The Power of giving

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.(John 3:16)

Greetings. I want to share some thoughts on giving. No, I am not here to raise money for my ministry, so stop holding on to your wallets. I do want to share some highlights on the subject of giving that will bless you. When you study the Bible in the Old Testament, God commanded his people to give. (Exo. 34:20, Lev. 5-6-11)  

In Old Testament times, the Biblical economy was, mostly, agricultural and was different from ours. People had no choice, but to give. From the rich to the poor, they had to bring an offering. Yes, there were poor people in the multitude, but God had a simple and just plan for them to participate just as well. 

A lamb was an expensive commodity, even for the rich, but God in his mercy saw the different levels of how much the people could give. There were some that could not give a lamb, so God had a different plan.  For some, it was two young pigeons, and if they could not afford it, then it was a grain offering. I wanted to give you an idea of how giving was conducted during the Old Testament. In the New Testament, giving is voluntary. 

Now, having clarified that, I want to state that you can choose not to give to the different ministries of the Lord and hold on to your money, but you will be missing out on your blessing. Clearly, as you study the Old Testament, giving has blessings and benefits. In the New Testament, it is no different. 

We see the example of God. He gave his only begotten son. He gave his best and he planted him as a seed through his death, burial and resurrection. As a result of that one seed, we have the church that was born that would impact the world for centuries to come. Solomon gave his best. When he was praying in the temple, he offered one thousand burnt offerings. (II Chronicles 1:6) 

Solomon was not twisting God’s arm for riches or vengeance upon his enemies. He, just, did it because he loved God. His father David taught him about giving and the blessings that came with it. In our next Bible study, We are going to see how that offering impacted Solomon and would affect his life in the years to come. So, on this day, pray on how God would lead you to partner, financially, with a ministry that is doing God’s work. If you want to just offer prayer, that is good, too, but please get involved. Your life and destiny depends on it. God bless. 

Wisdom for today

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (I Cor 1:30)

Greetings. We are going to begin a new series of studies on wisdom. Wisdom is defined as knowledge. It involves the use of Knowledge and its application to prosperity and happiness. (1) In other words, having the answers that you need, applying it to your life and seeing results in your favor.

In everyday life, we run into people who are stressed out. We hear people saying – “ I don’t know what to do,” and living a life of hopelessness and despair. Issues like health problems, finances, troubles in family relationships, etc. are hitting people hard in this society. Christians are no exception to this. What is the answer to all this? 

The above verse (I Cor 1:30) tells it all in a nutshell. Christ (The anointed one) is made unto us wisdom. As you do a study on the word Christ, you will find out that it was not Jesus’ last name. The word Christ involves the Holy Spirit and it’s power. It is the yoke (bondage) breaking and burden removing power of God. 

The Bible has many ways to define wisdom. There is the wisdom that is creative and is manifested in man’s handiwork. Noah was an example. It is believed that the ark that he built was the size of an aircraft carrier and was state of the art for it’s time. Tradition has the ark as, barely, floating and sustaining the load. Nothing could be further than the truth. 

Exodus 31:2-4 gives us more on wisdom and its ability to create. Bezaleel was gifted in the art of construction and God gave him the wisdom to construct a temple. It was, not, just an ordinary temple, but one that had silver and gold. It was a class act and all done by God’s wisdom.

I come from a Hispanic family. My uncle was gifted in creative wisdom. He, barely, knew English, but he can put anything together simply by looking at the pictures of any item he brought. My friend, wisdom is there for the asking. You can, also, be anointed for creative wisdom. Just ask for it and watch God move in your life. We will have more on wisdom tomorrow, but I want to leave you with this thought–You have wisdom and it’s waiting for you. All you need to do is ask God for wisdom today and watch what happens next. God bless.

Prayer–Dear Lord, Thank you for teaching me about wisdom. Thank you for letting me know who I am in Christ and what belongs to me. Christ has been made unto me wisdom. I have a genius inside of me. Lord, give me wisdom for any problems and challenges I will face. Help me to apply it and see victory. I thank you that you heard me and I declare that I am more than a conqueror. In Jesus name. Amen.

Bible verses courtesy of www.biblegateway.com

(1)  http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/wisdom

More on wisdom…https://anchor.fm/angel-santos72/episodes/Thoughts-on-Wisdom-erbl9r

The wine in the communion elements

” And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Rev 12:11) 

 As we studied on the importance of communion, we saw how it is more than just a ritual-It is remembering our covenant with God! Our failure to know about the covenant had created religion and doctrines of men. Communion is a powerful thing that will release healing, prosperity and the power of God in our life! In this study, I want to show how powerful the blood can be in the elements of communion.


