we are one

God does not see you as a Jew or as a Greek. He does not see you as a servant or as a person free to work. He does not see you as a man or as a woman. You are all one in Christ.

- Galatians 3:28 (NLV)

Back in 2017, the lead pastor at the church I attend had a sermon series where he answered questions.
One of the questions was “why is it taking America so long to figure out that we were all created equal?”

In seven years, not much has changed.
It is not just America though; it is all people. 
Why can’t humans understand that we are all created equal? 
Before I tell you the answer, let me reference a 1960’s hymn written by Father Peter Scholtes:
We are One in The Spirit,

We are One in The Lord.

We are One in The Spirit,

We are One in The Lord.

And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.

And they'll know we are Christians by our love,

By our Love,

Yes they'll know we are Christians by our love.

We will work with each other,

We will work side by side.

We will work with each other,

We will work side by side.

And we'll guard each man's dignity

And save each man's pride.

And they'll know we are Christians by our love,

By our Love,

Yes they'll know we are Christians by our love.

We will walk with each other,

We will walk hand in hand.

We will walk with each other,

We will walk hand in hand.

And together we'll spread the News

that God is in our land.

And they'll know we are Christians by our love,

By our Love,

Yes they'll know we are Christians by our love.

The answer that the pastor gave to the question of why it’s taking so long for humans to figure it out is one word: sin.
As long as there are people that feel their sin is justified, people will struggle with equality.

Have you ever heard the expression that the squeaky wheel gets the grease?

Well, the people that yell the loudest get the most attention – even when it is negative attention.

It feels like people are lemmings – blindly following one another over the edge.

All are equal in the eyes of God.

Maybe we need to follow His example, instead of following the sin.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

running water

But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream.

- Amos 5:24 (NKJV)

 

Some verses in the Book of Amos very strongly denounce religious hypocrisy and economic inequality.

The prophet Amos lashes out against those who have become rich at the expense of the poor and then act all religious.

Amos 5 is a call to repentance, telling us to seek the Lord, three times in fact, this chapter says, “seek the Lord and live”.
I believe that justice in this verse is referring to washing away the sin of the world.

Running water is often associated with purification, cleansing and renewal, symbolizing the flow of life, the washing away of impurities.
What can wash away my sin? 
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (yes, that is indeed a song reference.) 

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

walk with me

Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?

- Amos 3:3 (NKJV)

 

Anyone that has traveled any distance from home with another person has discovered that directions can be challenging.
You have to agree with each other (and sometimes with the GPS lady) which direction you are going to go.

My dad served in World War II, while he was not big on the military or talking about his service, he did have one story he loved to share.
He was in Italy, and his assignment for the day was to pick up two generals and drive them from one location to another.
For the most part, the generals ignored him, engrossed in their own conversation until my dad came to a fork in the road.

One general said to go left, the other said to go right, and they began arguing with each other about which was the right direction.

Daddy went straight down the middle.
God wants us to walk with Him, but we cannot walk with Him and continue to disregard His commandments.

Things have not changed in the 2,000 plus years since Jesus walked on the earth, humans are still consistent about living their own way, disregarding how the Bible says we should live. 

We see this everyday in our world, people who lie, cheat, steal, treat others with disrespect and still expect that they will get into Heaven.

Until we change our hearts, we are not going to see His kingdom.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

everyone’s dream

Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

- Isaiah 40:4-5 (NKJV)

 

Today is a federal holiday in the United States, marking the birthday of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Living in a time of social unrest in this country, this man worked tirelessly for civil rights in America.
He was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s model of nonviolent resistance and believed that peaceful protests would lead to victory.

His most iconic speech, “I have a dream”, delivered on August 28, 1963 contained references to today’s verse among many others.

Excerpts from his speech include:
I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream . . . I have a dream that one day in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today . . .
Dr. King understood that his dream of social justice and racial equality was in harmony with God.
I am not sure if we are closer to realizing this dream today or further away from it.
I wish that more humans would comprehend that violence is not the answer. 
I truly hope to someday see the words of this verse come true, to see crooked places made straight and rough places made smooth.
I hope to witness the glory of the Lord revealed. 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

what can you do for me?

Then Jesus said to His host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

- Luke 14:12-14 (NIV)

 

Are you selective in your friendships?

There are those there that select the people they associate with based on what those people can do for them and their agenda or career.
It’s like asking “What good are you to me?” to every person they meet! 

What if God asked us that?

What if God did not show us grace unless we could do something specific for Him?

We often base our relationships upon how people can help us go forward, but Jesus challenges us to reach out to those who can’t do a thing for our personal advancement.

What would happen if we took the time and resources to bless those couldn’t repay us?

The world might be a different place.

It certainly will be a different place for those we bless.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

nothing can be everything

Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.

- 2 Corinthians 6:10 (NLT)

 

There are a lot of people who, for lack of better terms, are going through hell right now.
Yet they stand strong in their faith and through their tears they continue to praise God.
Tough times, regardless of the kind of tough, financial, health, relationships, even depression can weigh heavily on us.
Paul was no stranger to suffering, he endured more than anyone could dream of today.

But he never stopped praising God.
Paul discovered that despite his sorrow, there was joy to be found. 
Regardless that he had no money, he was rich beyond measure. 

The fact that he had nothing meant nothing because he was overflowing with abundance from God.

In 1971, Dolly Parton released Coat of Many Colors, if you have never heard it you should look it up.
The last verse reads: 
But they didn't understand it

And I tried to make them see

That one is only poor

Only if they choose to be

Now I know we had no money

But I was rich as I could be

In my coat of many colors

My momma made for me

Made just for me
Our hearts may be filled with sorrow, our wallets may be empty, we may have nothing to call our own.

We can face our afflictions alone and wallow in self pity or we can turn to Jesus to find the joy in our lives and focus on that.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

carry this for me

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

- Galatians 6:2 (NIV)

 

For some people it is extremely difficult for them to share their feelings, they might be afraid that they will be laughed at or ostracized for having certain emotions.

When I grew up the big thing was “boys don’t cry” but guess what – that is not true.
There are people in this world that are greatly affected by other people’s emotions, these people, known as empaths, feel what others feel at a deep emotional level.

For the empath it can be overwhelming and exhausting, especially when it is hurt or anger that is being projected.

The person that has those feelings they might find it offensive and invasive that they are being easily read.

We are called to share one another’s troubles and problems, regardless of if we are “an empath” or not.

This means that while we may not feel their pain, hurt and anger, we still need to understand it.

We don’t have to fix it, and sometimes people that are hurting don’t want us to fix it, they just want to be heard.

Sometimes we can share each other’s burdens simply by being a friend.

Cook them a meal or take them to dinner, maybe just send them a text to check on them.

Go for a walk with them, pray for them, and with them.
If you are the one carrying a heavy load, tell someone.  

There are people that love you that will share your burden, because that is what we are called to do.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible