Helping Our Returning Neighbors

06/01/2026

06/01/2026

6/1/26

Seek -> Find -> Follow

“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV)

Daily Deep Dive Into Kingdom Living

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily. …
So it was that quails came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay all around the camp. And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground. So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Exodus 16:4–5, 13-15 (NKJV)

God is a promise keeper. He told Moses to tell the people that He would provide bread in the morning and meat in the evening for their food. He promised He would provide for them and He delivered. The Israelites were witnessing a miracle every morning and every evening and did so for the next 40 years.
What jumps off the page to me is what God said to Moses that the people should go out every morning and collect a certain quota “that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.” Going out in the morning and collecting your quota for breakfast not only was a miraculous provision from God but was also a test of your obedience to God’s instructions. This simple act was a test of one’s integrity in their loyalty to God and commitment to follow His law.
We learn from God’s Word that God’s promises bring blessings through obedience and they also bring consequences through disobedience. God’s promises seem to follow the format of: If you do this, I’ll do that. Obedience to God’s law will bring a blessed life. Disobedience brings discipline, judgment, and many times suffering.
Moses at the end of his life as the Israelites were positioned to cross the Jordan to the Promised Land gave instructions on living in this land according to God’s law. In Deuteronomy 28:1-2, Moses said, “If you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all his commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God.” Read further in chapter 28 to see all the blessings that God listed.
Following this Moses said, “If you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.” (28:15). Following this are a list of the curses God will inflict on those who disobey Him.
With the complaining the Israelites had already voiced before God’s promised miraculous delivery of breakfast and dinner each day, God included the method of collection to be a test of obedience to Him. If the Israelites failed to obey God with this, they would likely fail in following His commands in other areas of life as well. The choice was theirs. Would they obey or not?
When we look at kingdom living, the same question comes to each of us. God gives us His law to help manage our lives while living in a broken world. He promises to bless us if we obey Him and follow Him. We may experience suffering as a result of not aligning with the evil world system, but His hand will continue to be upon us and He will bless us in the process. Part of that blessing is He gives us the promise of living in His presence for all of eternity and that keeps our focus on Him and not on our present circumstances. Just being able to walk with Him is a huge blessing.
If the children of Israel took God seriously and lived according to His promises and kingdom principles, and did so consistently throughout their history, I believe Israel would be high above all the other nations of the world. They would be truly blessed and would be a blessing to the rest of the world as they demonstrated what life was like as a kingdom dweller. But, sadly, disobedience has blocked that blessing. It also has blocked the blessings we enjoy as Christ followers as often our conduct and values do not show much difference than the world around us. This leads the world to accuse us of hypocrisy, and rightly so many times. Take a moment and read Deuteronomy 28 today and prayerfully review your own life and then go to God to renew, if needed, and enrich your relationship with Him.

Father, thank You for testing us in various areas of our lives. Your promises always bring blessings or consequences depending on our choices to walk with You consistently. Please forgive us for failing to obey You completely. Help us, Lord, through Your Word and Your Holy Spirit to walk step by step with You every day. Thank You Father. Amen.

06/01/2026

The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see,

06/01/2026

One message can make a world of difference.

For someone in jail, having a person to talk to, someone who listens, encourages, and genuinely tries to understand them, can be life-changing. Especially for those facing loneliness and mental health struggles, consistent connection can bring hope into an otherwise isolating environment.

Through our Authentic Remote Ministry (ARM), you can connect with inmates by email, offering support, mentorship, and the love of Jesus through simple, meaningful conversation.

It may seem small, but it could genuinely save someone’s life.

Learn how you can get involved: https://jailministry.org/authenticremoteministry/

05/31/2026

Have you paid attention to things around you? There are things we all should notice. Like men without fathers. What part do we all play in that? Prisons are full of men with no father or positive role model. What part do we all play in that? Won't you join us? We are playing a positive part at www.helpingourreturningneighbors.org

05/31/2026

Reflect on this statement!