              First, a misunderstanding of communion is why the Jews lost their chance to be blessed. Jesus was taking his disciples on a deeper walk with him. Traditions and misunderstandings caused them to miss this wonderful insight of communion. When he spoke of eating his flesh and drinking his blood, many thought he was speaking of cannibalism. Cannibalism was prohibited according to the law. (John 6:60-61, Lev 17:10-11)


                We need to know that it is, not, enough to take the Bible literally but to have revelation knowledge. Revelation knowledge will give us deep insight in order to be blessed. The blood of Christ is, not only, shed for salvation-it is a tool for battle! It was, symbolically, used in the Old testament and protected the Jews against judgement in Egypt. 


                  The blood of Jesus can flow through our veins if we believe. Medically speaking, sickness and disease comes thru the blood. The word says that we are one blood. (Acts 17:26) Understanding the power of the blood in the communion elements can break any generational curse in our family line. It saddens me when people don’t understand about pleading the blood. Pleading the blood is scriptural and it works! (Isa 43:26, Rev 12:11)  


                    So, let’s not forget the power of the blood in the communion elements. Let us remember that it protects us. Let us remember that it heals us! Let us remember that it can justify us! There is great power in the blood. Learn to use it today! 

Bible verses courtesy of http://www.biblegateway.com

Reprint courtesy of www.wordandgrace.blogspot.com

For more on the blood, click on this link….https://anchor.fm/angel-santos72/episodes/The-blood-and-communion-er58jp

The Bread in communion

 Give us this day, our daily bread (Matt 6:11)

      When we think of bread, the first thing that comes to our mind is food, but in the spirit realm, it goes beyond that. When Jesus used the word bread, he compared it to a host of things. There are a couple of points to ponder concerning communion—

  • It was compared to his body, creating a stir among the Jews. They misunderstood his message and thought he was encouraging cannibalism. (John 6:50-52)
  • It was compared to healing. One scripture that stands out is when Jesus compares healing to the children’s bread. To all who doubt or say that it’s pending his will, I, respectfully, disagree. What father would not feed his child with bread (Food)? (Matt 15:25-28) Children’s bread indicates the healing power of God. This woman of Canaan refused to take No for an answer. She was persistent and her daughter was made whole. The word whole comes from the Greek word “Laomai” which means healing. There is a lot that we need to know about healing. Healing is a very misunderstood subject and if you want to learn more about it, please read Christ the healer (1)
  • It is compared to wisdom. In our last post, we discussed how communion will open the door for you to receive wisdom. (Prov 9:1-6)
  • Discernment against mixture or false doctrines. Leaven was a part of the bread that was removed before preparing it. The Jews ate unleavened bread which produced bread that was flat, similar to the Matzo cracker. Leaven will cause a bread to rise and is symbolic of sin. False teachings will mislead you and hurt your loved ones in the long run. When celebrating communion, ask for discernment against wrong teaching. His Spirit will help you discern from what is true and what is not. (Matt 16:6)

       As I conclude my studies on the bread elements of communion, I want to call your attention to Ecc. 11:1. It says to cast your bread upon the waters. This verse talks about giving. Giving is, not, a popular theme within the churches, but the Bible speaks a lot about giving. It is, actually, a way to worship the Lord. When you give of your tithes and offerings, you honor God and open a wave a blessings in your life. Think about this, who would, not, want to live under an open heaven? (Mal 3:10)          

When you have an open window from heaven, you get God’s best. People would equate it with money and that’s part of it, but there is more. An open window will create favor with others, open doors of opportunities and even bring about answered prayers. God’s covenant contains about 58 promises and they are yours under an open heaven. Many would say that I am implying that you have to buy God’s blessings.

Truth of the matter is that God has given us all things that pertain to life. (II Peter 1:3) Jesus brought it for us through his blood.  God’s word is based on seedtime and harvest. (Gen 8:22) Your life is a garden. What you sow, you will reap. (Gal 6:7) His promises are given to you as a seed and your life is a garden.

