becomes stronger each day.

PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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“O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!” Luke 24:25

In many accounts of the time after his resurrection, the disciples did not at first believe that the Lord had risen. Even though they had seen Him perform miracles, when He walked the earth, and they had gone through times that he himself had foretold them, they still didn’t believe the resurrection had taken place. It often took hearing his voice or seeing Him perform some familiar action for them to believe. Unbelief can blind us to the Lord’s work, but trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what He sees and is doing. Had they believed the words of the prophets, they most likely would have anticipated the Resurrection and saved themselves from the sadness and sorrow of his death. We also must build our belief. We must construct our faith so that it will grow and not be stunted in growth. We must keep on praying, keep on meditating in His word and never give in to fear and doubt!

PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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“Always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” 1 Peter 3:15

If someone were to come to you and ask if you were a Christian, what would you say? How would you explain your belief in the resurrection or lead them to faith in Christ? You would be surprised at those who run away from that question. Fear is sometimes so strong that it overcomes us, and in our weakness, we fail to provide the answer that Christ wants. However, if we are allowing the Lord Jesus to work through us, people will begin to notice the difference. It was with gentleness and love that Jesus walked among the people. With Him dwelling in us, we also will demonstrate those same traits. It should be rather easy to tell others about why we love Jesus.

PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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“Jesus was saying, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they cast lots, dividing up his garments among themselves.” Luke 23:34

Even though their actions were cruel, the Roman soldiers who carried out the Crucifixion could not have understood the ramifications of their actions. So, Jesus extended His mercy to them, just as he extends it to you and me. This is the nature of God’s unconditional love. It doesn’t matter what we do, He still cares and wants us to return to Him. This is also the standard He calls us to. No matter what others do, we are to imitate His example of forgiveness (Matthew 18:21-35; Ephesians 4:32). His extension of mercy to the Roman soldiers, who were in the process of crucifying Him, is the greatest example He could give us. Let us take it to heart and put it into practice in our lives.

PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:1-3

“He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul.” (Ps. 23:2,3). Most likely you have heard this passage quoted more times than you can count. No matter how often this much-loved psalm is recited, we will seem to miss the full impact of the message. GOD RESTORES OUR SOULS. How does he do this? He restores our souls through fellowship with himself. Even through the times that we stray far away from him; he remains the Good Shepherd. Though we may wander, He receives us back gladly and willingly pardons His wayward sheep. We must recognize the power of our God in heaven. His love is so deep and so strong that he is willing to forgive us for our mistakes and take us back into the fold. He restores our position as though we had never gone away. So, the next time you fall away from God do not be hesitant in your return. He will always be waiting for you with his opened arms of love. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“ Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6

We cannot always see lovingkindness and mercy ahead of us, but when we look back, we can see all the ways God has helped us. That helps us to move forward, knowing that wherever the Lord leads us, our ultimate destination is an eternal place of joy. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me and heard my cry.” Psalm 40:1

“He will call upon Me, and I will answer him.” Psalm 91:15

Waiting is just a fact of life. Sometimes God answers our prayers immediately but other times He makes us wait to see the answer. When we wait for Him patiently, we show that we trust Him. It is that trust and faith that accompanies us through the nights that may be filled with struggles and problems that keep us from sleep. He also is with us during the day when we find ourselves dodging the arrows that have been shot at us from those that may not like us. Yet when we trust Him and find our security in the Lord, these struggles do not have to terrify or intimidate us. Our safety is in the Lord our God in heaven.” PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“Why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk.” Acts 3:12

After the lame beggar had been healed by Peter and John the people began to run at them with amazement. No matter how greatly the Lord may choose to use us, we must be careful to let the people know that God is the one at work. It is He who accomplishes whatever good thing might occur; we are merely the vessel he is working through, and this is exactly what Peter and John did. It is not for us to take the glory that is so richly deserved by our God. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.” 1 John 4:2

“and every spirit who does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the anti-christ, of which you have heard that is coming, and now it is already in the world.” 1 John 4: 3

“You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4

” You and I are charged with examining the scriptures of God’s Holy Word. We are to make sure that what is said adheres to what God is teaching us. 1 John 4:1 is what our belief is built upon. “Jesus Christ is God incarnate. ” There may be many who say that “Jesus was a great teacher or prophet”, but unless they confess, “He saved His people from their sins, and is God with us”, they do not truly believe in Him. The Holy Spirit is within us from the moment of salvation and enables us to say no to temptation. So anytime we resist temptation, overcome spiritual challenges, or gain victory in a contest of faith, we do so because the Holy Spirit lives in us. We move ahead in our walk with Jesus by relying on His power and not our own. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2: 5-8

