DBF-001-034 continues with John 2:13. John now moves from the quiet days in Capernaum to Jerusalem at Passover. This verse begins an important change of scene that will reveal Christ’s concern for the holiness of His Father’s house. DAILY BREAD FELLOWSHIP DBF-001-034 Today’s Scripture John 2:13 (ESV) “The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.” Opening the Scriptures Jesus had spent a few days in Capernaum with His mother, His brothers, and His disciples. Now John takes us to Jerusalem. The reason was Passover. Passover was one of Israel’s great appointed feasts. It looked back to the time when God delivered His people from slavery in Egypt. On that first Passover night, judgment came upon Egypt, while the Israelites were protected according to God’s command concerning the blood of the Passover lamb. Generation after generation remembered God’s mighty act of deliverance. Now Jesus Himself was going to Jerusalem for Passover. John has already introduced Him with the remarkable words of John the Baptist: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” The full significance of those words has not yet unfolded. But John is directing our attention toward Christ. Living God’s Word Today Passover reminded Israel that deliverance came from God. That remains an essential truth for us. Human beings naturally want to contribute something toward their acceptance before God. We trust our morality. We remember our good deeds. We compare ourselves with people whom we consider worse than ourselves. We may even trust our church attendance, religious service, or knowledge of Scripture. But none of these things can remove our sin. Salvation belongs to the Lord. The Passover pointed backward to God’s deliverance from Egypt, but it also helps us understand the greater deliverance accomplished through Jesus Christ. The New Testament identifies Christ as our Passover Lamb. He did what we could never do for ourselves. He lived without sin. He willingly went to the cross. He bore the judgment deserved by sinners. He rose from the dead. Our hope before God therefore rests not upon the strength of our religious performance but upon the finished work of Jesus Christ. This should also produce humility. We cannot boast about rescuing ourselves. We cannot look down upon another sinner as though we earned our place before God. If we are saved, we are recipients of grace. Jesus was traveling toward Jerusalem. The disciples could not yet understand everything that Jerusalem would eventually mean. But the Lamb of God was moving according to His Father’s purpose. Today, remember where your confidence must rest. Not in yourself. Not in your goodness. Not in your religious activity. In Christ alone. Question for Today What are you trusting in for your acceptance before a holy God? Respond: “My hope is in Jesus Christ alone.”

Guidelines for living. August 27, 2026 Why You Should Cultivate Excellence in Your Life Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 The greatest accomplishments in life - believe it or not - are made not by the smartest people in the world but by those who didn't know enough to quit. They were the ones who kept trying, kept plodding, kept practicing, who kept investigating until they stumbled onto success. That fact was driven home to me when I was studying in the university. There were two men in my classes who were geniuses. Their IQs were way up there. At the end of a class, they slapped their books shut and generally didn't open them. They were smart. Frankly, I was among those who had to dig it out. People thought I was really gifted; no, I just knew how to work and to study. My parents spent hard earned money and sent me to school to study, not party. I knew why I was there and I made the most of the opportunity. Learning to apply myself was something I happened to grow up with, but everybody didn't have a dad who cut the handles off of brooms, making them short enough for me to use as a kid, or has you work alongside him. But you can learn to work. You can develop discipline yourself. You can set goals and eventually reach them. One of my heroes was Sir Edmund Hillary, who along with his Sherpa guide, Tensing, crested Mount Everest for the first time. Awesome achievement, and that before a lot of high-tech gear which climbers use today. When asked how he accomplished this when others had failed, he replied that when he was tempted to turn back, he took just one more step. William Carey, the father of modern missions, said that his greatest ability was to plod in the face of adversity. When Thomas Edison had tried 10,000 ways to produce an incandescent globe and hadn't succeeded, he was urged to quit. He responded that he had found 10,000 ways that wouldn't work. And he would eventually find one that did. He did! I've sometimes wondered how many determined, stubborn individuals we have today with that same tenacity. The foundation of our modern achievements was laid by thousands of unknown individuals who lived in obscurity and died unknown, who faithfully contributed to what has enabled us to send men to the moon, to circle the globe with communication, and to accomplish great and mighty things through technology and science. They laid the foundation; we have built upon their research, hard work, and trial and error. Their strength and energy, like a gradually falling barometer, were meted out in hard work, years of often-unrecognized service, and yes, blood, sweat and tears. But they did not quit. They did not look for something with less work and more money attached to it. I've been told that in an European Cathedral, high in the rafters where no one ever goes, are some intricate carvings of exquisite beauty, done by a master craftsman whose name has long since been lost to posterity. Why did he take time to do some of his finest work, using an abutment of wood that will never be seen by the public? He valued excellence. He took seriously the admonition of the Bible that instructs: "Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom" (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Cultivate excellence. Make it a passion. Refuse to let the world and our culture shove you into the mold of mediocrity. Thank God for teachers who inspire excellence, for mothers who have the patience to bring the best out of their children, for dads who have the patience to teach a little boy how to do something. Do it, friend. Someday, you will be very glad you did. Resource Reading: Ecclesiastes 9:1-10

