Tagged: daily bread

“He prunes away every barren branch, but the fruitful ones He trims clean to increase their yield.” –John 15:2 A glance at Scripture paints a picture of the Lord as a rather inconsistent Farmer. First, He goes crazy with the pruning shears, snipping off everything in sight, both fruitful and barren branches (Jn 15:2). In the next scene, the Lord cuts nothing at all. He refuses to cut weeds which threaten the fruitfulness of the adjoining wheat (Mt 13:30). Then the Lord allows an unproductive fig tree to go yet another year without fruit, so that it can have one...

“They gave their disciples reassurances, and encouraged them to persevere in the faith.” –Acts 14:22 After being beaten unconscious, dragged out of the town of Lystra, and left for dead, St. Paul regained consciousness and went back into Lystra (Acts 14:19-20). Paul was fearless, unstoppable, and persevering. After leaving Lystra, he soon returned to reassure the disciples and encourage “them to persevere in the faith” (Acts 14:22). Paul had credibility when he talked about perseverance. He had cuts, wounds, and bruises, which were the price of perseverance. Paul proclaimed: “I put no value on my life if only I can...

“Lord, why is it that You will reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?” –John 14:22 Jesus had told His disciples the world would not accept His revelation (Jn 14:17), but He would reveal Himself to His disciples (Jn 14:21). His disciple Jude asked Jesus why He would reveal Himself to the disciples, but not to the world (Jn 14:22). This is a good question that is addressed throughout the entire Bible. Jesus does reveal Himself to the world, but it doesn’t fully listen to Him. Many listen to Jesus without hearing, and look without seeing (Mt 13:14-15)....

“They even refused to believe that he was a disciple.” –Acts 9:26 Paul had been a notable sinner. By the grace of God, Paul became a new convert to Christianity. Many in the Jerusalem community couldn’t believe Paul’s conversion was sincere. “They even refused to believe that he was a disciple” (Acts 9:26). Paul was notorious for persecuting the Church. Understandably, the Christians didn’t trust Paul. They may have thought he was pretending to be a Christian so he could later arrest them (see Acts 26:10). Scripture cautions against too readily taking new believers at their word. When the new...

“Anything you ask Me in My name I will do.” –John 14:14 If we believe in Jesus, we will do greater works than He did because of the power of prayer which He has given us (Jn 14:12-13). Jesus promised: “Whatever you ask in My name I will do, so as to glorify the Father in the Son. Anything you ask Me in My name I will do” (Jn 14:13-14). If Jesus puts His name on our prayer, then the prayer is answered as we have requested. In other words, if we pray according to His will, not ours, what...