Living a life of humility is not an easy task. It is hard for us as humans to put ourselves in the position of submission when our worldly ways have taught us to climb the ladder of success and be better than everyone else. But this was not the way of Jesus. He is equal to God. But he humbled himself when he came to this earth and lived a life of humility. If Jesus can do this then you and I can do this. We sometimes forget that Jesus was human. He had all of the emotions we have and had to overcome the same thoughts and ideas we must overcome. Just as Jesus did, we are to put others before ourselves. We are to humble ourselves and live in servitude of those around us. This is how God wants us to live. We are to be obedient just as Jesus was and not take our eyes off of the end goal of salvation for all. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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” And we know he lives in us because he Spirit he gave us lives in us.” 1 John 3:24

Our Lord has never left us. He may not be here physically, as we believe as human beings, but his Spirit lives on within each of us. If we listen closely, we will hear his still quiet voice. Sometimes we get so involved in our worldly lives we forget to listen. We forget that He is right inside us. We forget He is right beside us. Our every move is directed by him if we just allow him to direct. Jesus is Lord and He has never left us! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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” But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name.” 1 Peter 4:16

In the world today there many things for us to be thankful for. We see accomplishments all of the time of those who make discoveries or invent something new or do great things at their workplace. But when it comes to the most important thing that we can be thankful for, being a follower of Christ, we become criticized for it. Over the years, being a Christian has meant being weak or one who has no common sense for believing in things we cannot see. As time has gone by, criticizing Christians has not gone away. Our God made it clear that our lifestyle as a follower of Christ would not be an easy one. In today’s world the assault upon the name of Jesus, and those who follow him, has taken even larger steps forward. Christians all over the world continue, as those in the past, to be persecuted. Churches have been burned, and followers have been murdered. With more intensity, persecution is now out in the open for all to see. However, we are told that we should stand tall and be prepared. Our faith must be strong and our trust in Him should be without hesitation. He has given us the Holy Spirit for strength, guidance and wisdom. We must stand true and fast right now, because our Lord is returning soon. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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“Stay alert! Watch out for the great enemy the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

“Stand firm against him and be strong in your faith.” 1 Peter 5:9

There is evil all around us. As the time grows closer for the return of Jesus, the devil is upping his game. He is a master at deception and takes all prisoners. He hates Jesus and all that he stands for. However, even though he hates him, he also respects him. He understands the great strength of our God in heaven, and he knows the great power given to Jesus. He respects this power so much that he does his best to impersonate Jesus and what he does for us. That leaves you and me to stay strong in God’s Word, learn his ways and be able to use the name of Jesus to ward off the devil. Where there are those of faith, belief and trust in the name of Jesus, the devil runs. He runs away as fast as he can because he knows that we are of God and not of this world. It is up to you and me to stay strong in our faith and continue to fight for as long as our Lord waits to return. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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“The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way? Proverbs 20:24

“ People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines the heart.” Proverbs 21:2

Sometimes we don’t pay attention to what we do or say. We allow the things around us to become distractions in our lives, and when they do, we begin to forget about what God is doing for us. It is important to keep our thoughts, actions and words in line with God’s ways. To do that we must constantly have him on our minds. The bible is full of instructions, promises and different ways we are to talk and think. As children of the living God, we are directed by Him. Our actions are the result of what is in our hearts. Just how is our heart stacking up to what God has in store for us? Are we filling our minds with distractions of this world? Or are we filling our hearts with the blessings of God? When we begin to follow him, we are to begin to trust in his ways. We are to begin to trust in him and let him take the wheel. We are to begin to realize that even though we may not understand what is happening, we must trust that God is in full control. The importance of prayer and praise along with reading and meditating in his Word (the Bible) cannot be stressed enough. With our minds and eyes upon Jesus then everything we do and say will be for the Glory of our God in heaven! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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” Study this book of the law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it.” Joshua 1:8

Each day that passes is a day closer to meeting Jesus face to face. When we take a step back and look at that realization, one must begin to realize that our lives on this earth are to be a training ground for heaven. We go through anxieties and misfortune in our lives to help us to build our trust in our Lord. We go through health issues, family problems, trouble at work and all sorts of issues, in training for our faith to become stronger each day. We, however, have tools to help us. We have been given a guideline to get us through our tough times. He provides us with his Holy Word that teaches us just what we are to do and say and how we are to live our lives. If you are not already doing so, it is time to give your time to Jesus. It is time for meditation and study of the Word. It is time to pray his word out loud and to be confident of his hearing our requests. When he hears us, we can be sure an answer is on the way. Always keep your day open for Jesus! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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