ROOTED RENEGADE

Today while I was at Ingles and was looking for these Snyder’s Pretzels for my mom, I wandered down the aisle I was hoping they were on. Immediately I was drawn to an individual who looked lost. On the outside this person was dressed like woman but I could tell from the facial structure that this person was not a woman but most likely transgender. I walked closer looking for these pretzels and just pondered why I was drawn to this individual. It was then that this person came right to me and said, “Do you know where the bread is?”. I look right at this individual for a moment and felt the Lord’s tenderness and pointed to the bread down the aisle and that moment wouldn’t leave me. What was I missing? What did I not see or understand in that moment? I found my mom’s pretzels and had to pass a woman who smelled like horrible smoke to get to them and went on shopping. The moment didn’t leave me. I saw a man at the counter where the hot foods were and got the other food I needed and went about carrying on a conversation about the gospel and God with the person who was serving me. We picked up where we left off in our last conversation and the Holy Spirit was so kind to sprinkle in more truth for this man. He knows who we are, even if we have yet to receive that truth.

After I was done, I checked out and started home. Then I realized that the person who was looking for bread, the one who I felt the Lord’s tenderness too, was really looking for the Bread of Heaven, not really the bread on the store shelf. The bread on the store shelf may only have temporary fulfillment and serve a momentary purpose in life. However, the bread of heaven, Jesus, is food that is sustainable for life. Jesus told his disciples this when we met with the woman at the well. He told them that he had food that no one had. He knew of food no one had eaten before. He was referencing himself. Even the manna that came from heaven for the Israelites was nothing compared to the richness of Jesus. Satisfying to not only the body but the soul and the spirit.

John 4:31-32 “In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, ‘Rabbi eat’. But He said to them, ‘I have food of which you do not know’.” Jesus was referring here to doing God’s will.

John 6:30-35 “Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? Our fathers ate the manna in the dessert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat’. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly I say to you, Moses did not give you bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heave. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heave and gives life to the world. Then they said to Him, ‘Lord, give us this bread always’. And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.’”

I beseech you therefore brethren to understand what the scriptures are saying:

There are people looking for the bread of heaven and instead are being full of the bread of the world. It is not satisfying to their souls, and they are walking around empty, void, and trying to find anything they can to fill the hole they feel. Masks are put on to pretend like everything is okay. Social media feeds are full of superficial reels and lifestyles that don’t give way to the true heart of most people for fear of being uncovered, because of the gaping holes that exist.

Yet the true bread of heaven is FREE. It doesn’t cost anything but surrender. Salvation was already paid for on the cross. Yes, you will take the mask off and make some changes in your life – SALVATION HOWEVER COMES AT NO COST TO YOU. You do not have to clean up first then come to Jesus. That is not how it works. The cleaning up process happens once you allow Jesus to captivate your soul. That is when the real change happens.

When you are captivated by the King of kings and Lord of lords, you want to change, and you find ways to get into His presence to do so. There is a new willingness and yearning in you to let go of the old man (woman) so the new man (woman) can emerge.

The Bread of Heaven (Jesus) was already bought for you. You won’t find it on a grocery store shelf, but you will find it when you are ready.

The question is: Are you ready?

Faythe