Need to know. The State of the Dead According to the Bible, death is like a deep, unconscious sleep. When a person dies, they are not aware of anything. The Bible says, “the dead know not any thing” (Ecclesiastes 9:5). Jesus also compared death to sleep (John 11:11–14). Therefore, the dead are not consciously living in heaven, hell, or anywhere else immediately after death. They remain unconscious in the grave, waiting for the resurrection at Christ’s return. This truth protects us from spiritualism and deception. If the dead are unconscious, then any supposed “spirit of a dead person” that appears to the living cannot truly be that person. Satan and evil spirits can use such appearances to deceive people.

Let's talk about it. YOUR MIND AND HEART NEED GOD’S WORD Just as a plant cannot grow without water, our mind and heart cannot truly flourish without the Word of God. Every day, we are surrounded by voices—opinions, distractions, temptations, fears, and worries. What we continually feed our minds will eventually shape our thoughts, and what fills our hearts will eventually influence our words, choices, and actions. That is why we must intentionally water our lives with God’s Word DAILY. When you are discouraged, read His promises. When you are confused, seek His wisdom. When you are tempted, remember His truth. When you are afraid, hold on to His Word. When you are tired, let His presence renew you. The Bible is not merely a book to display—it is God’s truth to live by. It corrects us when we are wrong, strengthens us when we are weak, guides us when we are lost, and reminds us of who God is when life becomes difficult. A neglected plant withers. A heart neglected from God grows cold. A mind without God’s truth becomes vulnerable to deception. But a life continually nourished by God’s Word becomes stronger in faith. Don’t wait until Sunday to hear from God. Open your Bible every day. Pray. Meditate. Listen. Obey. Water your mind. Water your heart. Water your soul with the Word of God. Because what you feed daily will eventually grow. «“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” — Matthew 4:4» Stay in the Word. Stay in prayer. Stay close to Jesus.

The Advent Truth. There is a difference between struggling with sin and settling into sin. A struggle means there is a WAR. You fall, you hate that you fell, you confess it, you get back up, and by the grace of Christ you keep fighting. “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again” (Proverbs 24:16). But we need to stop calling deliberate, planned, cherished disobedience a “struggle” simply because the word makes us feel better about it. Jesus did not die merely to forgive us while leaving us enslaved to the very sins that nailed Him to the cross. The angel said, “Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Grace does not make sin safe. Paul asked the question plainly: “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid” (Romans 6:1-2). Biblical repentance is more than feeling guilty afterward. It is a change of mind that produces a change of direction. Yes, Christians can stumble. Yes, Christians can have deeply rooted sins that take earnest warfare, prayer, discipline, and dependence upon Christ to overcome. But there is an enormous difference between falling in battle and making peace with the enemy. God knows the difference. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7). And here is the good news: you do not have to remain a slave. Jesus says, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). Don't lower God's standard because you've fallen short of it. Run to Christ. Confess it. Forsake it. Get back up. Surrender again. We don't need a gospel that teaches us how to become comfortable in bondage. We need the Gospel that sets captives free.