When you give, you are bringing about the open heavens that waters the fruit on your garden. It allows the blessing to bring forth his promises for your life. It is the principle of sowing and reaping. So, friend, when celebrating communion, it might be a good idea to speak God’s covenant promises concerning your finances. Put your checkbook and bills on the table. As you do this with a heart of faith, you will see God move on your life regarding finances. God bless.


(1) http://www.amazon.com/Christ-Healer-F-Bosworth/dp/0800794575

Bible verses courtesy of www.biblegateway.com

 

Finding Wisdom Through Communion

Photo by Burak The Weekender on Pexels.com

“Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled. Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.”  (Prov 9:5-6)

You might be wondering why there’s a picture of a light bulb at the top of this page. Growing up, I loved how cartoons used a glowing bulb to signal a “eureka” moment—a sudden flash of brilliance. It’s a simple image, but it carries a profound truth: in a world often dimmed by struggle and confusion, a moment of divine insight is invaluable.

In Proverbs 9:1-6, we see a remarkable scene where the elements of communion—bread and wine—appear alongside a powerful central theme: Wisdom.

The Genius Within

Scripture tells us that Christ has been made unto us wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30). When Wisdom calls out in Proverbs, it is Jesus Himself reaching for our attention. He has built a house with seven pillars, and Hebrews 3:6 reminds us that we are that house.

Think about the weight of that: you have a literal Genius living inside of you. You are hidden in Him, protected and provided for, and He is extending a personal invitation to His table.

More Than a Ritual: A Source of Solutions

When Jesus says, “Eat of my bread… drink of my wine,” He isn’t just offering a religious rite; He is offering impartation. He provides specific understanding for the very things you are facing today:

  • Financial struggles: Clarity on stewardship and provision.
  • Sickness: Insight into your path toward healing.
  • Daily obstacles: The wisdom to navigate complex decisions.

Many believers assume Communion is strictly a corporate act reserved for Sunday mornings. However, you can partake in Communion privately. In those sacred, quiet moments, you can seek God for the “light bulb” moments you need.

The Power of Discernment

We see the transformative power of this encounter in the life of Abraham (Genesis 14). After receiving bread and wine from Melchizedek, Abraham gained immediate clarity. When the King of Sodom approached him with a seemingly generous financial offer, Abraham saw right through it. He recognized the strings attached and the ulterior motives at play.

A Lesson for Leaders: This discernment is vital for pastors and leaders today. Not every “blessing” or large donation is what it seems; some gifts are intended to buy influence or control. Regular Communion sharpens a leader’s spirit to see through deception.

Your Invitation

This gift isn’t just for leadership—it is for the entire Body of Christ.

Eat the bread. Drink the wine. God has prepared a table for you in the presence of your enemies (Psalm 23:5). The Communion table is a formidable weapon in spiritual warfare, providing the wisdom and grace you need to bypass life’s pitfalls.

Step up to the table today and let the light come on.

Bible verses courtesy of http://www.biblegateway.com

Listen to our podcast…http://bit.ly/3qX0Vm8

Extra bonus with cartoon animation….https://wordandgrace.blogspot.com/2023/01/the-house-of-mystery-animation-included.html

More insights about communion

And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. (Luke 22:19)


          In our last post, we saw the importance of revelation knowledge and communion. Communion has been a misunderstood topic. In this study, we will look at its symbolic meaning. Some churches do not celebrate communion because it is symbolic. While they are half-right, Jesus himself said to do this in remembrance of me. ( Luke 22:19) This speaks of action, not just in a symbolic nature.

 
             Proverbs show us how communion can be in a symbolic sense. When you read the whole chapter of Proverbs 9, you will see two comparisons. A communion of wisdom and communion of the foolish woman. A foolish woman is compared to a seducing spirit. While some compare this to adultery, this goes deeper than that. It talks about having communion with the devil, the flesh, and the world.

Anytime you sin, you are having communion with the devil. You are bowing your knees to the enemy and placing yourself in enemy territory whether you realize it or not. Seducing spirits are compared, also, with idolatry and behind it is a demon. (Lev.17:7)  When you commune with the enemy, the bread turns into wickedness. The wine is compared with violence. (Prov 4:17) What kind of violence does this speak of? You fill in the blanks and, as you do, you will get an idea of what Satan has planned for you and your family. It is wise to see what the word says in not giving place to the enemy.


