a message for you

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are being destroyed. But it is the power of God for those of us who are being saved.

- 1 Corinthians 1:18 (CEB)

 

Easter may be over for this calendar year, but it is hardly over for those who follow Christ.

I know there are a lot of people that don’t believe, but those of us who do, those of us who have seen His work, we know His power.

The beauty of the Gospel is that we are FORGIVEN.

That is right, forgiven.

There is nothing that you can do that God won’t forgive, but the caveat is that you have to come to Him.

And the only way to come to Him is through Jesus.

I am saved by the power of His blood and I really strive to change the minds of those that don’t believe - I mean there are miracles around us every single day.

YOU are miracle!

Let’s make it a goal to talk about our faith, to change lives by changing hearts.

God’s power is amazing, why wouldn’t you want to share?

 

#dailybreadbykitty

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1167248103736801

pay up!

This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

- Romans 13:6-7 (NIV)

 

Hopefully everyone has filed their taxes or requested an extension for 2021.

In the US we pay taxes on everything from food and fuel to clothes and activities.

We pay taxes when we receive our paychecks and we pay taxes when we buy stuff.

We pay taxes when we live and believe it or not we pay taxes when we die!

And we still have to file taxes before the middle of the third month and sometimes we have to pay more taxes then!

It feels sometimes like we pay more in taxes that we do for actual products or services!

Accountants love tax time (I can’t imagine loving math and all those numbers!) I think the general population hates tax time.

Regardless of how we feel about taxes, it is the law that we pay them, both government law and God’s law.

I am glad that most tax collectors are nicer today than they were in Jesus’ time.

God directs us to give what we owe, and that is often more than just money, it is also about honor, respect and even love.

You can’t expect to be honored, respected and loved if you don’t show the same to others.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1167248103736801

alive and well

As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.

- Mark 16:5-6 (NIV)

 

He is Risen! He is risen, indeed!

Jesus died, was buried, He descended into Hell, on the third day He rose again, He ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. (the Apostles’ creed).

The resurrection was and still is one of the greatest miracles of all time.

He lives so that we can live.

He suffered so that we don’t have to suffer.

God loves us so much that He wants us to live with Him forever and to ensure that happens He gave up His Son for us.

Even though there has been sorrow in my life, I am so happy to be alive!

In Him I have life!

Celebrate the risen King!

 

#dailybreadbykitty

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1167248103736801

a compelling theory

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.

- 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (NIV)

 

Starting today’s verse in the New International Version, I struggled a bit with what to write, how to work this into a “daily bread” that makes sense.

So, I opened my Bible app to the compare section and found The Message translation that also included verses 11-13: 
That keeps us vigilant, you can be sure. It’s no light thing to know that we’ll all one day stand in that place of Judgment. That’s why we work urgently with everyone we meet to get them ready to face God. God alone knows how well we do this, but I hope you realize how much and deeply we care. We’re not saying this to make ourselves look good to you. We just thought it would make you feel good, proud even, that we’re on your side and not just nice to your face as so many people are. If I acted crazy, I did it for God; if I acted overly serious, I did it for you. Christ’s love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do.

Our firm decision is to work from this focused center: One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat. He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in His life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own.

That is pretty deep, I know.

I like multiple translations because it helps me understand His word better.

For example, the NIV translation reads “One died for all, and therefore all died.”, that can be confusing trying to discern the meaning behind the verse but know that as the Message translation reads that Christ “included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in His life”, well that is pretty powerful, and that is just what I need to know,

Jesus didn’t just die.

Jesus didn’t just die for use.

Jesus died to give us life.  

That my friends, is a very compelling theory.

I like it.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1167248103736801

richness of grace

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace

- Ephesians 1:7 (NIV)

 

I’ve talked about forgiveness in my “daily bread” before.

Isn’t it amazing that we can be forgiven for everything only by asking?

There is more to it than that really, not only do we have to confess our sin and ask forgiveness, but we must sin no more - that is when the richness of God comes through.

We are redeemed, we live by faith, we are richer than all the billionaires in the world when we have the riches of God’s grace.

That’s rich my friends, very rich indeed.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1167248103736801

tell me

Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

- James 5:16 (NIV)

 

Guilt is a crazy thing.

It can eat you up inside.

The tiniest transgression if left unmentioned can tear a hole in your heart that can take over and make you miserable.

One time I was cleaning house while my husband was off doing something (probably one of his crazy iron-butt rides!).  

In my cleaning frenzy I put things away and moved stuff around to “organize”.

Several days later while I was out my husband was looking for something that he knew he had left in a very specific place so he could find it.

I had completely forgotten moving said item – it did not seem like a big deal to me – but when I realized where it was and that I had moved it my guilt was overwhelming because it had cost him so much time searching. 

I took the item to him, and I could have let him believe that he’d moved it, but I confessed to him that it was me.

This may be an insignificant example, yet it speaks volumes when we sin, no matter how big or small that sin can eat at us opening wounds that should have healed long ago.

But when we confess our sin and ask forgiveness and prayer the relief of unburdening is powerful.

We are freed from that gnawing ache that we’ve done something terrible.

We’ve all done some unspeakable things in our lives before Jesus, sometimes we do unspeakable things even after we’ve come to know Him.

It’s good to know that we have friends that will pray for us and with us when we confess our sins.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1167248103736801

live by faith

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

- Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)

 

“I’m alive.”

That used to be my go-to answer when people would as “how are you?”.

I wasn’t really alive though.

I mean I had a heartbeat, and I was breathing, I would eat, sleep, work and play but my spirit was not really alive.

For many years I simply existed taking up space on the planet.

But God… God had plans for my spirit, for me.

Before I knew who He was He knew me and the plans He had for me.

He knew I would sin, but He loved me enough to send His Son to save me.

Christ died to save me and now He lives in me.

I pray that my life reflects Christ Jesus and that I live by faith in Him.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1167248103736801