MEDITATION I was reading today a bit of Eugene Peterson‘s book - A Long Obedience In The Same Direction. Peterson walks through the songs of ascent in Psalms 120-134 and claims they are an invitation to stop being a TOURIST and become a PILGRIM. He says a tourist in this sense “is one who shows ...

05/31/2026

Word for the day!

Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to your ancestor’s family when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? I chose your ancestor out o

05/31/2026

5/31/26

Seek -> Find -> Follow

“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV)

Daily Deep Dive Into Kingdom Living

Then Moses spoke to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for He has heard your complaints.’” Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’” Exodus 16:9-12 (NKJV)

When the children of Israel looked toward the wilderness, they saw the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud. Do you wonder what that glory looked like? Was it a brightness that was almost blinding to your eyes? Was there sound associated with that cloud? Were there abundant colors like a brilliant rainbow? I try to imagine that moment and just wonder what they saw.
I think about the glory of the Lord when I see a breath-taking scene unfold before me. Scenes like incredible sunrises or sunsets that reflect something glorious. To me they are God’s signatures in the sky that tell me, “I’m here. Just walk with Me.” I also see His glory in the stunning beauty of the multitude of different flowers that adorn the earth. Just studying a flower displays a handiwork that could only come from God’s creativity. Even the flowers on what we call weeds reflect His glory.
I see His glory in the fingerprints that are all over each of us. Think about your own body and how it works continually giving you life. How did life begin? What is this process that we all enjoy and take for granted? The more we study it, the more complexity is discovered. Yet, there remains no good conclusion as to what started it all and what force is present to keep all the processes functioning in such precise ways. Does that make you look to God?
What about the brain and what takes place there to allow you to move? Consider the messages traveling from the brain to your hands so that you can do very delicate and intricate movements or even grab and lift something fairly heavy. All of this takes place automatically without thinking. What about the messages from the brain to your legs so you can stand upright without falling over, or walk without thinking? Does that cause you to look to God who has made you into an image filled with His glory? When you look at yourself in a mirror, does that cause you to worship God, especially when you see yourself as a unique creation of God who loves you with a love that can’t be described adequately in words?
God tells the Israelites that He has indeed heard their complaints. But what we don’t see is His discipline being given for those complaints. He simply tells them the menu that they would be served each day. Breakfast will be bread, mainly carbohydrates that are needed for their daily sustenance. For dinner, the main entree is meat, enough protein to build muscles, strengthen bones, and provide energy. This provision will be there for them every day except the Sabbath. This is all supplied by God as a visible measure of His abounding love for them, even when they are complaining, even when they have a track record of being a rebellious people.
What does this tell us about kingdom living? As discussed yesterday, when we live according to God’s kingdom principles, complaining against Him is not part of that picture. We live walking with Him, side by side, and leaning on Him for strength, guidance, and even encouragement. We live so that we bring Him honor and glory. Our lives become a means of worship of Him. When God leads us into the wilderness or into those deep, dark valleys where the going gets tough, He provides for us so we can endure and continue to focus on Him. As we do so, we bring Him honor when we are in the middle of intense pain and suffering. Those who don’t know God will learn about Him by watching us. Every step we take with Him becomes an opportunity to share Him with our world. We are privileged to be able to proclaim the message given to the Israelites that our God is the Lord!

Father, You teach us so much about Yourself as we read and study Your Word. Hidden in almost every paragraph are facts and testimony about You. We learn to walk with You and to demonstrate Your love in our lives so that others will notice and want to come to You. Thank You for inviting us into a relationship with You, a relationship that continues to strengthen and grow deeper as we walk though the valleys and wildernesses as well as on the mountaintops with You. Lord, You are always teaching us and providing for us. We thank You Father and worship You. Thank You for Your incredible mercy and grace. Thank You Lord. Amen.

05/30/2026

Jonathon was a great speaker!! He brought it!