              The good news is that God has his own communion for you. When you confess your sins, you are eating his bread in a symbolic sense and receiving cleansing with his blood. As you do this, your fellowship with God is restored. (I John 1:9) So, friend, make it a point to fellowship with God. When you sin, don’t run from God. Run to God and get it right. He is waiting to break bread with you and drink the wine of redemption. In fact, the root Greek word for communion is fellowship. Choose in this day to eat the bread of life and drink the wine of his redemption today.

                 Some final thoughts to consider. When Christians in the New Testament had communion, they would celebrate it in a two fold sense—-

1- Having the elements of bread and wine and remembering his promises. This tangible celebration is a remembrance of God’s covenant with us and the church. It helps seals the importance of covenant in our consciousness.

2- In a symbolic sense, Fellowship was celebrated with a meal. True communion was celebrated with a meal after remembering God’s covenant. That is why the Apostle Paul had to set some things in order because they were bringing in alcoholic wine (getting drunk) and engaging in overeating. (I Cor 11:20-34) When fellowshipping with others, let’s honor God and one another. This, in turn, will please God and bless us in the long run.

Prayer–Thank you, Lord, for speaking to me today. Lord, help me to see the importance of fellowshipping with you on a daily basis. I thank you for making me a new creation. I love righteousness and hate iniquity. I have the mind of Christ working in me today. I receive all that you have for me thru my covenant with you. Use me, Lord, and show me your perfect will for my life. I give my all to you in this day as a living sacrifice. Thank you for your covenant with me, Lord. In Jesus’s name..Amen.

Edited by Pastor Santos from a reprint courtesy of Word and Grace ministries….http://www.wordandgrace.blogspot.com

Bible verses courtesy of http://www.biblegateway.com

Revelation knowledge and communion

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:53-54)

In our past studies, we saw the importance of revelation knowledge and how important it is to have it for our Bible studies. We saw how deep Jesus took his disciples when teaching the word. He was sharing a new dimension and a new level. Up to now, they were happy. Jesus was performing signs, wonders and feeding the multitude. Now, this was different. Jesus was going to go deep in his teachings,

Jesus shared about eating his flesh and drinking his blood. Now, to us, when we hear this, we think of communion. No biggie. Just a cracker and grape juice. You may ask–What’s the big deal? First, let’s go back in time and imagine ourselves with his disciples. If you were brought up in the Jewish tradition and you heard the words–Eating my flesh and drinking his blood, what’s the first thing in your mind? This man is into cannibalism.

Some may have thought that he was crazy. Others thought, if he wants us to eat his flesh and drink his blood, what will he do with us? Their traditions taught that cannibalism and drinking human blood was strictly forbidden. They had a choice to make—leave Jesus because he was talking crazy and go back to the law or stay with him. It’s no wonder that many were offended because of his teachings. Out of the 70 disciples, 12 stayed with him.

Those 12 knew better. The whole picture was not, yet, revealed to the disciples, but they knew that somewhere, somehow there was an analogy and a deeper level of revelation knowledge. Revelation knowledge can bless you , but it will cause the following —-

1-Cause you to be misunderstood- -They thought that Jesus was going crazy and misleading his disciples.

2-Cause a shakeup in your ministry–More than half of his disciples left him, aside from the multitude that followed him because his miracles.

I know that I was reviewing our last lesson on communion, but I wanted to share the pros and cons. When God starts to reveal deeper revelations of the word, you can’t look at the people or situations around you. Look unto Jesus and you will not be disappointed.

Scripture reading–John 6:48-68

Prayer–Lord, thank you for speaking to me. Help me to count the cost when you give me revelation knowledge. I thank you that I am your sheep and I hear your voice. Lord, help me to discern from what is your word and what is not. Reveal to me in this day, your good and perfect will for me. In Jesus name. Amen.

Bible verses courtesy of http://www.biblegateway.com

Revelation Knowledge prayer

Pray when you study the word.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

What is Revelation Knowledge? Revelation knowledge is when God’s word opens up to you. It is when he manifests his will to you. It will enable you to be in a position to receive God’s best for your life. It is the knowledge that will bring salvation in all areas of your life. (Hosea 4:6)

It is very important that when you pray, especially before your Bible studies, you use God’s word. Enclosed is a series of prayers that you can use to enhance your Bible studies. It will bring about the presence and revelation of the Holy Spirit—

The prayer of Ephesians is a powerful prayer and whether you agree with my teachings or not, this prayer is one that every believer should pray before his/her Bible studies. Instead of fighting one another, we should be praying this prayer for ourselves and the body of Christ. I guarantee that if we do this, we will see many receive the revelation of God and his word! I have personalized this prayer so that, whosoever will, shall pray this prayer before their Bible study-God bless!  