A Nugget of Truth. THE LAW OF GOD WILL BE THE STANDARD OF JUDGMENT Christ did not teach His followers to run from the Scriptures. He repeatedly appealed to the Word of God. Jesus said, “Have ye not read in the scriptures?” (Matthew 21:42). He also declared, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Paul did the same. He said, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law” (Romans 3:31). He also taught that “the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Romans 7:12). The apostles did not teach believers that God’s Law had become meaningless. John wrote, “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments” (1 John 2:3). He further declared, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12). So why does much of Christianity today suddenly declare that God’s Law is no longer binding? Could it be because people want Christ without His commandments? Grace without obedience? Faith without transformation? We must be careful. We cannot reject a commandment simply because we do not want to obey it. And when the world stands before God in judgment, human opinions will not be the standard. The Bible says, “So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty” (James 2:12). Ecclesiastes 12:13–14 gives the solemn conclusion: “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment.” Judgment is coming. The question is not, “What does my church say?” The question is: What has God said? The Law does not save us. Christ saves us. But the grace that saves us does not teach us to despise the Law of the God who saved us. When God judges, His Word—not our traditions, preferences, or excuses—will have the final authority. Do not run from God’s Law because you are uncomfortable with one of its commandments. Search the Scriptures. Test everything by the Word of God. Christ is our Savior. His Word is our standard. And judgment is certain. Amazing Love

Conflict and Courage. Esther 3 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 12:17. Through Esther the queen the Lord accomplished a mighty deliverance for His people. At a time when it seemed that no power could save them, Esther and the women associated with her, by fasting and prayer and prompt action, met the issue, and brought salvation to their people.42The S.D.A. Bible Commentary 3:1140. The trying experiences that came to God's people in the days of Esther were not peculiar to that age alone.... The same spirit that in ages past led men to persecute the true church, will in the future lead to the pursuance of a similar course toward those who maintain their loyalty to God.... The decree that will finally go forth against the remnant people of God will be very similar to that issued by Ahasuerus against the Jews. Today the enemies of the true church see in the little company keeping the Sabbath commandment, a Mordecai at the gate. The reverence of God's people for His law is a constant rebuke to those who have cast off the fear of the Lord and are trampling on His Sabbath.... Men of position and reputation will join with the lawless and the vile to take counsel against the people of God. Wealth, genius, education, will combine to cover them with contempt. Persecuting rulers, ministers, and church members will conspire against them. With voice and pen, by boasts, threats, and ridicule, they will seek to overthrow their faith. By false representations and angry appeals, men will stir up the passions of the people. Not having a “Thus saith the Scriptures” to bring against the advocates of the Bible Sabbath, they will resort to oppressive enactments to supply the lack. To secure popularity and patronage, legislators will yield to the demand for Sunday laws. But those who fear God, cannot accept an institution that violates a precept of the Decalogue. On this battlefield will be fought the last great conflict in the controversy between truth and error. And we are not left in doubt as to the issue. Today, as in the days of Esther and Mordecai, the Lord will vindicate His truth and His people.43Prophets and Kings, 605, 606.

Morning Prayer Holy and Sovereign Father, Teach us to seek first Your Kingdom and Your righteousness above every earthly pursuit. Help us make decisions today that reflect our love for Jesus Christ and our desire to honor You in everything we do. Bless Lordsbook and the Members Feed. May this platform continually point hearts toward eternal truth. Holy Spirit, keep our priorities centered on God. We pray in the Mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

A CALL TO HEAR AND OBEY Revelation 2 [KJV] [vs: 17] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;........... The book of revelation and the whole Bible is the word of God revealed to the church by his holy prophets and apostles,they are words of truth.the word of God demands our utmost attention and obedience because it carries eternal consequences.  There is a difference between hearing the sound of God's word and hearing it with a heart ready to obey . What Christ is saying in effect in this verse is "do not merely listen to my  word, take it seriously and respond to it. We can hear sermons, read the Bible , listen to Christian teachings and even agree with what we hear , yet fail to act upon it.  True spiritual hearing involves attention, understanding and obedience , hearing God's word carries a responsibility to respond . To be truly blessed is not just hearing the word but obeying what the Lord says.  27 August 2026

My prayer is not: "Lord, make me famous." My prayer is: "Lord, make me faithful." Give me people I can lead toward Christ. Give me sheep I can faithfully shepherd. Give me the courage to preach the truth even when it is unpopular. Give me the grace to prepare souls for the coming of the Lord. Even if there are only ten sheep... Let me lead them faithfully https://youtu.be/KEbgJb0bG3g?si=CQFSI4-QwOca_zIB