                              (Ephesians 1:17-23) God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give me the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of my understanding being enlightened that I may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come, And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.


                  (Ephesians 3:14-21)  For this cause, I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. That he may grant me, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man. That Christ may dwell in my heart by faith; that I, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that I might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him, that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that I ask or think, according to the power that worketh in me, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.


  Praying for others. Please include the name of the person you are praying for!

               God of our Lord Jesus Christ , the Father of glory, may give_______________ the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of  their  understanding being enlightened that they may know what is the hope of their  calling, and what the riches of the glory of their  inheritance in the saints. And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come , And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

                        For this cause, I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. That he may grant __________, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man. That Christ may dwell in their heart by faith; that ____________, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that _____________ might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him, that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that I ask or think, according to the power that worketh in me, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

As a good rule of thumb, you should always end it with the words…In Jesus Name! Next time, we will dig deep into the meaning of communion. Don’t miss it. God bless.

Bible verses courtesy of http://www.biblegateway.com

Reprint courtesy of http://www.wordandgrace.blogspot.com

A look at the communion elements

                   What comes to your mind when celebrating communion. A cracker and some grape juice? A quotation from scripture? Communion is a most sacred and solemn event. It is the renewal of a covenant. A covenant that the Lord made with the church. Not understanding the covenant can have serious consequences in our lives.

                   Jesus brought this up with his disciples for the first time in John 6:25-52. I, sometimes, get amused when I hear some preachers saying we believe in the literal meaning of the Bible. Please do not misunderstand me, we should take every word of the Bible literally but at the same time, understand that some of its meanings involves symbolism or analogies. PS 17:8 says to hide me under the shadows of thy wings. When we think of wings, we think of a bird. Is God a bird? No. It is symbolic of his protection.

When Jesus brought up the communion elements for the first time, he compared it to his flesh and blood. The Jews forbade cannibalism and for them to hear this teaching really shook their traditions and laws to the core. When we think of Jesus and his disciples, we see 12 of them in the back of our minds. Truth of the matter is that Jesus had 70 disciples in total.(Luke 10:1, 10:17), plus those that went with him because of the loaves and fishes.

                           It was sad to see many of the disciples and others leave because of a simple misunderstanding of communion. They lost what could have been the greatest blessing of their lives. Brethren, please forgive me for being repetitious with this one point. It is, of extreme importance, especially in these last days that the believers pray the Ephesians prayers.

In my next post, I will enclose those prayers so that your study of the word can be enhanced and your eyes of your understanding be enlightened. When you do this, your Bible study will take on a whole new dimension. Revelation knowledge will pour out and your study will be exciting. You will not be able to get enough of the word. God bless.

Reprint courtesy of Word and Grace ministries….http://www.wordandgrace.blogspot.com

For further studies on communion, refer to…

A look at communion–Part 2–http://bit.ly/2NIGNph

What will you write on your book?

What will you write on your page today?

My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. (Ps 45:1)

Greetings. Last time, we were talking about our book of destiny. Today, we are going to talk about our other book. Did you know that when we face the Lord, he is going to open the books concerning our life? (1) Apart from the other books (Life and destiny), there are more books that God has ready to be opened. How many? It’s anyone’s guess, but the book we are going to talk about is the book of remembrance.


Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. (Mal 3:16)

Will your book be one of remembrance to the Lord? Your tongue has the power of life and death. You will have what you say. Words are very, very important. When you start your morning in prayer, a good rule of thumb is to prophesy over your day. We, all, face challenges in life. We are in a battle and it’s real. The good news is that for every battle that we win, there are great spoils.

Having this thought in mind, we should welcome these challenges. Caleb is one of my favorite characters. He said give me this mountain. (2) If we knew what was at the other side of the mountain, we would welcome any challenge. Are you facing mountains of sickness, difficulties on the job or marriage problems? Speak to that mountain. Your mountain needs to hear your voice.

Then, after you speak to your problems and circumstances, start praising God. Rejoice and leap up for joy. Prophesy unto that mountain and watch it move. It may take a while, but if you are patient and don’t let go, you will see your victory manifested. Get into the habit of speaking God’s promises over your life. Your book will become a best seller in God’s library. God bless.

Bible verses courtesy of www.biblegateway.com

(1) Rev 20:12

(2) Joshua 14:12-13